Role of authenticity in massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs): Determinants of virtual item purchase intention

This study presents a conceptual model of how aesthetic design, avatar identification, and player co-creation behavior enhance the players' perceived authenticity of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs), thereby increasing both the players' willingness to play and their virtual item purchase intention. In our model, authenticity is defined as the perception of genuineness that causes players to perceive people, and objects as real, and is considered a driving force of pleasurable game experience. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the model based on survey data from 393 MMORPG players. The findings show that aesthetic design, players' avatar identification, and player co-creation behavior all influence play intention and virtual item purchase intention. The empirical results indicate that players' perceived authenticity increases players' intentions to play and purchase virtual items. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of how perceived authenticity affects players' participation and purchase intention in MMORPGs.