Received: 24 July 2019 Revised: 4 March 2020 Accepted: 20 April 2020

DOI: 10.1002/cb.1831

ACADEMIC PAPER

Impact of perceived value on casual mobile game loyalty:

The moderating effect of intensity of playing

Sebastian Molinillo1 | Arnold Japutra2 | Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas3

1
Department of Business Management,
Faculty of Economics and Business, University Abstract
of Malaga, Malaga, Spain The retention rate of mobile game players is one of the subjects that spark most
2
Department of Marketing, UWA Business
interest in the industry, as many abandon the games only a few hours after down-
School, University of Western Australia, Perth,
Western Australia, Australia loading them. This study examines the antecedents of loyalty towards mobile games
3
Department of Marketing and Market from the perspective of perceived value and explores the moderating effect of inten-
Research, Faculty of Economics and Business,
University of Granada, Granada, Spain sity of playing. The results revealed that hedonic value (i.e., perceived enjoyment and
perceived attractiveness) and, to a lesser extent, utilitarian value (i.e., effort expec-
Correspondence
Sebastian Molinillo, Department of Business tancy and perceived usefulness) are crucial in the loyalty that players feel towards
Management, Faculty of Economics and mobile games. Intensity of playing weakens the relationship between perceived use-
Business, University of Malaga, Campus el
Ejido s/n, 29071 Malaga, Spain. fulness, perceived enjoyment and loyalty intention. Based on the findings, theoretical
Email: smolinillo@uma.es and practical implications are provided.

Funding information
Plan Andaluz de Investigación, Desarrollo e
Innovación

1 | I N T RO DU CT I O N
Mobile games (MGs) are applications designed for users to play on
small handheld computing devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
In general, MGs are much more accessible and convenient than other
gaming platforms (Wei & Lu, 2014). The number of regular players on
these devices has already reached 60% of US adult gamers
(Entertainment Software Association, 2019), while the average per-
centage penetration in key European countries, such as France, Ger-
many, Great Britain, and Spain is 48% (Interactive Software
Federation of Europe, 2019). The most popular game genre is the
casual game, which in the United Stated attracts 71% of adult video
gamers (Entertainment Software Association, 2019). Two of the most
popular games with these features are Angry Birds and Candy Crush
Saga. However, despite the high market penetration of this genre,
companies suffer low retention rates, which dramatically reduces the
long-term value of the games (GameAnalytics, 2019). Rapid demand
increase has attracted an increasing number of gaming companies that
have to make great efforts to gain market share (Newzoo, 2018). The
competition is such that, in many cases, after the games are down-
loaded, they have a very short life cycle (Kang & Kim, 2016).
Most casual games are free, and the companies monetize them
through in-app purchases and advertisements. Thus, there is no
financial cost for the user in switching from one game to another.
Moreover, exposure to advertisements has a negative effect on the
gaming experience and customer retention (Lorenzon &
Russell, 2012). In addition, given that the devices have limited capac-
ity, their users have an easy choice to delete one game app and install
another. Depending on the game, between 40% and 60% of users
abandon them in the first 24 hr after they are downloaded (Verto
Analytics, 2016). Therefore, as companies look for ways to manage
their long-term customer relationships, understanding which factors
influence a player's decision to continue playing and to recommend a
game to other players is a key priority (Seo, Buchanan-Oliver, &
Fam, 2015; Yi, Lee, & Kim, 2019), because it is the loyal players who
will potentially pay for upgrades, make in-app purchases and attract
indirect revenue through advertising (Hsu & Lin, 2016).
Previous research has extensively studied the antecedents of
continuance intention to use online games on PC and video game
consoles, but only a few works have tried to understand the factors
that drive MG loyalty (Hamari, Keronen, & Alha, 2015; Shaikh &
Karjaluoto, 2015). MGs differ from those developed for PCs and game
consoles because of hardware and software limitations (Kuittinen,
Kultima, Niemelä, & Paavilainen, 2007). Hence, it is possible that the
antecedents of loyalty towards MGs differ from the loyalty anteced-
ents of games played on other devices. Consequently, given the

