以訪談法探索線上遊戲消費者購買決策程序與轉換因素

The Exploratory Research of On-Line Game Consumer Purchasing Decision Process and Switching Factors

線上遊戲市場近年在台灣地區蓬勃發展，但實務界與學術界對於遊戲玩家消費行為的研究卻是相當缺乏，因此本文自我定位為探索性研究，透過訪談法對線上玩家進行深度訪談，整理出消費者在購買線上遊戲時各階段的決策模式，以及遊戲轉換因素。本研究以 EKB Model四階段購買決策程序為架構（確認需求、資訊搜尋、選項評估、購買與購後結果），發現玩家消費線上遊戲的需求動機為人際關係、打發時間、情緒發洩與尊榮。資訊搜尋階段中，首次購買線上遊戲的玩家，會以電視雜誌廣告、朋友介紹、店頭廣告與介紹遊戲的電視節目為主要資訊蒐集途徑；而換購玩家的資訊搜尋途徑，多會以專業遊戲雜誌與專業遊戲網站為主。本研究也發現玩家們選擇遊戲的關鍵評估準則有知覺整體視覺呈現效果（畫面）、免費試玩二項。而消費型態會是以購買「月卡」為主，且主要使用遊戲的地點是在家中。此外本研究也發現遊戲玩家會由前一款遊戲轉換至使用另一款遊戲的轉換因素有三：網路外部性效用的降低、廠商管理失當、新鮮感的喪失。

In recent years, the on-line game industry has grown rapidly in Taiwan. However, there is lack of studies focus on player’s behavior of on-line game. This article is an exploratory research, used depth interview technique with on-line game players, to find the decision-making process and factors of switching behavior. In this research, the EKB four stages model is used as a conceptual framework. The results found that motivations of on-line game usage are “ need for interpersonal relationship”, “kill time”, “emotional releasing”, and “honor”. In information searching stage, the players who purchase a game first time will refer to TV or magazine advertisements, friends’ introduction, point of purchase advertisements, and professional TV programs for electronic game. The major information searching routs of switching customers will focus on professional magazines and professional websites for electronic game. In this study, we also found that the key criteria which players evaluated before purchase a game: The whole sound-and-light display and free tryout. Moreover, on-line game customers usually prepay the connecting fees and play games at home. Besides, our research also discovered tree major factors that causing customers to switch the game system from one to another: the decrease of network externalities effect, managerial failure of on-line game system provider, and freshness declining.