NFTs and their impact on business models of the video game industry

The video game industry is one of the most important categories in the entertainment branch. In the area of online video games, the NFT technology is increasingly being addressed in the context of crypto games. This new phenomenon allows game developers to extend existing business models such as B2P, P2P, and F2P to P2E models. It not only compensates gaming companies for their development expenses, but also players for their efforts in the form of playing time. However, this model is only profitable for both sides if the associated benefits are accepted by players and appropriate incentives are created for game developers. Based on the existing literature and through quantitative research (online surveys), this issue was investigated in terms of motivational factors, intentions, and behavior of the players. For this purpose, the theory of planned behavior was used in conjunction with a mediation analysis. The responses of 116 online gamers in the DACH region revealed that for NFT-based crypto games, there is no mediation effect between motivational factors, monetary intentions, and player behavior in terms of playing time. Nevertheless, it was also observed that motivational factors and monetary intentions have a positive impact on playing time independently of each other. In this context, while profit is one of the main drivers that motivates players to spend their time playing crypto games, it is not the only motivational factor. Other factors such as social and skill development also showed some significance. Therefore, it can be beneficial for game developers to focus on more than just profit when designing a P2E-based crypto game. As mentioned above, the following study only covered the DACH region. To gain further insights into the impact of NFT technology on player motivation, intention, and behavior, future research should be conducted in other countries as well. In addition, future research should focus not only on player effects, but also on the perspectives of game developers.电子游戏产业是娱乐领域中最为重要的品类之一。在在线电子游戏范畴内，非同质化代币（NFT）技术在加密游戏（crypto games）的语境下受到越来越多的关注。这一全新现象允许游戏开发者将既有商业模式，如企业对玩家（B2P）、玩家对玩家（P2P）以及免费游玩（F2P），拓展至玩家赚取收益（P2E）模式。该模式不仅能够弥补游戏开发商的开发成本，还能以游戏时长为载体，为玩家付出的时间与精力提供回报。然而，唯有当玩家认可相关收益机制，且为游戏开发商设置了合理的激励方案时，该模式才能实现双方共赢。本研究基于现有文献，通过定量研究（在线问卷调查）的方式，从玩家的动机因素、参与意向与行为表现三个维度对该议题展开探究。为此，本研究结合计划行为理论（Theory of Planned Behavior）与中介分析方法开展研究。针对德国-奥地利-瑞士（DACH）地区116名在线游戏玩家的调研结果显示，在基于NFT的加密游戏中，玩家的动机因素、收益意向与游戏时长相关的行为表现之间并不存在中介效应。但研究同时发现，动机因素与收益意向均会对玩家的游戏时长产生正向影响，且二者的影响相互独立。在此背景下，尽管收益是驱动玩家投入时间游玩加密游戏的核心动因之一，但并非唯一的动机因素。社交互动与技能提升等其他因素同样具有一定的影响显著性。因此，游戏开发商在设计基于P2E模式的加密游戏时，不应仅将收益作为核心考量，兼顾其他维度将更具裨益。如前文所述，本研究仅覆盖了德国-奥地利-瑞士（DACH）地区。为进一步厘清NFT技术对玩家动机、参与意向与行为表现的影响，未来的研究可拓展至其他国家与地区。此外，未来的研究不仅应关注玩家端的影响，还应纳入游戏开发商的视角展开探究。