J Consumer Behav. 2020;1–12. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cb © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 1
2 MOLINILLO ET AL.
importance of casual games in the industry, its difficulty in retaining
customers and the gap in the literature on consumer loyalty to MGs,
this study analyses the factors that enhance player loyalty towards
casual MGs.
On the basis of equity theory (Huppertz, Arenson, & Evans, 1978;
Oliver & DeSarbo, 1988), the marketing literature proposes that cus-
tomer perceived value is one of the most important predictors of cus-
tomer loyalty (Parasuraman & Grewal, 2000; Yang & Peterson, 2004).
Equity theory suggests that consumers will feel treated fairly in an
exchange if they perceive that the inputs are in some sense fair, right
or that the outcomes are deserved (Oliver & DeSarbo, 1988). There-
fore, perceived value is the result of the consumer's overall assess-
ment of the utility of a product based on perceptions of what (s)he
receives in exchange for what (s)he gives, including monetary pay-
ments and nonmonetary sacrifices (Zeithaml, 1988). Perceived value
is also considered the key outcome variable in a general model of con-
sumer experience; it has been divided into two dimensions, the utili-
tarian and the hedonic (Babin, Darden, & Griffin, 1994). In the context
of online games, some scholars have asserted that perceived value is a
key antecedent of loyalty (Calvo-Porral & Nieto-Mengotti, 2019; Su,
Chiang, Lee, & Chang, 2016; Yang, Wu, & Wang, 2009). However, no
study has integrated and analysed the direct influence of utilitarian
and hedonic values on player loyalty towards MGs. Therefore, this
study adopts equity theory, in a consumption experience approach, as
a framework for exploring the influence of customer value percep-
tions on loyalty intention towards casual MGs.
Bolton and Lemon (1999) contributed to equity theory by intro-
ducing the concept of payment equity to explain that the service
provider–customer relationship changes over time with use, because
customers update their evaluations of the fairness of exchanges. In
this sense, the present study proposes that the relationship between
perceived value and loyalty may be affected by the intensity of
playing (IoP) games. Previous studies have shown that some players
perceive they suffer greater personal sacrifices (e.g., fewer rest hours,
fewer personal relationships, less dedication to work/study) as the
time they spend playing increases (Griffiths, Davies, & Chappell, 2004;
Hellström, Nilsson, Leppert, & Åslund, 2012; Seok & DaCosta, 2018).
If the player perceives that the cost of playing is increasing, perceived
value may reduce. Scholars have shown that IoP online games miti-
gate the impact of satisfaction on loyalty (Lu & Wang, 2008). How-
ever, hitherto no evaluation has been made of the influence of IoP on
the customer perceived value–loyalty intention relationship. It would
be of value to academics, marketers and game developers to have
more empirical findings on player loyalty, taking into account IoP. This
study, thus, proposes that IoP plays an important role in casual MGs
and aims to extent equity theory and the payment equity concept by
examining the impact of IoP on the value–loyalty chain.
This leads us to ask the following research questions: Does per-
ceived value influence players' loyalty towards casual mobile games
(CMGs)? Does IoP moderate the relationship between perceived value
and loyalty towards CMGs? To answer these questions, this study
proposes a framework based on the perceived value derived from
users' experiences with these games.
This study aims to explain players' motivations to remain loyal to
games and how these motivations vary depending on IoP. In addition,
the study also provides valuable insights into mobile gamers' behav-
iours and raises additional implications for consumer behavioural the-
ory in the MG context. The results of this research can help
companies in the sector develop effective MGs that will increase
player loyalty.
2 | LI T E RA T U R E RE V I E W
2.1 | Casual mobile games
CMGs are one of the three game genres with the highest market
share in terms of turnover; for example, in the United States and
Canada they now have 20% market share, behind only casino and
card games and strategy and simulation games (Newzoo, 2018).
CMGs have been described as video games played on mobile devices,
generally having uncomplicated game controls, easy to learn, simple
story lines, fast rewards and which require little dedication to progress
within the games (Kuittinen et al., 2007). This type of game can be dis-
tinguished from hardcore games in that their play sessions are usually
shorter, their rules are simpler, and they require less commitment
(Engl & Nacke, 2013). The characteristics of casual games attract
many active daily users, but their retention rate (i.e., how many users
continue to play after X days playing a game) is very low, perhaps
because users quickly tire of the simplicity of many games once they
get to know them well. According to GameAnalytics (2019), for most
causal games the retention rate after D1 (Day 1) is below 30% and
falls below 8% at D7 (Day 7), far below the recommended minimum
industry retention targets (D1 at 35% and D7 at 11%).
Most CMGs can be acquired and played free of charge (free-to-
play or F2P model), but players are encouraged to buy virtual goods
(in-app purchases) and they are exposed to advertising during game
play (ad-based monetization) (GameAnalytics, 2019). It is precisely this
purchasing of items from game companies, instead of making
exchanges between players, as in pay-to-play games, that transforms
players' self-images from feeling they are members of communities to
a recognition that they are de facto consumers (Lin & Sun, 2011). Pre-
vious studies have explained this shift from user to paying customer
through various aspects, such as value for money (Vock, Dolen, &
Ruyter, 2013), attitude towards virtual goods (Hamari, 2015), how
designers implement game obstacles and social interaction (Hamari
et al., 2017), psychological needs (Jang, Lee, & Yoo, 2018), perceived
value of in-app purchases (Ravoniarison & Benito, 2019) and advertis-
ing avoidance, among others.
2.2 | Mobile game loyalty
Company marketing activities often have the aims of developing,
maintaining and increasing customer loyalty. Loyal customers are
important because of their impact on revenue and because the cost of
MOLINILLO ET AL.
retaining them is lower than that of attracting new customers
(Oliver, 1999).
The consumer behaviour literature identifies a number of ante-
cedent factors of online loyalty, among them satisfaction, perceived
value, trust, switching costs, website design, engagement, and user
experience (Bilgihan, 2016; Molinillo, Anaya-Sánchez, & Liébana-
Cabanillas, 2019; Molinillo, Gómez-Ortiz, Pérez-Aranda, & Navarro-
García, 2017; Mutum, Ghazali, Nguyen, & Arnott, 2014; Shankar,
Smith, & Rangaswamy, 2003). Within the framework of equity the-
ory (Huppertz et al., 1978; Oliver & DeSarbo, 1988), it is worth
highlighting that customer perceived value is one of the most
important predictors of customer loyalty (Parasuraman & Grewal,
2000; Yang & Peterson, 2004).
Consumer loyalty has been defined as the repeated playing and
recommendation (to others) of games (Hsiao & Tang, 2016). Its
importance in the field of online games has prompted a significant
number of studies into PC games and video games. The study of
customer loyalty is particularly important for CMGs because players
can quickly leave one game, and begin another, as the vast majority
