고객충성도에 영향을 미치는 온라인 콘텐츠 특성에 관한연구 -몰입(Flow)의 매개효과를 중심으로 -

Abstract

오늘날 온라인 콘텐츠 시장이 위축되고 모바일 콘텐츠 시장이 활성화 되는 시점에서 온라인 콘텐츠시장에서 성공과 매출증대를 위해서는 어떠한 노력이 필요한가? 온라인 콘텐츠 사업에 관련된 연구에서는 고객 충성도의 증가가 사업 성공의 주요한 요인임을 제안하고 있다. 온라인 환경에서 사용자 행동에 대한 연구에 따르면, 이용자는 온라인서비스를 이용하면서 몰입(Flow)을 경험하게 되며, 몰입 상태에 이르면 이용자는 서비스를 지속적으로 이용하게 된다. 온라인 게임에 대한 고객충성도가 높다는 것은 이 온라인 게임을 앞으로도 계속 이용하겠다는 의지가 높다는 것을 의미한다. 이에, 본 연구에서는 소비자가 온라인 게임을 플레이하면서 자연스럽게 몰입을 할 수 있는 요소가 무엇이며, 게임의 재미를 더 할 수 있는 온라인 게임의 속성이 무엇인지를 밝히며 이러한 요소들이 고객 충성도를 높이기 위한 중요한 요소임을 검증하고, 온라인 게임을 개발 또는 서비스하는 업체의 매출증대를 위하여 소비자가 원하는 재미있는 게임의 중요 요소가 무엇이며 어디에 촛점을 맞추어 개발을 진행해야 하는지 방향성을 제시하는데 목적이 있다고 할 수 있다. As the number of online game user has been rapidly increased thanks to the recent vitalization of online contents market, not only new business opportunity but also the opportunity to create high profits have been provided as well. However, the increase of the number of online game user and the rapid expansion of the market evoke a cutthroat completion among online game service providers, and also high barriers to entry to online game market have been erected. Thus, what kinds of efforts need for the business success and sales increase in online game market? In lots of researches regarding online contents business, the deepening of loyalty was considered as a critical factor for the business success. According to the study on user's behavior in online environment, users would experience the Flow while using online service, and then, if they were in state of the Flow, they would use the service constantly. High customer loyalty to online game means high will to use the online game too. The purpose of this research was i) to examine what factors enable users to be naturally immersed in online game while playing it, ii) to examine what properties of online game can make game more interesting and exciting, iii) to verify that such factors are critical in deepening customer loyalty, and iv) to suggest some essential factors to be fun and exciting games, on where the focus should be put, and the directionality for the development for sales expansion of online game developer or online game service provider. The research results are as below: First, the involvement and the perceived quality which were characteristics of brand appeared to be factors most affecting Flow. This shows that once game user get interested in online game that user has played frequently, even though new games are released, user will continuously flow the game not moving to new games, and also shows that users not only get more interested but also put more trust in games in the site to where users are frequently going than games in other sites, and consequently user can increasingly flow the game. Second, the compensation and graphics which are the characteristics of contents appeared to be factors affecting Flow. Proper compensation which is given to game users triggers fun and interests in game and makes them flow more and more. And graphics make users to feel game space as if real space and let them flow in game with more reality. Third, challenges, support, and the stability which are technical characteristics appeared to be factors affecting Flow. Challenges enable users to not only experience new virtual world but also solve various difficulties and obstacles. Once users feel fun and interests through this challenge, they can naturally flow games. In addition, the stability of network provides reliability in security and hacking. By doing so, it can induce users to flow more and more. Lastly, when aforementioned characteristics including contents characteristics, technical characteristics, and brand characteristics are organically combined each other, game users feel fun and total minutes are naturally increased, so that game users experience Flow, and consequently the customer loyalty will be deepened as well.