How to create positive word of mouth (WOM) in the world of gaming? The social side of multiplayer games

Abstract

Multiplayer games provide an interactive environment to their consumers, the gamers. In that environment, gamers experience the created world by those game products. This study aims to explore the existence of positive word of mouth (WOM) in multiplayer games based on the interactive environment that these games create due to their nature. 342 people were surveyed online and gathered data were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Based on survey results, social interaction is positively related both to social identity and prosocial behavior, social identity positively affects both prosocial behavior and positive WOM, and prosocial behavior exerts a positive influence on positive WOM. Besides, social identity mediates the relationship between social interaction and prosocial behavior, and prosocial behavior mediates the relationship between social identity and positive WOM. By discussing the results and providing implications, we present empirical evidence for the existence of positive WOM in gaming and highlight its importance for marketing research and practices.