is free. As a result, many games remain on the market for a very
short time because players abandon them very quickly (Kang &
Kim, 2016).
Previous studies into consumer behaviour in online games have
identified perceived value as a key antecedent of customer loyalty
(Su et al., 2016; Yang et al., 2009). However, to the best of our knowl-
edge no study has investigated the antecedents of loyalty towards
CMGs from the perspective of customer perceived value. As it is diffi-
cult to measure actual human behaviour, behavioural intentions are
instead generally used as a valid predictor of behaviours (Venkatesh &
Davis, 2000). In this study we treat consumers' loyalty intention (LI) as
a predictor of their loyalty towards CMGs.
2.3 | Customer perceived value
Value is considered the key outcome variable in a general model of
customer experience (Babin et al., 1994); it originates from a series of
interactions between a customer and a service provider (Gentile,
Spiller, & Noci, 2007). In the context of CMGs, player experience is
the individual personal feelings of the player as a result of his/her
interaction with the game (Buchanan-Oliver & Seo, 2012; Molinillo,
Muñoz-Leiva, & Pérez-García, 2018). Therefore, the perceived value
of a game is the player's subjective evaluation of the game after (s)he
has played it (Chang, 2013).
It has been suggested that products are purchased for their utili-
tarian and hedonic values as these two dimensions capture the rela-
tive and subjective worth of consumer shopping activities (Babin
et al., 1994). Utilitarian value is a general assessment of the balance
between functional benefit and sacrifice (Overby & Lee, 2006). In con-
trast, hedonic value reflects the degree to which users experience fun
or enjoyment when using an information system (Hsiao, Chang, &
Tang, 2016). Yang and Peterson (2004) argued that perceived value
not only affects product choice, but can also influence loyalty, as
3
consumers will be more motivated to maintain relational exchanges in
cases that provide value.
The distinction between utilitarian and hedonic values has proved
valid for analysing the results of the consumer's experience of online
games (e.g., Chang, 2013; Chang, Liu, & Chen, 2014; Davis, Lang, &
Gautam, 2013). The hedonic value of games (such as enjoyment and
fun) is inherent for both young and older players (De Schutter &
Brown, 2016), and it has been shown to influence loyalty intention
(Su et al., 2016). A comparison of CMGs and hardcore games shows
that CMGs are characterized as focusing on entertainment and casual-
ness, rather than on the long-term achievement goals built into hard-
core games (Engl & Nacke, 2013). In addition, CMGs also provide
utilitarian benefits beyond entertainment. Recent studies have argued
that CMGs have more positive values than simply just passing time
and combatting boredom and loneliness (Chen & Leung, 2016). They
can also improve quality of life, social relationships, learning, cultural
memory, work and health (Begy, 2017; Cornejo, Hernandez, Tentori, &
Favela, 2015; Froschauer et al., 2012; Iversen, 2016; Lin, Wang, &
Chou, 2012; Wei & Lu, 2014; Xanthopoulou & Papagiannidis, 2012),
among other things. Based on the above discussion, this study pro-
poses utilitarian value and hedonic value as the components of the
perceived value that individuals derive from CMGs.
3 | HY P O T H E S E S D EV E L O P M EN T
3.1 | Utilitarian value and loyalty intention
Utilitarian value is linked to one's feeling of achievement and/or dis-
appointment about one's ability (or inability) to complete a planned
task, and is a reflection of whether a product or service has been
acquired in an efficient manner (Babin et al., 1994), taking into
account functional benefits and sacrifices (Overby & Lee, 2006). The
traditional technology acceptance model of Davis, Bagozzi, and
Warshaw (1989) proposed that the constructs perceived usefulness
(PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) were the key variables that
provide the utilitarian value perceived by the user. In fact, PU and
PEOU have been used in several studies to measure the utilitarian
value of information systems (e.g., Bruner & Kumar, 2005; Hsiao
et al., 2016; Sheng & Teo, 2012). PU has been defined as the subjec-
tive belief of the user that an information system will improve his or
her work performance, whereas PEOU is the individual's perception
that using a certain system is effortless (Davis et al., 1989). Davis and
Venkatesh (1996) argued that consumers might use technology
because they find it useful and it improves an aspect of their lives.
Later, Venkatesh, Thong, and Xu (2012) defined effort expectancy
(EE), from the perspective of the consumer, as the degree of ease
associated with their use of technologies. Based on the above discus-
sion, this study uses the constructs EE and PU to explore the influ-
ence of utilitarian value on loyalty intention.
Previous studies have suggested that the utilitarian value per-
ceived by the customer, or cognitive benefit derived from their con-
sumer experience, plays an important role in determining their long-
4 MOLINILLO ET AL.
term relationship with the company/product and their loyalty towards
the company (Chiu, Hsieh, Li, & Lee, 2005). When a consumption
experience has a positive utilitarian outcome, the consumer will be
motivated to continue to buy that product (Babin et al., 1994).
Accordingly, if playing games is a form of consumption, consumers
should have greater loyalty towards CMGs when they provide higher
utilitarian value. Utilitarian value is a strong predictor of the behav-
ioural intention (Ramírez-Correa, Rondán-Cataluña, & Arenas-Gaitán,-
2018) and continuance intention to play online games (Chang
et al., 2014; Li, Liu, Xu, Heikkilä, & Van Der Heijden, 2015; Liu, 2016).
Previous studies have also validated the positive influence of EE
(e.g., Sun, Liu, Peng, Dong, & Barnes, 2014) and PU
(e.g., Barnes, 2011; Choi, Kim, & Kim, 2011) on continuance intention
to use different information systems (e.g., online games, SNS, e-com-
merce). Although the continuance intention construct is not the same
as intention to recommend a game, included in the loyalty intention
construct, in this study we argue that if a player intends to continue
playing a game it is very likely that (s)he will also recommend it. In
addition, some scholars have empirically demonstrated that perceived
utilitarian value impacts positively on consumer loyalty towards online
games (Cho, Baek, Shek, Ryu, & Park, 2001; Hsiao & Chen, 2016;
Lee & Dong, 2014; Rezaei & Ghodsi, 2014). Thus, there is a positive
link between utilitarian value and customer loyalty which, given the
two-dimensional nature (i.e., EE and PU) of the former, leads us to
make the following hypotheses:
H1 Effort expectancy positively influences loyalty intention.
H2 Perceived usefulness positively influences loyalty intention.
3.2 | Hedonic value and loyalty intention
Hedonic value is more subjective and personal than utilitarian value
(Babin et al., 1994). The hedonic value of a consumption experience is
associated with the search for fantasy, fun, entertainment, feelings
and emotion (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982). An online game can be
considered a type of hedonic information system (Li et al., 2015). Van
Der Heijden (2004) showed that, when adopting pleasure-oriented
information systems, classical models should incorporate hedonic
value, given that it is a strong determinant of intention to use. Subse-
quently, other authors have shown that the positive impact of hedonic
