Motives for posting online reviews on app stores among hypercasual game players: exploring the role of demographic factors : master's thesis

Ranchikj, Vladana (author), Petrovčič, Andraž (mentor)

Mobile games and smartphones have become essential components of our everyday lives, with hypercasual games gaining popularity due to their accessibility and low time investment. This study examined hypercasual games' evolving nature, genre characteristics, and the motives driving players to write online reviews on app stores. We explored how demographic factors and preferred game genres influence these motives by using data collected with a web survey. Our findings show that altruism was the strongest motivation, with players primarily driven by a desire to help others. Younger players were more inclined to write reviews because of collectivism or provide balanced feedback, while employed individuals were more motivated by balance. Education emerged as the most influential factor when combining demographic traits with game genres. Players with lower educational attainment in puzzle games displayed stronger collectivist motives, while those with bachelor's degrees in simulation games leaned more toward balance. In action games, players with master's or PhD degrees were primarily motivated by balance, while those with bachelor's degrees showed stronger collectivist motives. These findings align with research emphasizing social engagement and individual values in review-writing behavior.

• Language: English
• Keywords: game genre, hypercasual mobile games, online review, player motivation, review-writing behavior
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: V. Ranchikj
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (114 str.))
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-169055
• UDC: 004.9:004.5(043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 235982851
• Publication date in RUL: 09.05.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Motivi za objavljanje spletnih mnenj v trgovinah z aplikacijami med igralci hiperpriložnostnih iger: raziskovanje vloge demografskih dejavnikov : magistrsko delo

Abstract

Mobilne igre in pametni telefoni so postali pomemben del našega vsakdanjega življenja, pri čemer so hiperpriložnostne igre postale vse bolj priljubljene zaradi svoje dostopnosti in majhnega časovnega vložka. V magistrskem delu raziskujemo spreminjajočo se naravo hiperpriložnostnih iger, značilnosti njihovih žanrov ter motive, ki spodbujajo igralce k pisanju spletnih ocen v trgovinah z aplikacijami. S pomočjo spletne ankete smo raziskali, kako demografski dejavniki in priljubljeni žanri iger vplivajo na te motive. Rezultati so pokazali, da je bil altruizem najmočnejši motiv, saj so igralci ocene najpogosteje pisali z željo pomagati drugim. Mlajši igralci so pogosteje pisali ocene zaradi kolektivizma ali z namenom podajanja uravnoteženih povratnih informacij, medtem ko so zaposleni posamezniki bolj sledili motivu ravnotežja. Izobrazba se je izkazala za najpomembnejši dejavnik pri povezovanju demografskih značilnosti z žanri iger. Igralci z nižjo izobrazbo v miselnih igrah so izražali močnejše kolektivistične motive, medtem ko so tisti z diplomo v simulacijskih igrah bolj sledili motivu ravnotežja. Pri akcijskih igrah so bili igralci z magisterijem ali doktoratom bolj motivirani z ravnotežjem, medtem ko so tisti z diplomo izkazovali močnejše kolektivistične motive. Te ugotovitve so skladne z raziskavami, ki poudarjajo pomen družbenega udejstvovanja in individualnih vrednot pri vedenju, povezanem s pisanjem ocen.

• Keywords: žanri iger, hiperpriložnostne mobilne igre, spletne ocene, igralčeva motivacija, vedenje pri pisanju ocen