Influencing Factors in the Purchase Behavior of Virtual Items: Take "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" as an Example
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines the factors driving virtual item purchases in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), situated within expanding virtual economies. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining case evidence, market data, and behavioral surveys, and grounded in the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV), the research reveals that cultural values fundamentally reconfigure trust-building mechanisms, with collectivist orientations increasing demand for community validation while individualist contexts heighten the premium placed on aesthetic exclusivity. Paper also identifies gender-based motivational divergence in consumption drivers, though segments converge on high investment in symbolic self-expression items. Furthermore, game design mechanics—specifically scarcity engineering and randomized reward systems—effectively drive impulse consumption through behavioral psychology principles, demonstrating consistent cross-regional efficacy despite regulatory differences. The work contributes theoretically by extending TCV to formalize digital consumption value archetypes within virtual economies. Practically, this research proposes a global monetization framework prioritizing localized trust architecture, identity-inclusive product diversification, and neurocognitive design optimization, thereby bridging micro-behavioral analysis with macro-cultural theory to establish actionable paradigms for gaming industry strategies.
Author: Zezheng Zhang
Institution: University of York
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4412495269