value is observed in a wide variety of consumer technologies as it is
an important predictor of consumer acceptance and use of informa-
tion technologies (Venkatesh et al., 2012). In this context, hedonic
value is usually defined as the fun, pleasure, excitement, and enjoy-
ment derived from using a technology (Van Der Heijden, 2004).
Hedonic value is frequently associated with the consumer's search for
enjoyment, either in the conceptualization of hedonic value
(e.g., Chang et al., 2014), or measured through perceived enjoyment
(PE) (e.g., Hsiao et al., 2016). However, some authors have adopted a
more multi-dimensional interpretation of hedonic value by adding
other dimensions. For example, Sheng and Teo (2012) measured
hedonic value through entertainment and aesthetics, while Ha, Yoon,
and Choi (2007) proposed perceived pleasure and perceived attrac-
tiveness (PA) as factors that provide enjoyment and fun in MGs. Lin,
Lin, and Yang (2017) suggested that game attributes, such as graphic
design, contribute to the player's expectation of fun.
In this study hedonic value is defined as the fun, fantasy, excite-
ment, sensory stimulation and enjoyment that the consumer finds in
games (Yang et al., 2009). Thus, we propose that the influence of
hedonic value on consumer behaviour is represented through two
dimensions used in previous studies, PE and PA. PE in this context has
been defined as the extent to which playing a CMG is perceived to be
pleasurable, exciting, enjoyable and fun (Hsu & Lu, 2007). PA has been
defined as the aesthetic dimension of a game's design, basically its
visual and acoustic properties (Hsiao & Tang, 2016). It can be said that
hedonic value is an important motivator to play online games. In par-
ticular, CMGs are designed to be fun and enjoyable (Engl &
Nacke, 2013). Based on the above discussion, in this study we use PE
and PA to explore the influence of hedonic value on loyalty intention.
Hedonic value positively affects continuance intention to play
online games (Chang, 2013; Chang et al., 2014; Davis et al., 2013;
Liu, 2016). In addition, previous studies have validated the positive
influence of PE (e.g., Choi et al., 2011; Hamari, 2015; Li et al., 2015;
Molinillo et al., 2018; Park & Kim, 2013; Su et al., 2016) and PA
(e.g., Hsiao & Tang, 2016) in continuance intention to use different
information systems (e.g., MGs, mobile apps), and the influence of
hedonic values on consumer loyalty towards online games (Hsiao &
Chen, 2016; Huang & Hsieh, 2011; Lee & Dong, 2014). Thus, there is
a positive link between hedonic value and customer loyalty which,
given the two-dimensional nature (i.e., PE and PA) of hedonic value,
leads us to make the following hypotheses:
H3 Perceived enjoyment positively influences loyalty intention.
H4 Perceived attractiveness positively influences loyalty intention.
3.3 | The moderating effect of intensity of playing
Intensity, or frequency, of use has been frequently used as an indica-
tor of online loyalty, greater intensity of use being interpreted as a
show of greater loyalty (e.g., Frasquet, Mollá Descals, & Ruiz-Molina,-
2017; Tontini, da Silva, Beduschi, Zanin, & Marcon, 2015; Tuu,
Olsen, & Linh, 2011). However, some authors have pointed out that
this relationship is not straightforward. According to the payment
equity concept proposed by Bolton and Lemon (1999) within the
framework of equity theory, the evaluation that consumers make of
the service they receive is dynamic, and changes over time with use,
as they update their equity judgments during the course of the rela-
tionship. These authors pointed out that when the cost of a service is
dependent on how much it is used, the customer's evaluation tends to
focus on the additional cost incurred and not on the extra benefit
obtained, which reduces perceived value. In addition, when customers
frequently use a service they begin to consider the benefits obtained
MOLINILLO ET AL.
as something given and normal, so that over time their expectations
increase and they hope to obtain additional benefits, which can lead
to lower perceived value (Aldas-Manzano, Ruiz-Mafe, Sanz-Blas, &
Lassala-Navarré, 2011; Shankar et al., 2003).
In this study, IoP is considered to be the average time players daily
devote to MGs. IoP is not uniform among players, ranging from 2 min
to 1 hr and 40 min, with an average of 24 min (Verto Analytics, 2016).
Although it has been claimed that, for a small percentage of players,
mobile gaming negatively affects different aspects of their lives (Seok &
DaCosta, 2018), some studies suggest that many players recognize that
online gaming means sacrificing other activities, such as hobbies,
sleeping, studying, working, socializing with friends and spending time
with their families (Griffiths et al., 2004); and it is the cause of family
conflict (Hellström et al., 2012) and poor quality interpersonal relation-
ships (Huang, Yang, & Chen, 2015). There is also evidence in the litera-
ture that excessive playing causes online game addiction and related
negative effects (Wei et al., 2017), such as health consequences
(e.g., risk of epileptic seizures and skin, joint and muscle problems)
(Griffiths & Davies, 2005) and social deviance (Bax, 2016). Excessive
playing can even lead to addictive behaviour that weakens the effect of
satisfaction on loyalty (Lu & Wang, 2008). In fact, high intensity MGs'
players are more likely to become addicted (Chen & Leung, 2016). Even
where addictive behaviour is not manifested, there is no doubt that pro-
longed time spent on games has negative consequences for players
(Griffiths & Davies, 2005). Hellström et al. (2012) observed a direct rela-
tionship between the amount of time spent online gaming and negative
consequences for gamers. In addition, many players recognize that
because of the providers' monetization strategies they actually spend
more to play F2P games through in-app purchases than they would pay
in monthly subscriptions to play paid for games (Lin & Sun, 2011). Con-
sequently, in this study we postulate that as IoP increases over time,
players will have higher perceptions of the costs they face based on
their behaviour than the benefits they obtain.
Therefore, although there is a lack of research into the effect of
IoP on the relationship between perceived value and loyalty, we state
that the perception of the sacrifices or negative consequences derived
from high IoP weakens the perceived value (utilitarian and hedonic) of
the game experience itself, and loyalty intention. Thus, we propose
the following:
H5 Intensity of playing negatively impacts on the structural relation-
ships between effort expectancy, perceived usefulness, per-
ceived enjoyment, perceived attractiveness and loyalty
intention.
H5a Intensity of playing negatively impacts on the effect of effort
expectancy on loyalty intention.
H5b Intensity of playing negatively impacts on the effect of per-
ceived usefulness on loyalty intention.
H5c Intensity of playing negatively impacts on the effect of per-
ceived enjoyment on loyalty intention.
5
H5d Intensity of playing negatively impacts on the effect of per-
ceived attractiveness on loyalty intention.
Figure 1 presents the study's research model, developed based
on customer perceived value and the moderating effect of playing
intensity. The model proposes that utilitarian and hedonic values are
key factors affecting customer loyalty intention, whose compositional
constructs of utilitarian value are EE and PU, while the PE and PA
constructs make up hedonic value. The model also proposes that IoP
moderates the relationship between perceived value and customer
