Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’

Investment on Virtual Products
PJ Tecson, April Maghanoy, Nicole Sua-an, Krystel Acain,
Neeron Alum, and Adrian Larrazabal

I. INTRODUCTION 2003; Huang, 2011). In this context, virtual

goods refer to digital objects which are only
he internet has become an essential usable within the network environment.

T component of everyone’s daily

activities, and is mainly used for
things such as communication (Jackson,
These may include for example, extra lives,
clothes for avatar, and more powerful
weapons. The researchers will study this
2019), social interaction (Rice et al., 2007), topic because not many have tried to
banking transactions (Frankenfield, 2019), research about why users invest on virtual
business trade (Folger, n.d.), and products specifically on Multiplayer Online
entertainment (Yale, 2017). Due to the Battle Arena (MOBA) games.
development of the internet, games, and Most study related to online games
virtual environments are increasingly are somewhat related to “online game
developed and maintained (Yale, 2017; BMT obsession”, “the characteristic of online
Micro, 2014; Chrizastowski, 2011). This shift game users”, “motivations for playing online
has implied many new challenges to the games”, and “desire to play online games.”
business models, game designs and and the one main focus of this study which is
marketing. Furthermore, the number of “factors that affect intent to purchase virtual
companies developing games has goods in online games.” (Hsun Ho & Yun Wu,
dramatically increased due to cost efficient 2012).
publishing (Silipigni, 2003; Shelburne, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle
2009). This development has led to a fierce Arena) is from StarCraft called (Aeon of
competition for not only potential customers, Strife) and Evolved in to the latest Defence
but also product visibility (e.g. in Playstore, of the Ancients or "Dota". The objective of
Apple App store, and Facebook). Most games MOBA is for each team to destroy the
developed on social networking services opponents' Base. Player’s heroes to
(SNS) are free to have (such as Clash of represent their self in the game, and are
Clans) (Tirocchi, 2018; Abdurahman et al., assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled
2016). However, it is clear that no online fighters called "creeps".
entertainment can survive some kind of a Simply stated, a buying decision is the
revenue stream and thus online publishers result of a consumer learning pathway where
have started to sell virtual goods inside the consumer must learn about a product or
network not only to generate revenue, but service and relate it to their specific situation
also to better meet the wider willingness-to- to make a favorable buying decision.
pay spectrum (Investopedia, 2018; Zaltman, (Banschick, 2016). As a partial result, there
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

are a lot of factors that differs the outcome of for the player's character (Wohn, 2014). Thus,
the results and factors that definitely change gamers dare to invest in such things as it can help
the point of view of sellers and what they them boost their levels and give them satisfaction
really need to do to be able to increase their and pleasure.
sales.
1.1.3 Online Gaming Communities
In this research, the researchers aims Some may wonder how gaming
to investigate on the psychological effect on companies garner a loyal fan base. Well, gamers
why people buy virtual products using real tend to form their own community of fellow
money and with the help of surveys that gamers where they commit their self to specific
would be conducted and addressed to the games. According to the researchers Seay,
respondents. In a seller’s point of view, Jerome, Lee, and Kraut in their research about
finding out the secret and formula to be able online gaming communities, in addition to the
to gather and get buyers is a really great fun of playing, players often form lasting
advantage. It helps them focus on those key relationships with the people they play with
online. At the same time, participation in these
points and factors to be able to create a better
immersive game world requires a considerable
product that fits in their buyer’s description time commitment from players, which may affect
and wants. The research will redeem itself as their real-life activities and relationships, with
a useful information to sellers and this thought the researchers studied these
consumers alike. This research helps both players to be able to find the answers to their
parties realize and see what they really need questions and answer their focus.
to do to be able to maximize the use of their
resources. 1.1.4 Virtual Products
For the past few years, modern
technology has become a part of our everyday
1.1 Review of Related Literature lives. It gives us luxury, entertainment, and the
1.1.1 Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) necessities in living a life of comfort. Not only
MOBA also known as Multiplayer Battle that, technology introduced us to digital
Arena is a genre of game that you would want to possessions which we might not know of. Virtual
play. As coined by Cantallops (2018) MOBA products are one of the big things that has ever
games are a subgenre of real-time strategy games happened to us in this evolving world. These are
in which two teams, typically consisting of five products which we acquire virtually such as
players each, compete against each other with music, movies, games, and eBooks (Helft, 2010).
each player controlling a single character. A very
famous example of MOBA games is the game 1.1.5 Consumer Buying Behaviour
Defense of the Ancients or mostly known as People buy things for them to use, and by
DOTA is a game that was developed and buying things, they are exchanging their money
maintained through the Warcraft III platform in return. By doing this act, they are investing
(Wang, 2016). their money for their need and that need can be
classified as an asset if it is solved. Any item
1.1.2 Virtual Products in Multiplayer Online
acquired or bought with the goal of generating a
Battle Arena (MOBA) profit or satisfying one's needs, emotions and
There are a lot of ways for game appreciation can be considered as an investment
developers to earn money through virtual (Investopedia, 2018).
products as the goods for the game does not only
sells skins but also items, clothing, hairstyles, and
1.2 Statement of the Problem
accessories for the game characters, as well as
furniture and home décor for virtual space This study will examine the
(Wohn, 2014). One might think that these things behaviour of online buyers in investing on
are only used for improving the overall aesthetic virtual products as a psychological aspect.
of the game but, no, these things are also some More specifically it seeks to find the answers
boost ups for their character's skill and strength, to the following questions:
these things mostly serve as an upgrading item
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

