A Study on the Impact of Personality Traits on Behavior of Game Players Toward Spending on In-game Microtransactions

This study examined how personality influences consumer behavior of electronic game players. Participants ( N = 479) were respectively placed into four groups called microtransaction group (if they had made any in-game microtransactions, n = 192), free-game group (if they had only played entirely free games, n = 124), pay-to-play group (if they had only played games that needed just one-time payment upon purchase, n = 19), and non-microtransaction group (if they had not made any in-game microtransactions although the games provided such services, n = 144). The results indicated that the microtransaction group had higher levels of extraversion and openness than the non-microtransaction group. Additionally, the microtransaction group showed higher levels of dispositional greed and narcissism than all other groups. However, there were no significant differences in agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, or self-control among the groups. The study also found that the possibility of making in-game microtransactions decreased with age. These findings have important implications for game developers and marketers, who may use this information to tailor their products and marketing strategies to specific personality types and age groups.