The Moderating Role of Locus of Control on the Links between Experiential Motives and Online Game Loyalty

Online games represent a burgeoning market sector with growth potential. The distinctive entertainment‐oriented features of such games provide various experiential motives for users. However, most previous studies have focused on the single dimensional affective motive of online game use. The multi‐dimensional affective motivational aspects of entertainment technologies have been relatively neglected. In addition, previous studies report inconsistent relationships between motives and online game usage. To fill these gaps in the literature, the present study proposes five experiential motives such as concentration, perceived enjoyment, escape, epistemic curiosity, and social affiliation as predictors of intention to play online games. Internal locus of control is also introduced as a moderator in the links between experiential motives and intention. The model is tested with the data from 576 current online game players and the data were gathered from online survey methodology. Structural equation model analysis confirms that three experiential motives with the exception of concentration and epistemic curiosity have a positive effect on intention. In addition, Chi square difference test confirms that internal locus of control has a moderating effect between the links from experiential values such as concentration, perceived enjoyment, and escape to intention. Implications are discussed in conclusion.