How Game Users Consume Virtual Currency: The Relationship Between Consumed Quantity, Inventory, and Elapsed Time Since Last Consumption in the Mobile Game World

摘要

In this research, we propose an analytical framework of consumer behavior of mobile game users. We focus on the quantity of virtual currency consumed by users of a mobile game to purchase characters, and clarify the relationship between consumed quantity, inventory held at the time of consumption, and elapsed time since last consumption. For the target game, the basic play is free, and there is a large difference in consumption between the light user and the heavy user. To understand such consumer behavior heterogeneity in the game world, we introduce individual differences and construct a regression model and a hierarchical Bayesian model to consider these individual differences. Also, in Japanese mobile games, an instrument called "Gacha" (Loot Box) promotes consumption; we interpret Loot Box as a promotion and include it in the model analysis. Our goal is to better understand consumer behavior in virtual space by clarifying the relationship between consumed quantity, inventory, and elapsed time by model analysis based on real data. We then suggest marketing strategies to be carried out on the basis of the obtained result.