Before game over: a study on the experiences, prediction and values of consumption of players of seventh-generation videogame consoles

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis of the elements that influence the consumption behaviour of users of seventh-generation videogame consoles. It aims to improve comprehension about consumers' preferences and intentions related to brand devotion, technology convergence, hedonism versus utilitarianism, ease of use, innovation, social positioning and social interaction of videogame users in order to understand which factors are likely to motivate the adoption process of this type of technology. The categories were derived from theories of consumer behaviour and marketing that deal with the use and adoption of technology products, focusing on consumers' usage symbols and values. The study method used was netnography, with the data collected from blogs/discussion forums on the internet. For data analysis, thematic categories were used to describe types of users in relation to their consumption propensities on videogaming platforms such as the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The results show that factors related to consumer culture and behaviour, such as social positioning (status), influence the preferences of users of seventh-generation videogames.