1. Why do users in vest on virtual

products?
2. What benefits do they receive in
buying virtual products?
3. How do virtual products affect the
buyers’ towards the online platform?
4. Why are buyers influenced?

Statement of the Hypothesis

In this study, the researchers formulated
hypotheses as a guide in order to achieve the
goals and aims of the study. The hypotheses are
the following:
1. People buy virtual products to satisfy
their wants, to gain different points on different Fig. 1. Consumer behavior influences matrix
online platforms and to further enhance the
different products on the online platform. 1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study
2. The benefits they receive when they Out of all the gamers coming from
buy virtual products are satisfaction and they
Iligan City the researcher decided to make
gain high self-esteem in their online platform.
3. The buyers’ behaviour is affected since
the students and teachers from La Salle
the buyer has a high self-esteem due to the Academy as the respondents of this research
purchase of online products. specifically from grade 9 – grade 12. The
4. Buyers are influenced by other buyers researchers would investigate on how people
to invest in virtual products since they are buy virtual products with real money and
attracted to the product which is used by another how it benefits them.
buyer.

1.3 Theoretical Framework 1.5 Significance of the Study

Customer conduct is very abstract as This study is significant because it is
a purchaser basic leadership process is a study on human behaviour on buying and
influenced by number of components, these self-esteem. The importance of this study is
can be classified into two classifications. for us to understand and find out why does
Internal factors are factors which affects a people buy a lot of online virtual products
person’s buying behavior because of even though it is not practical at all. This
personality and psychological traits. study is also relevant and important because
External factors on the other hand are it helps the researchers find out why do
factors from the environment such as people actually spend money on things such
cultural and social (Hoyer & Macinnis, 2009). as virtual products and what benefits does
Figure 1 shows the consumer’s buying investing in these products actually give the
behavior. buyers. The researchers are also looking at
the big picture of how this buying of virtual
products affects one’s behaviour and its
advantages that could benefit to a person.
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

II. METHODS from the principal to be able to conduct the

survey in the school so that there would not
In this part of the paper, the be any problems in the future. The process
researchers focus on how the research was took a while but the researchers did get
done and how the researchers got to their signed and approved to do the survey and so
results. First of all, the researchers would they gathered data from players that they
have not been able to do this research know and some players that others know.
properly without their research adviser. The The researchers did not only focus on the
researchers’ research adviser is part of the grade 12 students of La Salle Academy but
methods because they were the ones who the also on the grade 11 students of the Senior
researchers had to go to for advice and help. Highschool Department. Then, right after
The researchers were able to gather data gathering the data, the researchers tallied
with the help of the research adviser who was the scores of each question in the
always supervising the researchers’ work. questionnaire. This led to the results of the
The researchers were able to finalize data gathering and the research adviser had
and did a convenience sampling since the to check the tallying of the surveys. The
research was really more of a specific gathering of the data ended here and started
respondents only and so they had to choose the interpretation of the results. The
from their peers who fit the description of the researchers have also agreed on a
respondents. After processing the sampling quantitative data analysis method since the
method that the researchers will use, they data gathered focuses more on numbers and
had to go and look for a suitable statistics rather than words.
questionnaire for their survey. The
researchers had to look a lot to find the 2.1 Statistical Tools
suitable questionnaire for their topic and The statistical tools to be used to aid
chose a questionnaire that was close to their in the analysis and interpretation of data are
study as it also involved virtual products the following:
buying in another game. Although the
questionnaire never had a name, the game it
was based on was CSGO or Counter Strike: 2.1.1 Frequency and Percentage Distribution
Global Offensive and it is another big game The Frequency and Percentage
that is known around the world. After Distribution will be used to show the frequency of
the answers of a question. Through this, the
getting a questionnaire the researchers had
researchers would know the most frequent
to edit it a bit to make it get close to their
answer in each question. The formula is as
research and be able to find out a lot more for follows:
their research rather than the game CSGO.
The researchers had to edit the survey’s topic 𝑓
%= × 100
which was CSGO and changed some of its 𝑁
choices that were not in the game that the where:
researchers chose, they had to change some % = Percent
like ranks, prices, and the name of the game f = Frequency
N = Number of respondents
itself. The researchers had it checked out and
was finalized after.
The next step was gathering the data
but the researchers had to get permission
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

