Work

Flow, Game Evaluation, and Player Loyalty in Mobile Games: Evidence from Korea and Japan

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Mobile-game publishers face the dual challenge of retaining existing players while sustaining continuously updated digital services. This study develops and tests an integrated model linking psychological flow and overall game evaluation, shaped by service quality, system quality, and pricing policy, to satisfaction, word-of-mouth (WOM), and reuse intention. Survey data from adult paying mobile-game users in Korea and Japan were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling, bootstrap inference, measurement-invariance assessment, and multigroup comparisons. Flow and game evaluation were positively associated with satisfaction, which in turn was positively associated with both loyalty intentions. Cross-national comparisons suggested a stronger satisfaction–WOM relationship in Korea and a stronger satisfaction–reuse intention relationship in Japan. These directional patterns persisted after controlling for gender, age, gaming tenure, and daily playtime, although statistical support for between-country differences was sensitive to the outcome and multiple-testing considerations. The findings integrate experiential and operational explanations of player satisfaction and offer cautious implications for sustaining consumer relationships in digital services.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su182111334

Authors: Sun Hee Kwon, Segu Oh, Hyemi Bang

Institutions: Daejin University, Chungnam National University, Kyushu Sangyo University

Language: English

Topic: Digital Games and Media

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funder: Daejin University