Análise do comportamento do consumo de bens virtuais: um estudo a partir dos jogadores brasileiros de League of Legends

The present study aims to analyze the consumption behavior of virtual goods among Brazilian League of Legends players. More specifically, this work sought to describe the demographic profile of Brazilian League of Legends players, analyze their consumption related to the game and its virtual currency, and identify which hedonic and social attributes present in virtual goods most influence consumption among these players.The relevance of this study lies in the existing opportunity for the monetization model known as Game as a Service to be further explored by the Brazilian gaming industry. Thus, the central question guiding this research is: “Which factors influence the consumption of virtual goods among Brazilian League of Legends players?” This is a descriptive study, but also a survey, using a qualitative–quantitative approach. Data collection was carried out through questionnaires, which gathered a total of 290 responses. The questionnaire contained 26 questions and was structured according to the objectives of this study and its theoretical framework. It is important to highlight that the questionnaire was submitted to and approved by Plataforma Brasil. Based on the responses, it was found that younger, single, or less-educated players tend to play more hours per day and more days per week than older, married, or more-educated players. The former also tend to be those who purchase virtual goods more frequently, whereas the latter tend to make more occasional but higher-value purchases.The research results indicate that the consumption behavior of virtual goods among League of Legends players is quite homogeneous, with a predominant consumer profile that values certain factors more than others, and no distinct groups valuing different attributes. It was also observed that hedonic factors have a greater influence on virtual goods consumption among players than social factors.