Inside the Game: Gaming Addiction Shapes the Spending Habits of Malaysian Generation Z Players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/Keywords:
Generation Z, Impulsive spending, Self-determination theoryAbstract
This study takes a closer look at how gaming addiction is shaping the way Malaysian Generation Z players spend their money. With the rise of digital gaming, Generation Z gamers are increasingly exposed to environments that encourage impulsive spending. The time frame of Generation Z covers the period from 1997 to 2012, which means that the age span of this group in 2023 is 11 to 26 years old. Generation Z, also known as the Internet generation, is greatly influenced by technological products such as the Internet, smartphones, and tablets. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how gaming addiction influences purchase intention with online mobile games of Malaysian Generation Z Players. The Self-Determination Theory and Technology Acceptance Model have been applied to examine the relationship between satisfaction, enjoyment, price, and ease of use on purchase intention with online mobile games among Malaysian Generation Z. The data collected are analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for the research result. The findings of this study could provide insights for marketers and game developers seeking to target this demographic by understanding the factors that influence their purchasing decisions.
Downloads
References
Adams, N. B., Little, T. D., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory. In Springer eBooks (pp. 47–54). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1042-6_4
Al Amri, M. M., & Amin Almaiah, M. (2020). The use of mobile gamification technology for sustainability learning in Saudi higher education. International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering, 9(5), 8236–8244. https://doi.org/10.30534/ijatcse/2020/191952020.
Baek, Y., & Touati, A. (2017). Exploring how individual traits influence enjoyment in a mobile learning game. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 347–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.053
Balakrishnan, J. & Griffiths, M. D. (2018). Loyalty towards online games, gaming addiction, and purchase intention towards online mobile in- game features. Computers in Human Behavior, 87, 238-246.
Brockmyer, J. H., Fox, C. M., Curtiss, K. A., McBroom, E., Burkhart, K. M., & Pidruzny, J. N. (2009). The development of the game engagement questionnaire: A measure of engagement in video game-playing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(4), 624-634.
Cao, X., & Huang, Y. (2022). The applications of psychological effects in game design and suggestions for parents and teenagers. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220105.211
Chamarro, A., Oberst, U., Cladellas, R., & Fuster, H. (2020). Effect of the frustration of psychological needs on addictive behaviors in mobile videogamers—The mediating role of use expectancies and time spent gaming. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6429. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176429
Chauhan, S., Mittal, M., Woźniak, M., Gupta, S., & Prado, R. (2021). A technology acceptance model-based analytics for online mobile games using machine learning techniques. Symmetry, 13(8), Article 1545. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13081545
Chia, O. (2022). Dad in SG saddled with S$20,000 credit card bill after daughter’s in-game spending spree on ‘Genshin Impact.’ The Star. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2022/01/03/dad-in-sg-saddled-with-s20000-credit-card-bill-after-daughters-in-game-spending-spree-on-genshin-impact
Chou, T. J., & Ting, C. C. (2003). The role of flow experience in cyber-game addiction. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 6(6), 663-675.
Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Video game addiction. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23124-video-game-addiction#:~:text=What%20is%20video%20game%20addiction,%2C%20relationships%2C%20school%20and%20work
Curry, D. (2025). Top grossing games (2023). Business of Apps. Retrieved May 21, 2025, from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/top-grossing-games/
Dash, G., Kiefer, K., & Paul, J. (2021). Marketing-to-Millennials: Marketing 4.0, customer satisfaction and purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 122, 608–620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.016
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. Management Information Systems Quarterly, 13(3), 319. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
De Schutter, B., & Brown, J. A. (2016). Digital games as a source of enjoyment in later life. Games and Culture, 11(1–2), 28–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412015594273
Evans, J. R., & Mathur, A. (2005). The value of online surveys. Internet Research, 15(2), 195–219. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240510590360
Faith, D. O., & Edwin, A. M. (2014). A review of the effect of pricing strategies on the purchase of consumer goods. Social Science Research Network, 2(2), 88–99.
Firdaus, S. K., & Rahadi, S. T. (2021). Conceptual model for factors that influence purchase intention of in-game purchase in freemium mobile game. International Journal of Accounting, Finance and Business (IJAFB), 6(32), 74–87.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Addison-Wesley.
Fleetwood, D. (2023). Judgmental sampling: Definition, examples and advantages. QuestionPro. https://www.questionpro.com/blog/judgmental-sampling/
Gentle, S. (2022). Why the iGaming sector is one of the fastest growing industries in Canada. ONREC. Retrieved February 21, 2023, from https://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/why-the-igaming-sector-is-one-of-the-fastest-growing-industries-in-canada#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20the%20iGaming,a%20seat%20at%20the%20table
Giese, J. L., & Cote, J. A. (2000). Defining consumer satisfaction. Academy of Marketing Science Review, 1(1), 1–22.
