Consumer awareness & preferences and perception towards social games

Abstract

This study has been able to provide a critical insight about consumer awareness, perceptions, and preferences regarding social gaming especially amongst Gen Z players in urban Gujarat. It has been found that social gaming is no longer considered mere entertainment but it has rapidly evolved as a social platform for users to interact and collaborate with one another. This also signifies that the significance of interpersonal communication cannot be overlooked in today's modern world.Moreover, repeated exposure to advertisements and digital platforms has also helped social games gain acceptance in modern digital culture. As for the matter of preferences, the study shows multiplayer games are more preferred by Gen- Z generations which are ease-of-use and have good graphics. Moreover, the users tend to prefer games of both light and competitive games genre such as battle royale and strategy games as it builds competitiveness and relaxation of mind. The behavioral patterns found during the study found to be a relatively casual and versatile activity. In other words, most of the users tend to play in shorter duration per session as well less frequently during the week. It means that social games turn into part of the lifestyle of gamers as an entertainment practice and stress reliever rather than an addiction. Nevertheless, the presence of less highly engaged users shows that the consumer base of social games varies in terms of the level of engagement which shifts our focus to research on psychological aspects of gaming in detail. Firstly, the study reveals primary factors like reward systems, social approval and FOMO which plays a crucial role in people engaging themselves in online gaming. The secondary factors involved are various elements of gaming such as leaderboards, in-game rewards and other types of offers which not only stimulate the motivation of players but also make them feel a sense of accomplishment while competing with each other. However, despite the fact that users know about how social gaming influences their mind they still remain engaged which shows how game designers make use of both rational thinking and emotion. Secondly, the study highlights how social gaming helps to satisfy basic human needs such as communication, belongingness, and emotional wellbeing are well-connected. These results indicate that developers and marketers must pay attention to the social aspect, improved user interface, and psychological engagement strategies in order to attract user’s attention. Community building, personalization, and ethics should be paid special attention as well as building long-term loyalty and user engagement.However, the study is limited due to sampling relatively small size which further curbs the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, the research is conducted only among urban dwellers from Gujarat and Generation Z people, thus limiting its generalizability to other regions and population categories. In conclusion, social gaming is a fascinating combination of technology, psychology and human-to-human interaction. It has become popular among Gen Z people and is bound to become a platform for entertainment because the industry is still developing and knowing consumer psychology is important to attract more user attention.