JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

In recent years, societal recognition of gaming's value has steadily increased, but video games have long been viewed as “electronic opium” in China. And the addiction remains a significant concern. Although anti-addiction measures have reduced the usage time of games, the players' intrinsic motivation has been ignored. At the same time, a phenomenon known as video game ED has emerged, characterized by players' desire to play but inability to engage. This presents a new way for addressing game addiction through internal mechanisms.

Objective:

In this paper, we investigate how perceived value influences the emergence of video game ED. Additionally, game literacy is incorporated into the model as a moderating variable. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between game literacy and perceived value, and the video game ED. By constructing and validating the research model, the study seeks to reveal the formation factors of video game ED and provide theoretical groundwork for mitigating adolescent gaming addiction.

Methods:

This study employs a mixed-methods approach combining interviews and questionnaires. First, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 respondents who met the characteristics of video game ED and used grounded theory analysis to extract influencing factors. Then, based on interview findings, we designed and distributed a questionnaire and recovered 325 valid responses. Through multiple regression analysis and moderating effect tests, we verified the relationship between perceived value and game literacy on video game ED.

Results:

Based on in-depth interviews, we categorized perceived value into four dimensions: emotional value, functional value, resource cost, and cognitive cost. The results of the questionnaire survey showed that perceived value, emotional value, and functional value exerted significant negative effects on video game ED, while resource cost and cognitive cost exerted significant positive effects. Game literacy exerted a significant positive effect on video game ED but a significant negative effect on perceived value. Regarding moderation, game literacy significantly negatively moderated the relationships between perceived value, emotional game, functional value, cognitive cost, and video game ED.

Conclusions:

This study clarifies the concept of video game ED, defining it as a state of active alienation in which players have the conditions and desire to play the game but are unable to maintain sustained engagement. We found that perceived value is the core factor influencing video game ED: higher emotional and functional value correlates with weaker video game ED, and higher resource and cognitive costs correlate with stronger video game ED. Simultaneously, players with higher game literacy are more prone to video game ED and reduced perceived value toward games. Furthermore, game literacy mitigates the influence of perceived value on video game ED. These findings hold implications for game development and anti-addiction governance.