What Drives Female Players’ Continuance Intention to Play Mobile Games? The Role of Aesthetic and Narrative Design Factors

Abstract

Many scholars have suggested that video games predominantly target at male players. However, with the proliferation of mobile games in recent years, evidence shows that the gap between male players and female players are closing. Report from Entertainment Software Association 2015 indicates that Women (48%) and Men (52%) play video games in approximately equal numbers. Therefore, it is very important to pay more attention to female players’ preferences and design mobile games for them. Compared with male players who prefer more complex and competitive games, female players exhibit less dedication and skill with respect to gaming. Yet, research on mobile games generally ignore the female group and the female-orientated game design factors. To fill this gap, this study identifies the aesthetic and narrative game design factors and investigate how these design factors influence female players’ continuance intention to play mobile games. Focus group discussions were conducted to explore the aesthetic and narrative design factors they preferred. Our findings provide suggestions for future female-orientated game developers regarding the aesthetic character design and narrative design, thus help them to retain and attract more female game players, improve the overall experiences, gain a broader market, and improve their profitability.