The effects of happiness types and happiness congruity on game app advertising and environments

Abstract

While gameplay experience is a multi-dimensional and multi-layered concept depending on game genres and players, one of the major motivations to play is the pursuit of happiness. This study distinguishes games of different happiness types and explores the advertising effects on young adults that resulted from multiple sources. They include: the happiness expected from advertised game apps; the happiness experienced when playing games with embedded ads; and the happiness congruity between game app advertising and environments. The effects of ad background colors and promotional incentives are also examined. Experimental results reveal that: advertising excited-happiness game apps and ads embedded in calm-happiness game app environments lead to better advertising effects; happiness incongruity generates higher intention to play the experimental game again; ad background colors and the presence of promotional incentives moderate happiness congruity effects; and red backgrounds (versus gray and blue) and incentives generate better attitudinal responses and click intentions.