Identifier

etd-11162006-101838

Degree

Master of Mass Communication (MMC)

Department

Mass Communication

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

An experiment with 100 participants aged 18-24 was conducted to measure the effects of advertising in an online role-playing computer game on perceived interactivity and other aspects of gameplay experience. Results from a post-test questionnaire revealed insight into players' attitudes toward advertising in video game environments, and reflected varying levels of advertising awareness and recall, message recognition, and factors in purchasing habits. Results suggested that while advertising in online games can sometimes trigger high advertising awareness rates, it can also reduce a game's perceived sense of realism and genuinely annoy players if not appropriately coordinated with the game environment. Whereas previous research has suggested that players usually accept in-game advertising when placed relevantly, this study shows the opposite can occur when advertisers make little or no effort to contextualize their ads within the game world. Results revealed negative attitudes toward in-game advertising from participants who played a version of the game featuring ads, yet females and non-gamers were more accepting of in-game advertising and more often perceived it as "interactive" than did males and avid gamers. Practical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Date

2006

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Lance Porter

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.793

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