Go-Globe. (2022). The State of Mobile Gaming Industry - Statistics and Trends. Retrieved Feb 21, 2023, from https://www.go- globe.com/mobile-gaming-industry/.
Gogoi, B. J. (2013). Study of antecedents of purchase intention and its effect on brand loyalty of private label brand of apparel. International Journal of Sales & Marketing, 3(2), 73–86.
Hagger, M. S., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. D. (2008). Self-determination theory and the psychology of exercise. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1(1), 79–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/17509840701827437
Hamari, J. (2020). Why do people buy virtual goods? Attitude toward virtual good purchases versus game enjoyment. International Journal of Information Management, 35(3), 299–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2015.01.007
Hsiao, K. L., & Chen, C. C. (2016). What drives in-app purchase intention for mobile games? An examination of perceived values and loyalty. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 16, 18-29.
Hsu, C. L., & Lu, H. P. (2004). Why do people play on-line games? An extended TAM with social influences and flow experience. Information & Management, 41(7), 853-868.
Hsu, C., Lu, H., & Hsu, H. (2007). Adoption of the mobile Internet: An empirical study of multimedia message service (MMS). Omega, 35(6), 715–726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2006.03.005
Hussain, A., Ting, D. H., Hlavacs, H., & Abbasi, A. Z. (2021). In-Game virtual consumption and online video game addiction: A conceptual model. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 210–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77277-2_17
Isma, R. A., Hudayah, S., & Indriastuti, H. (2021). The influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived risk on purchase interest and use behavior through Bukalapak application in Samarinda. International Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting Research (IJEBAR), 5(3).
Kapahi, A., Ling, C. S., Ramadass, S., & Abdullah, N. (2013). Internet addiction in Malaysia causes and effects. IBusiness, 05(02), 72–76.
Kyung, H. J. (2020, July 16). Esports: Why do people spend more time and money on video games? Knup Sports. Retrieved August 3, 2023, from https://www.knupsports.com/esports/esports-why-do-people-spend-more-time-and-money-on-video-games/#:~:text=Game%20Currencies&text=Many%20free%2Dto%2Dplay%20games,higher%20levels%20faster%20than%20anyone
Lee, M. C., & Tsai, T. R. (2010). What drives people to continue to play online games? An extension of technology model and theory of planned behavior. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 26(6), 601-620.
Leninkumar, V. (2017). The Relationship between customer satisfaction and customer trust on customer loyalty. International Journal of Academic Research in Business & Social Sciences, 7(4). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v7-i4/2821
Levrini, G. R. D., & Santos, M. J. D. (2021). The influence of price on purchase intentions: Comparative study between cognitive, sensory, and neurophysiological experiments. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 11(2), 16.
Lin, A., Gregor, S., & Ewing, M. (2008). Developing a scale to measure the enjoyment of web experiences. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 22(4), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.20120
Marchand, A., & Hennig-Thurau, T. (2013). Value creation in the video game industry: Industry economics, consumer benefits, and research opportunities. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27(3), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.05.001
Merikivi, J., Tuunainen, V. K., & Nguyen, D. T. C. (2017). What makes continued mobile gaming enjoyable? Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 411–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.11.070
Mirabi, V., Akbariyeh, H., & Tahmasebifard, H. (2015). A study of factors affecting on customers purchase intention. Journal of Multidisciplinary Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST), 2(1).
Morwitz, V. G., Steckel, J. H., & Gupta, A. (2007). When do purchase intentions predict sales? International Journal of Forecasting, 23(3), 347–364.
Mulroy, C. (2023). What is the Gen Z age range? These are the years that the generation was born. USA TODAY. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/08/gen-z-explained/11150085002/
Nikolopoulou, K. (2022a). What Is Probability Sampling? | Types & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/probability-sampling/
Nikolopoulou, K. (2022b). What Is Purposive Sampling? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/purposive- sampling/
Parker, K., & Igielnik, R. (2022). On the cusp of adulthood and facing an uncertain future: What we know about Gen Z so far. Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/05/14/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far-2/
Paul, H. L., Bowman, N. D., & Banks, J. (2015). The enjoyment of griefing in online games. Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, 7(3), 243–258. https://doi.org/10.1386/jgvw.7.3.243_1
Peña-García, N., Gil-Saura, I., Orejuela, A. R., & Siqueira-Júnior, J. P. (2020). Purchase intention and purchase behavior online: A cross-cultural approach. Heliyon, 6(6), e04284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04284
Prakosa, A., & Sumantika, A. (2022). Why do people buy virtual items? An assessment using the theory of functional value. KnE Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v7i14.12038
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003- 066x.55.1.68
Severin, K. (2022). The average gamer plays more than one hour per day, as time spent takes centre stage. Retrieve Feb 21, 2023, from https://midiaresearch.com/blog/the-average-gamer-plays-more-than- one-hour-per-day-as-time-spent-takes-centre stage#:~:text=At%207.6%20hours%20per%20week,hour%20every%20day%20on%20average.