loyalty intention towards CMGs.
4 | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.1 | Procedure and measurement development
The empirical data to test the research model were collected through
an online survey of mobile casual games' players. The initial question-
naire was created in English. As the respondents were Spanish, we
used a back-translation method to ensure the accuracy of the Spanish
translation of the questionnaire. Thus, the initial questionnaire was
translated into Spanish and then translated back into English. The
questionnaire was structured into three sections. The first
section asks the respondents about their mobile gaming habits. The
second section consists of the scaled questions related to the vari-
ables. The third section asks the respondents about their demographic
profile.
All items were measured on 7-point Likert scales (1 = strongly dis-
agree to 7 = strongly agree), except IoP. The scales were all borrowed
from previous studies. Several criteria were applied to the scale selec-
tion: (a) They had proven good reliability and validity (e.g., the average
variance extracted [AVE] of the constructs ranged from .690 to .830;
the factor loading values are greater than .667; the Cronbach's alpha
FIGURE 1 Research model
6 MOLINILLO ET AL.
coefficients ranged from .716 to .943; the composite reliability ranged
from .869 to .943). (b) They had previously been used in the context
of MGs or online games (e.g., Ha et al., 2007; Hellström et al., 2012;
Hsiao & Chen, 2016). (c) They were published in leading journals in
the consumer behaviour field (e.g., Computers in Human Behavior,
Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Internet Research).
The scales met these criteria, except for EE, which was introduced in
the well-known UTAUT2 model, which itself was developed to explain
technology use in general. In addition, in accordance with Douglas
and Nijssen (2003), prior to using the scales we considered whether
the constructs had the same underlying meaning as in the original
studies; and, following data collection, we evaluated the validity and
reliability of the scales. EE was measured using three items adapted
from Venkatesh et al. (2012) and PU was measured using two items
adapted from Shin and Shin (2011). PE was measured using three
items adapted from Hsu and Lu (2007) and PA was measured using
three items adapted from Ha et al. (2007) and Hsiao and Tang (2016).
LI was measured using three items adapted from Hsiao and
Chen (2016). Finally, IoP was measured using a scale adapted from
Hellström et al. (2012) and Lu and Wang (2008) (see the Appendix for
more details).
4.2 | Data collection
Convenience sampling was used to select the survey participants. The
data were collected through an online survey conducted from January
to February 2018. The participants responded to banner advertise-
ments published on popular Spanish websites. As part of the sampling
process steps were taken to minimize the problem of bias: (a) the sur-
vey was published on various social media (e.g., Facebook and Twitter)
and circulated on relevant email lists; (b) we explained the aims of the
questionnaire; (c) screening questions were used to exclude those not
part of the target group; (d) we discarded answers showing signs of
deception, such as repetition, very short response intervals and those
with identical IP addresses. To ensure that the participants were
active CMG players, the respondents were asked three screening
questions: (1) Do you play mobile games? (2) If the response was affir-
mative, they were provided with a list of 12 popular casual mobile
games based on downloads on the app store (Angry Birds, Archery
Master 3D, BMX boy, Candy Crush Saga, Lep's World, Piano Tiles, Rail
rush, Roll the ball, Smash hit, Sonic Dash, Super Mario Run, 3D Bowl-
ing) and asked: Which of these games do you play most frequently?
(3) Did you play that game at least once during the past week? If the
response was affirmative the participants were asked to answer the
questions about the model's variables based on the game listed that
they played most frequently. If the respondent had no experience of
any game on the list, they were directed to the end of the survey and
were not asked the questions about the model variables. In total, after
taking account of missing values and removing questionnaires that were
incorrectly completed (e.g., all the answers were the same), 372 ques-
tionnaires were available for analysis. Of these, 53.2% were from males,
70.2% were below 24 years of age, 37.1% had obtained first degrees
and 48.9% were students. Regarding IoP, most respondents spent on
average up to 1 hr (87.6%) or 2 hr (96%) daily playing on mobile devices.
The sample's personal characteristics substantially matched those of
other studies into these types of games (e.g., Balakrishnan &
Griffiths, 2018; Chang, 2013; Park, Baek, Ohm, & Chang, 2014).
5 | FI ND I NG S
5.1 | Validity and reliability of the measures
This study used covariance-based structural equation modelling with
AMOS 18.0 to assess the empirical strength of the relationships in the
proposed model. First, the univariate normality of the items was
checked. Data normality was checked based on the absolute value of
the skewness and kurtosis. As the absolute values of the skewness
and kurtosis of the items are around ±2, normality was achieved
(Kline, 1998). Then, a measurement model was created to assess the
validity and reliability of the measures.
We next checked the results of the confirmatory factor analysis.
The fit statistics of the measurement model produced a reasonably
good fit: χ 2(67) = 166.96, χ 2/df = 2.49, GFI = .94, NFI = .96, CFI = .98,
and RMSEA = .06. The adequacy of the measures was assessed by
evaluating the validity and the reliability of the constructs. Convergent
validity was assessed using AVE, and discriminant validity was
assessed by comparing the AVE of the constructs with their squared
inter-construct correlations (cf. Fornell & Larcker, 1981). Table 1 dis-
plays the means and standard deviations.
As indicated in Table 1, all AVE scores were above the .50 threshold,
thus convergent validity was achieved. The AVE scores were also greater
than the squared correlations, thus discriminant validity was achieved.
The Cronbach's alpha scores for the constructs exceeded .70 (see
Table 1), indicating reliability was achieved (Hair, Black, Babin, &
Anderson, 2010). Before testing the hypotheses through the structural
model, we checked for common-method variance problem. Common-
method variance was checked through Harman's single-factor test
(Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Lee, & Podsakoff, 2003), which suggests that a
common-method problem exists when (a) a single unrotated factor solu-
tion appears in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) test, or (b) one gen-
eral factor accounts for the majority of the covariance among the
measures. The results of the EFA test revealed three factors with Eigen
values greater than 1. The results accounted for 74.42% of the total vari-
ance, where the first factor accounted for 50.95% of the total variance.
This suggests that common-method variance does not pose a significant
problem as there was no general factor in the unrotated structure.
5.2 | Hypotheses testing
The proposed research hypotheses were examined based on stan-
dardized path coefficients and t values, as shown in Table 2.
The model explained 63% of the variance in loyalty intention. All
the research hypotheses were supported, except H5a and H5d. The
MOLINILLO ET AL. 7

