Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
网络游戏中的虚拟货币提升对开箱付费意愿：一项实验分析
Virtual currencies in online gaming increase the willingness to pay for loot boxes: an experimental analysis
摘要
This study investigates how in-game virtual currencies influence consumer spending behaviour. In an incentivized randomized controlled trial with 753 UK participants, we estimate the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for loot boxes represented as risky and ambiguous lotteries. We test the effects of virtual currencies, money illusion, and cognitive-demanding (non-intuitive) exchange rates, three practices commonly used to sell loot boxes. Our results show that WTP is significantly higher when transactions are conducted in virtual currencies with a 1:1 exchange rate compared to British pounds, contributing to the debate on the neutrality of virtual currencies and experimental currency units. Moreover, participants in our study are affected by money illusion distortions, regardless of the exchange rate’s intuitiveness. However, we find no evidence that non-intuitive exchange rates affect participants’ WTP compared to intuitive exchange rates of comparable size. These findings highlight the behavioural distortions induced by common monetization practices in games and provide empirical support for the European Commission’s call for stricter regulation of virtual currencies in digital environments.
中文摘要
本研究探讨了游戏内虚拟货币如何影响消费者支出行为。通过一项包含753名英国参与者的激励性随机对照试验，我们估算了以风险性和模糊性彩票形式呈现的“战利品箱”的支付意愿（WTP）。我们检验了虚拟货币、货币幻觉以及认知负荷（非直观）汇率这三种常用于销售战利品箱的实践效应。结果显示，当交易以1:1汇率的虚拟货币进行时，支付意愿显著高于以英镑计价的情况，这为虚拟货币与实验货币单位的中立性争论提供了新证据。此外，无论汇率是否直观，参与者均受到货币幻觉扭曲的影响。然而，与规模相近的直观汇率相比，我们未发现非直观汇率对参与者支付意愿产生影响的证据。这些发现揭示了游戏中常见货币化实践所引发的行为扭曲，并为欧盟委员会呼吁在数字环境中加强虚拟货币监管提供了实证支持。