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Mobile apps usually have a short lifespan, and this prevents the majority from surviving long enough to generate revenue for their developers. To address this issue, this study aims to recognize the role of engagement and immersion and develops a cognitive-affective theoretical framework to associate these factors with the lifespan of an app. Moreover, the authors focus on gaming apps because of their dominance on mobile platforms, and because a few of them become lucrative while the majority perish within a few weeks.

This study uses a longitudinal survey-based approach to collect data on one of the popular gaming apps (Pokémon Go), which received international attention. The design focuses on identifying factors that extend the lifespan of the app and affects users’ decision to continue or stop using the app over time. The authors use the survival analysis and structural equation modeling to analyze the theoretical framework.

The authors find the centrality of the users’ experience of immersion to extend the mobile app lifespan. Engagement influences immersion and immersion predicts users’ decision to continue or stop using the app. Users’ experience of immersion increases the probability of the apps’ survival by 12%.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only study that proposes a theoretical framework, meticulously investigates the factors that can lead to survival of a mobile app and uses longitudinal data for the empirical analysis.

This study aims to illuminate Turkish gen Z players’ intention to make in-game purchases based on stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model and uncover the distinctive role of gender.

Six hundred and ninety-six young players were included in the research who are aged 12 to 29 in Istanbul, Türkiye. Measurement validity was checked via principal component and confirmatory factor analysis. Structural model testing, mediation and multigroup analysis were conducted to test relationships among latent constructs.

The study revealed enjoyment, perceived attractiveness and economic value were positively associated with gamer satisfaction, though connectedness was not. In addition, gamer satisfaction positively affected loyalty and loyalty predicted in-game purchase intention. On the other hand, the magnitude of enjoyment-gamer satisfaction path was greater in female players than in males. However, the effect sizes of perceived attractiveness and economic value on gamer satisfaction were larger in males than in females.

The research focuses on freemium game context, the sample of Istanbul province in Turkey, and gen Z (12 to 29) players constituting the limitations.

Mobile game producers should consider that enjoyment is more substantial for female players to increase in-game revenue. Hence, perceived attractiveness and economic value may be improved for male players. They could also balance the gaming experience by providing social connectivity and isolation.

It is the initial attempt to unveil Turkish young mobile players’ behavioral tendency toward paid in-game extensions. On the other hand, gender difference is a salient matter unnoticed by other investigations that the strength of stimulus varies from players’ gender discovered by the research.

The tremendous market growth of mobile platforms for esports underscores the need to understand players' psychological states and consumption behavior. Based on flow theory, this study examines players' psychological states (flow and clutch experiences) and consumption behavior based on the interaction effects of playing frequency, playing duration and players' levels on the PC (LOL – League of Legends) and mobile (LOLWR – League of Legends: Wild Rift) versions of the same esports title.

Data were collected from 930 valid responses and analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression (PROCESS macro, Model 3).

There are two main findings. First, across PC and mobile participants, casual gamers (low playing frequency and duration) have firm purchase intention when they have a clutch experience, but flow experience hinders their purchasing intention. Second, hardcore gamers' (high playing frequency and duration) psychological states are clearly distinguished according to technological platforms. Flow experience is the most effective for their purchase intention in the PC platform, but both flow and clutch states are important in the mobile platform. Flow experience is essential overall for hardcore gamers to intend their in-game item purchasing.

This study has two primary originality/values. First, this study explores flow and clutch together to measure psychological states and the impact on the purchase intention of in-game items. Second, the interacting effects of playing frequency, duration, and skill level with technical platforms (i.e. PC and mobile) for esports gaming.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate users’ continuous adoption behaviors on mobile game playing from the perspective of situational habit formation.

Based on the literature research, a continuous adoption model for situational mobile game is proposed. And the research model is assessed based on data gathered from a sample of 226 mobile game players by employing the structural equation model methodology.

The results show that situational cues represented by availability, perceived ease of use and diversion lead to repeated performance that can be represented by flow experience and satisfaction in the situational mobile game playing context. But only flow experience and diversion influence continuous usage directly. Additionally diversion, as a critical situational variable, not only indirectly affects continuous usage intention through flow experience, but also directly affects continuous usage intention for situational mobile game playing.

Mobile game adoption has been studied from different perspectives, but most research is based on the technology acceptance model. They could not explain the common fact that young people tend to be highly motivated by mobile games and can be regarded as pro-active mobile game players, but many people play mobile games only when they are bored and need a diversion. So this study attempts to illustrate the phenomena to fill the gaps.

During the current global epidemic, e-learning and mobile learning have been rapidly developed in the field of entrepreneurship education. The effect of these learning methods remains to be confirmed. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education.

From May 2020 to July 2020, the authors adopted a quasi-experimental design to explore the effect of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education. The authors set up an experimental group to participate in mobile business simulation games, with a total of 105 students, and set up a control group of 100 students. At the beginning and end of the experiment, data on entrepreneurial attitude, self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention and other related variables were collected. Paired sample T-test and regression analysis were used to analyze the results.

The authors found that mobile business simulation games can improve entrepreneurial attitudes and self-efficacy, but cannot change entrepreneurial intentions. The paired sample T-test in the experimental group showed that the entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of the participants were significantly improved, but the entrepreneurial intention did not change significantly. The above three variables did not change significantly in the control group. The research results also show that flow experience is very important in mobile business simulation games, which can improve entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial self-efficacy.