TABLE 1 Descriptive statistics,

Construct Mean SD Cronbach's alpha 1 2 3 4 5
correlations, validities and reliabilities
1. Effort expectancy 4.89 1.42 .79 .58
2. Perceived usefulness 3.17 1.54 .85 .10 .74
3. Perceived enjoyment 3.85 1.49 .90 .21 .61 .75
4. Perceived attractiveness 4.93 1.65 .93 .17 .14 .29 .82
5. Loyalty intention 4.40 1.67 .93 .26 .48 .63 .38 .81

Note: The diagonal values in bold indicate the average variances extracted. The scores in the lower
diagonal indicate squared inter-construct correlations.

TABLE 2 Result of the structural equation analyses

Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4 Model 5

Relationships SPC t value SPC t value SPC t value SPC t value SPC t value
H1. EE ! LI .14 3.91*** .17 4.11*** .17 4.27*** .17 4.15*** .17 4.04***
H2. PU ! LI .24 5.49*** .25 5.26*** .28 5.85*** .26 5.47*** .25 5.23***
H3. PE ! LI .38 7.81*** .40 7.18*** .38 7.04*** .39 7.13*** .40 7.24***
H4. PA ! LI .24 6.49*** .24 6.39*** .24 6.50*** .24 6.36*** .24 6.30***
Moderating effect
IoP ! LI .17 2.46** .29 4.06*** .27 3.61*** .16 2.22*
H5a. EE × IoP ! LI −.02 −0.40ns
H5b. PU × IoP ! LI −.15 −4.28***
H5c. PE × IoP ! LI −.12 −2.99**
H5d. PA × IoP ! LI .01 0.22ns
Variance explained (R2)
Loyalty intention .63 .63 .65 .64 .63
F = 0.16 (p > .05) F = 112.27 (p < .001) F = 8.96 (p < .01) F = 0.05 (p > .05)

Note: EE, effort expectancy; IoP, intensity of playing; LI, loyalty intention; PA, perceived attractiveness; PE, perceived enjoyment; PU, perceived usefulness;
SPC, standardized path coefficient.
*p < .05.
**p < .01.
***p < .001.

