Psychosocial Adjustment and Mental Distress Associated With In-Game Purchases Among Japanese Junior High School Students

Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of Risky Loot Box Index (RLI) and cross-sectional investigation among gamers of China

Nowadays, many of the top-selling video games include options to purchase loot boxes as paid virtual items. As research progressed, loot boxes have been found to have similar characteristics to gambling, and there has been an ongoing debate as to whether loot boxes can be defined as gambling. In order to better study loot boxes, psychometrically meaningful scales are necessary. The Risky Loot Box Index (RLI) was developed by Brooks and Clark, which is the most commonly used tool to assess the use of loot boxes. This study aimed to translate the original RLI into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties. Two samples were recruited through online gaming forums (n = 143) and offline internet cafes (n = 236). An exploratory factor analysis of the online sample yielded a one-dimensional nine-item model, with the factor focused on risky behaviors associated with loot boxes. The confirmatory factor analysis carried out on the offline sample corroborated the results obtained from the exploratory factor analysis, and the Chinese version of the RLI displays satisfactory psychometric properties. Furthermore, the Problem Gambling Severity Index (r = 0.57, P < 0.001) and the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (r = 0.67, P < 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with the RLI. We also found that players with high RLI scores may have higher levels of anxiety and depression, and they were more willing to spend money on loot boxes, with some spending nearly all their earnings. Interestingly, no significant correlations between age, gender, education, or income level, and the RLI were found.

Buying Game Derivative Products Is Different from In-Game Purchases: A Mixed-Method Approach

The consumption of games has received increasing attention due to their high profits and addiction issues. However, previous studies have focused mainly on players' in-game purchases, neglecting the purchase of game derivative products. This article provides the first exploration of the differences and similarities between in-game purchases and derivative product purchases with a mixed-method approach. A quantitative survey collected data from 9864 game players, and the results suggested that there were differences between in-game purchases and derivative product consumption in terms of consumption amount and number of participants, and that derivative product purchases had a stronger relationship with character attachment and game loyalty. Subsequent interviews were conducted with 22 players. The findings supported the quantitative results and revealed that players exhibited a distinct understanding of each type of purchase in terms of ownership. Overall, these findings contribute to the understanding of game derivative product purchases and explore the factors influencing in-game purchases and derivative product purchases. We strongly argue that the pattern of spending on game derivative products is very different from that of spending on in-game purchases and is, thus, worthy of dedicated research.

Loot box consumption by adolescents pre- and post- pandemic lockdown

Loot boxes are virtual items that can be redeemed to receive randomly selected other virtual items, and have been criticized for being similar to gambling. The presence of loot boxes in video games has dramatically increased since 2010, with little evidence available for the current prevalence rate of loot box purchasing in the general population, particularly during and following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. This study uses data from representative samples of American youth to estimate prevalence rates for video game play and loot box consumption before the pandemic (2019) and after the pandemic lockdowns (2022) to examine whether the pandemic has affected loot box usage in the general population and among gamers. The results suggest that youth loot box consumption has increased, rising from 24.9% in 2019 to 31.6% in 2022 among 8th grade (age 13-14) youth. The increase over this time period was larger for girls, though boys are still more likely to purchase loot boxes overall.

Prediction of problem gambling by demographics, gaming behavior and psychological correlates among gacha gamers: A cross-sectional online survey in Chinese young adults

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to explore the association of problem gambling with demographics, psychological distress, and gaming behavior in young adult gacha gamers in Hong Kong.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional data was collected in the first and fifth waves of COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong online. Participants who aged 18-25 years and had been playing gacha games over the past 12 months were recruited. Stepwise multiple regression was used to explore the association among risk of problem gambling, gaming behavior, participation in gaming activities and psychological distress. A two-sided p-value <0.05 was considered as statistical significance.

RESULTS

Three hundred and thirty-seven completed questionnaires were received with no missing data. 34.7% (n = 117) of the participants had non/low-risk of problem gambling. About 40% (n = 136) of them had moderate-risk and the remaining 25% (n = 84) were at high risk of problem gambling. A higher proportion of female participants (78.6%) were found in high-risk group as compared to 39.7% and 55.6% only in the non/low-risk and moderate-risk groups, respectively. The regression model (R 2 = 0.513, F = 71.895, p < 0.001) showed that 51.3% of the variance of the total problem gambling score could be explained by stress, anxiety, monthly expenses on gacha purchases, number of motives for gacha purchase and number of gambling activities engaged.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides empirical evidence to support the association between problem gambling and microtransaction especially for gacha which is the most popular type of video game microtransaction in Asia. The established regression model suggests that gacha gamers with higher risk of problem gambling tend to have greater stress, higher anxiety level, spend more on gacha purchase, have more motives for gacha purchases and engage in more gambling activities. In contrast to the extant literature, higher proportion of female participants in high-risk group indicates that female gacha gamers are also at very high risk of becoming problem gamblers.