The authors’ findings confirm the positive effects of mobile business simulation games in entrepreneurship education, which can improve entrepreneurial attitudes and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. But the disadvantage of mobile business simulation games is that they cannot increase entrepreneurial intention. In addition, the flow experience needs to be valued in mobile business simulation games. The research in this paper has implications for how mobile learning can be used in entrepreneurship education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, research is of great value on how mobile business simulation games can be improved.

The purpose of the present research was to examine the effects of content, spatial, temporal and social presences stimulated by augmented reality (AR) technology on game enjoyment and continuing behavioral intention.

A total of 355 mobile AR game players participated in an online survey posted via the nationwide crowdsourcing web service in the US. A structural equation modeling was conducted using a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to test the relationships among the variables.

Results of structural equation modeling revealed the mechanism through which multiple dimensions of presence on the mobile AR game generated positive effects on consumer responses and showed the effects of four dimensions of presence stimulated by the AR technology on game enjoyment, performance and behavioral intention. Content, spatial, temporal and social presences are integrated to create a sense of realness. These dimensions of presence simultaneously increased game enjoyment that influenced the perceived game performance, commitment to it and ultimately the intention to play other mobile AR games.

Although AR technology brings a unique experience to the game player, research on the effects of its use in mobile games on consumer responses is currently limited. The results of this study add value to the existing mobile game literature and provide practical insights for mobile game service providers on how to enhance players’ game enjoyment and continuing behavior.

The author proposed a mobile learning model of pervasive animated games which allows college students to learn via games accessed through a smartphone. It can develop the process of field observation and self-reflection to enhance learning effectiveness, and the motivation, and attitude of students towards learning.

The author proposed a model for teaching via pervasive animated games. The author used SPSS software and Pearson's correlation coefficients to explore different mobile learning strategies and their relationship with learning attitudes and achievement. Participants were vocational technology college students, who each experienced animated games in individual and group learning settings.

The results found that the learning performance of students in the individual learning group was better than that of the group learning group. A higher level of digital experience was associated with better learning performance, and a more positive attitude towards using mobile phones was associated with better learning performance.

The learning method still has its limitations, the learner's digital information level, learning mode, learning attitudes will have an impact on the student playing teaching pervasive animation games. Therefore, improving student information level is one of the important topics of teaching pervasive animation games and mobile learning.

The author proposed a mobile learning strategy based on pervasive animated games. The result in the strategy of mobile learning shows that the level of students' digital experience and the overall design of animated games are important criteria for successful implementation.

As mobile augmented reality (AR) games enter the maturity stage, understanding how to improve players’ continuance use intention with mobile AR games is critical. Drawing upon the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of four major gratifications – content, process, social and technology – and other factors on continuance intention to play mobile AR games.

Data collected from 280 Pokémon Go players were used to address research questions. Partial least squares method was employed to assess the relationships in the model and multigroup analysis was conducted based on survey participants’ demographics and their gaming experience.

Content gratification (i.e. catching Pokémon), process gratification (i.e. entertainment), game knowledge and achievement drive players’ continuance use intention. However, social and technology gratifications do not influence players’ continuance use intention. Multigroup analysis suggests that mobile AR game developers should capitalize on the fact that different types of gratifications prompt continuance use intention of different user segments in terms of demographics and experience in general mobile games and Pokémon Go.

The user behavior of mobile AR games has been studied at the early stage of the games, with less attention to variable continuance use intentions across different user segments. This paper attempts to fill the gap by extending the U&G theory to continuance use intention of mobile AR games at the maturity stage and further investigating the importance of player heterogeneity in continuance use intention with mobile AR games. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on U&G, continuance use intention and mobile AR games.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the number and quality of games that publishers have released, popularity of game genre, age rating and package size are configured to determine the mobile game takeoff in a short time.

Based on the signaling theory, the authors present a conceptual model. Using actual data about 170 mobile games at their initial stage in the Apple App store, the authors test the conceptual model by applying fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

The findings identify four solutions that explain Mobile game takeoff in a short time. The authors highlight the role of the number and quality of games released by publishers, as well as that of popular game genres, which are always core factors when present.

This paper complements the previous research on the diffusion of mobile games by exploring which information combinations can lead to mobile games takeoff in a short time from the perspective of configuration. FsQCA serves as a better tool for explaining the complex relationships among variables than a regression analysis approach does. The authors extend existing knowledge on how the number and quality of games that publishers have released, popularity of game genre, age rating and package size combine to lead to takeoff of mobile games in a short time.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the antecedents of peer recommendations (generating positive word-of-mouth and recruiting others) in the context of mobile social games.

Drawing on the needs–supplies fit framework and social identity theory, this paper proposes that game design characteristics (challenge, fairness, innovativeness and ease of use) influence game identification, which further predicts word-of-mouth (WOM) generation and recruitment intention. This paper further suggests fits between gamer orientation (passing time and seeking achievements) and game design lead to enhanced game identification. The model was tested using data from an empirical survey with 767 mobile social gamers.

Game challenge, game fairness, game innovativeness and ease of use are positively associated with game identification, whereas game identification positively predicts WOM generation and recruitment intention. Achievement-seeking use was found to enhance the effects of game challenge and game fairness on game identification, and passing time use was found to strengthen the effects of game innovativeness and ease of use on game identification.

The findings of this study provide operable implications to facilitate peer recommendations in a mobile gaming context. The model was only tested within the context of mobile social games, however, so caution is advised when generalizing the findings to other game subgenres.

This study distinguishes itself from other peer recommendation studies by taking recruitment, a more straightforward and salient form of peer recommendation, into account. This paper enriches theory by investigating the antecedents and consequences of game identification. This study clarifies the underlying mechanism of how game design influences peer recommendations and examines the interactions between game design and gamer orientation.