results support H1 (SPC = .14, t = 3.91, p < .001), which states that EE
positively affects LI. H2, which states PU positively affects LI, is also
supported (SPC = .24, t = 5.49, p < .001). The results support H3
(SPC = .38, t = 7.81, p < .001), which states that PE positively affects
LI, and support H4 (SPC = .24, t = 6.49, p < .001), which states that
PA positively affects LI.
To test the moderating effects of IoP we created four other
models (i.e., Model 2 to Model 5). Model 2 is designed to test the
moderating effects of IoP on the relationship between EE and LI
(H5a). Model 3 is designed to test the moderating effects of IoP on
the relationship between PU and LI (H5b). Model 4 tests the moderat-
ing effects of IoP on the relationship between PE and LI (H5c). Finally,
Model 5 tests the moderating effects of IoP on the relationship
between PA and LI (H5d). We used PROCESS Model 1 with the boo-
tstrapping procedure to test the moderating effects. Table 2 also dis-
plays the results of the bootstrapping procedure.
The increase in R2 of Model 2 is not significant (F = 0.16, p > .05).
The interaction effect is negative, but not significant (SPC = −.02,
t = −0.40, p > .05). This means that IoP does not moderate the rela-
tionship between EE and LI (H5a is not confirmed). The increase in R2
of Model 3 is significant (F = 112.27, p < .001). The interaction effect
is also significant (SPC = −.15, t = −4.28, p < .001). As the interaction
effect is negative, IoP weakens the relationship between PU and LI
(H5b is confirmed). The increase in R2 of Model 4 is significant
(F = 8.96, p < .01). The interaction effect is also significant
(SPC = −.12, t = −2.99, p < .01). As the interaction effect is negative,
the relationship between PE and LI is weakened by IoP (H5c is con-
firmed). The increase in R2 of Model 5 is not significant (F = 0.05,
p > .05). The interaction effect is also not significant (SPC = .01,
t = .22, p > .05). This means that IoP does not moderate the relation-
ship between PA and LI (H5d is not confirmed).
6 | DI SCU SSION
6.1 | Theoretical contributions
Based on equity theory (Huppertz et al., 1978; Oliver & DeSarbo, 1988)
and the payment equity concept (Bolton & Lemon, 1999), this study
adopted a customer perceived value (Parasuraman & Grewal, 2000;
8 MOLINILLO ET AL.
Yang & Peterson, 2004) theoretical framework to provide insight into
the critical factors that promote MGs. The proposed model examined
the relationships between utilitarian and hedonic values and customer
loyalty intention, as well as the moderating role of IoP. This study makes
some theoretical contributions. First, many previous studies have
explored the antecedents of loyalty towards online games played on PC
and video game consoles. However, there is little empirical evidence
about the factors that influence loyalty felt towards MGs (Hamari
et al., 2015; Shaikh & Karjaluoto, 2015). This present research model
explores loyalty in the context of casual MGs and is thus different to
most previous research.
Second, although many studies have evaluated the effect of per-
ceived value on consumer behaviour, studies into mobile internet ser-
vices are scarce (Kim & Hwang, 2012). This study makes a theoretical
contribution by substantiating that hedonic value and, to a lesser
extent, utilitarian values are crucial to the loyalty that players feel
towards MGs. The findings help broaden the conceptual definition of
player perceived value in relation to MG loyalty intention by highlight-
ing the multi-dimensional complexity of utilitarian value and hedonic
value. In particular, the present study identified PE and, to a lesser
extent, PA as the key factors that affect players' loyalty intention
towards casual MGs. This work also contributes to the theory by cor-
roborating the effect of PE on loyalty towards MGs and by showing,
for the first time, the influence of PA. These findings are consistent
with previous studies (Chang, 2013; Chang et al., 2014; Hsiao &
Chen, 2016; Su et al., 2016). Moreover, the results showed that PU
and, to a lesser extent, EE also contribute positively to increase player
loyalty. Hence, this work contributes to the theory by confirming the
influence of PU on loyalty and by showing, again for the first time, the
effect of EE on loyalty towards MGs. Thus, players' loyalty will be
reinforced if games are useful in fulfilling some of their objectives and
they can play without effort. These findings are consistent with previ-
ous studies (Barnes, 2011; Chang et al., 2014; Li et al., 2015). Conse-
quently, it could be said that, while enjoyment is fundamental for
increasing the loyalty of MG players, design attractiveness and useful-
ness are also important factors and, while ease of use is less impor-
tant, it should not be underestimated.
Third, although a direct comparison of the predictive capacity of
our model with other models is difficult, due to their varied theoretical
approaches and differences in the relationships proposed between
variables, a comparison of the quantity of variance explained of the
dependent variable demonstrates the utility of the proposed model. In
this regard our model can be considered parsimonious; it includes only
four independent variables and explains a greater quantity of the vari-
ance (63.0%) of the dependent variable (i.e., loyalty intention) than
other models, in some cases more complex (e.g., Barnes, 2011; Hsiao &
Tang, 2016; Huang & Hsieh, 2011; Li et al., 2015; Rezaei &
Ghodsi, 2014). Our model, which represents an advance on other
works, provides evidence of the applicability of the theoretical frame-
work examined in the present study.
Fourth, to the best of our knowledge, no previous works have
explored the effect of IoP as a moderating variable on the influence of
perceived value on loyalty towards online games. In our examination
of the role of IoP in the relationship between the dimensions of per-
ceived value and loyalty, the results indicated that playing intensity
weakens the relationship between EE, PU, PE and loyalty intention,
although it is not statically significant for EE. In accordance with the
payment equity concept, when a player spends a lot of time playing
CMGs, (s)he has a higher perception of the costs (economic and non-
economic) associated with the behaviour than the benefits obtained,
and is more likely to try other games and make comparisons between
them. Thus, (s)he becomes more demanding in his/her evaluation of
the utility and fun that games provide, and games perhaps become
more boring after the challenge to learn them passes, which is consis-
tent with previous research in the context of video games