2.1.2 Statistical Averages Epic 1 2%

The statistical averages will be used for Master 5 12%
Grandmaster 2 5%
the rating scale questions. The respondents
Elite 9 21%
would answer 11 questions with a 10 point rating Legend 8 19%
scale. The researchers used these tools as it is Mythic 4 9%
appropriate to show the respondents’ emotions Mythic Glory 11 26%
and feelings through quantitative means towards
Total 50 100%
certain perspectives. The formula of the
statistical averages are as follows:
1. Mean Table 2.1 shows the respondent’s
∑𝑥 ratings from 1-10 of the factors influencing
𝑀𝑒𝑎𝑛 =
𝑁 consumers in buying said virtual goods.
Numbers in ratings that are bolded are the
mode of that particular question. At the
Where:
bottom line of the table shows the averages
∑ = Summation
of each rating points.
x = Frequency
N= Number of Respondents
Moreover, table 2.2 presents
2. Mode summarized questions the respondents
𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒 = 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 answered with its general answers. To sum it
up the respondents played Mobile Legends
from 6 months to a year. The respondents
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION play 0-5 hours per week and their reason to
play it is because of enjoyment. Most of the
The researchers collected the data of time they play solo. They would not mind and
50 respondents with gaming backgrounds would support boosting in ranked games.
specifically on Mobile Legends completed the Their reason to buy virtual items and reason
survey. Table 1 presents the demographic to be fond of a skin is because of its looks.
data of the sample where 70% of the Skins are important because it is a way to
respondents are male and 48% are in the age customize their characters and to stand out
of 18. Of the 50 respondents 26% of them are visually. They frequently buy skins during
in the rank of Mythic Glory. promotions. In the last 12 months the
respondents have spent P250 to P1000 or
nothing at all. The approximate value of
Table 1 Sample Demographic their account in terms of assets is P1000-
Demographic Frequen Valid P2000. They believe that Scarcity /
Categories cy Percentage
Gender
Uniqueness is the factor which affects the
Male 35 70% prices of virtual items. Lastly, the main
Female 15 30% reason not to buy in virtual items is because
Age
15 2 6%
the prices are too high.
16 2 6% While most of the respondents we
17 3 9% surveyed also want to buy more or just
18 16 48%
simply jump in the bandwagon of virtual
19 4 12%
21 4 12% product craze. They would not be able to do
26 1 3% so as the prices are more expensive than it
30 1 3% seems. The hypotheses and results deeply
Rank
Warrior 3 7%
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

coincides with each other as both shows deep different online platforms and to further
connection in regards to the buyers’ self- enhance the different products on the online
esteem which fuels and drives the buyers to platform.
create their own buying behaviour pattern, Ha2: The benefits they receive when they buy
as proven by the results. The following are virtual products are satisfaction and they
the alternative hypothesis formulated by the gain high self-esteem in their online
platform.
researchers;
Ha1: People buy virtual products to satisfy
their wants, to gain different points on
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Users’ Investment on Virtual Products

Ha3: The buyers’ behaviour is affected since

the buyer has a high self-esteem due to the
purchase of online products.
Ha4: Buyers are influenced by other buyers
to invest in virtual products since they are
attracted to the product which is used by
another buyer.
While some buyers buy virtual
products in order to increase and boost their
characters abilities, some also just buy the
products to show off and feed their self-
esteem. Base on the results it is found that
the researchers alternative hypotheses is
proven right by the data gathered.
The researchers used the theorized
Influences of Consumer Behaviour to
support our study. It was in the findings that
one of the influences as to why they buy
virtual products was mostly because of
internal influences which the factors affected
where of personal and psychological.