Smith, T. (2022). 6 Games That Provide a Sense of Accomplishment. Retrieve Mar 5, 2023, from https://gamerant.com/games-provide- accomplishment/#portal-2.
Social Team. (2023). 22 Gen Z gaming statistics to get in the know. Social. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.soocial.com/gen-z-gaming-statistics/
Statista. (n.d.). Video Games - Malaysia | Statista Market Forecast. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital- media/video-games/Malaysia
Suleman, D., Sabil, S., Rusiyati, S., Sari, I., Rachmawati, S., Nurhayaty, E., & Parancika, R. B. (2021). Exploring the relationship between trust, ease of use after purchase and switching re-purchase intention. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 5, 465–470.
SurveyMonkey. (n.d.). What is purchase intent and how to measure it with surveys. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.surveymonkey.com/market-research/resources/what-is-purchaseintent/#:~:text=Purchase%20intent%2C%20also%20known%20as,nex t%206%20or%2012%20months.
Tay, Y. L., Abdullah, Z., Chelladorai, K., Low, L. L., & Tong, S. F. (2021). Perception of the movement control order during the covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Malaysia. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8778
Tjiptono, F., Khan, G., Yeong, E. S., & Kunchamboo, V. (2020). Generation Z in Malaysia: The four 'E' generation. In E. Gentina & E. Parry (Eds.), The new Generation Z in Asia: Dynamics, differences, digitalisation. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/generation-z-in-malaysia-the-four-e-generation#:~:text=Generation%20Z%20in%20Malaysia%20is,income%20of%20US%24327%20million.
Verma, N. (2023). The best survey distribution methods to get you more high-quality responses. CallHub. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://callhub.io/survey-distribution/
Warren, K. (2022). Generation Z (Gen Z): Definition, birth years, and demographics. Investopedia. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.investopedia.com/generation-z-gen-z-definition-5218554.
Widodo, N. G., & Balqiah, T. E. (2020). The effect of addiction, playfulness and good price on purchase intention of in-app features. Atlantis Press, 160, 9–14.
Wijman, T. (2022). The world’s 2.7 billion gamers will spend $159.3 billion on games in 2020; the market will surpass $200 billion by 2023. Newzoo. Retrieved 17 March 2025, from https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/newzoo-games-market-revenues-gamers-2020-2023
Wijman, T. (2023a). The games market in 2022: The year in numbers. Newzoo.
Wijman, T. (2023b). The games market and beyond in 2021: The year in numbers. Newzoo. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/the-games-market-in-2021-the-year-in-numbers-esports-cloud-gaming
Wong, A., & Sohal, A. (2003). A critical incident approach to the examination of customer relationship management in a retail chain: An exploratory study, qualitative market research. An International Journal, 6(4), 248–262.
World Health Organization. (2020). Addictive Behaviours: Gaming disorder. Retrieved Mar 5, 2023, from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/addictive-behaviours-gaming- disorder.
Xie, Q., Mahomed, A. S. B., Mohamed, R., & Subramaniam, A. (2022). Investigating the relationship between usefulness and ease of use of living streaming with purchase intentions. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03698-4
Yang, H. L., & Lin, R. X. (2019). Why do people continue to play mobile game apps? A perspective of individual motivation, social factor and gaming factor. Journal of Internet Technology, 20(6), 1925–1936. https://doi.org/10.3966/160792642019102006022
Zhang, C. H., & Wen, L. (2018). Empirical research on online game consumption behavior and its influencing factors. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.js-skl.org.cn/pub/qm/p/file/181122/103435_744.pdf
Zhao, H., Yao, X., Liu, Z., & Qin, Y. (2021). Impact of pricing and product information on consumer buying behavior with customer satisfaction in a mediating role. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654330
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Che Siti Lazrina Bt Md Lazim, Sharmeela Banu, Boo Sim Jie, Wong Wei Xin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