(e.g., Kaimann, Stroh-Maraun, & Cox, 2018). This study is an important
contribution to the consumer behaviour literature because, first, it
provides empirical support for the payment equity concept (Bolton &
Lemon, 1999) and, second, it extends the findings of Shankar
et al. (2003), who argued that high frequency of service use negatively
affects user satisfaction, by demonstrating it also has a negative effect
on perceived value.
Finally, IoP does not moderate the relationship of PA with loyalty;
the effect of the interaction is close to zero and statistically non-sig-
nificant. This result suggests that a game's aesthetic dimensions and
visual and acoustic properties are very important in player retention,
as their effect on loyalty is not altered by the intensity of game
playing. This may be due to the effect that visual and acoustic stimuli
have on the players' implicit memory.
6.2 | Managerial implications
Our research findings offer practical suggestions for MG managers and
designers on how to retain their existing users. That games have to
entertain to retain players was known, but the influence of attractive
visual and acoustic designs is now highlighted. Game developers should
focus strongly on ways to entertain players throughout games, for
example, by introducing social network interaction or by facilitating
competition or cooperation between players as they level up
(Li et al., 2015; Liu, 2016). Equally, they should introduce design modifi-
cations that produce surprises for players as they advance in the game
(Kaimann et al., 2018; Su et al., 2016). Players' loyalty will be reinforced
if games are useful for improving their quality of life, for example, by
fighting loneliness or boredom, bodily involvement, promoting participa-
tion in sports, skills development, obtaining recognition from other
players, winning prizes, among others (Besombes & Maillot, 2018;
Chang et al., 2014). In addition, developers must make all of the above
possible through game systems that are easy to learn and play, since
game ease of use is another aspect that influences loyalty. Finally, man-
agers and developers should seek to improve the enjoyment and the
usefulness of games because, if they are unattractive to the players who
spend a lot of time on them, they will quickly be abandoned.
This study advances our understanding of customer loyalty in the
MG industry, but it has several limitations that suggest future research
lines. First, the data come from a convenience sample from a single
MOLINILLO ET AL.
country. Thus, the generalizability to other countries may, to a certain
degree, be limited. Future studies might use probabilistic sampling and
expand the research to other countries. Second, this is a correlational
study using cross-sectional data, thus causal relationships should be
interpreted with caution. Future research may be able to establish the
relationships among the variables through alternative methods using
experimental or longitudinal research designs. Finally, this study relies
on players' memories, and information may have been lost in the delay
between the action (gameplay) and recall (answer the questionnaire).
ACKNOWLEDGEMEN TS
This research was supported by the Plan Andaluz de Investigación,
Desarrollo e Innovación de la Junta de Andalucía, Grupo SEJ-567
(Spain).
ORCID
Sebastian Molinillo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9132-5190
Arnold Japutra https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0513-8792
Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3255-
0651
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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES
Sebastian Molinillo, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Marketing at
the University of Malaga (Spain). His key research interests lie in
consumer behaviour and technology adoption. His work has been
published in journals such as Journal of Business Research, Tech-
nological Forecasting & Social Change, Computers in Human
Behavior, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Electronic
Commerce Research and Applications, Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, among others. He was appointed a visiting
research fellow at Oxford Brookes University, University of Read-
ing, University of Greenwich, and University of Portsmouth (UK).
Arnold Japutra, PhD, is a lecturer in marketing in the Business
School at the University of Western Australia. His research inter-
ests include consumer psychology and consumer behaviour. His
work has been published in many journals such as Journal of Busi-
ness Research, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retail-
ing and Consumer Services, International Journal of Hospitality
Management, Journal of Destination Marketing & Management,
Tourism Management Perspectives, among others.
Francisco Liébana-Cabanillas, PhD, is an Associate Professor of
Marketing at the University of Granada (Spain). His main area of
research and interest lies in consumer behaviour, the effective-
ness of mobile and online banking, technology adoption and social
media. He has published articles on these topics in academic
journals such as Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Inter-
national Journal of Information Management, Computers in
Human Behavior, Expert Systems with Applications, Journal of
Interactive Marketing, Industrial Management & Data Systems,
The Service Industries Journal, etc.
How to cite this article: Molinillo S, Japutra A, Liébana-
Cabanillas F. Impact of perceived value on casual mobile game
loyalty: The moderating effect of intensity of playing.
J Consumer Behav. 2020;1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/
cb.1831
12 MOLINILLO ET AL.

APPENDIX A

CONSTRUCT MEASUREMENT

Constructs and items Standardized path coefficients

Effort expectancy
Learning how to play this game is easy for me .62
My interaction with this game is clear and understandable .88
I find this game easy to use .77
Perceived usefulness
I think this game is useful to me .89
It would be convenient for me to play this game .83
Perceived enjoyment
Playing this game brings me pleasure .85
I enjoy playing this game .92
I find this game enjoyable and fascinating .84
Perceived attractiveness
I find that the game visually attractive .95
I am attracted by the visual appeal of the game .87
I am attracted by the acoustic appeal of the game .90
Game loyalty intention
This mobile game is my first choice .89
I will continue to play this mobile game .91
I am willing to say positive things about this mobile game to others .91
Intensity of playing (daily avg.): 1 = <5 min; 2 = <30 min; 3 = <1 h; 4 = <2 h; 5 = >2 h —