With the increasing popularity of broadband networks, the online game market is becoming more mature. One of the most popular online games, World of WarCraft, has more than ten million global members, making it the largest massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). Thus, this study collects 317 players of the online game 'World of Warcraft' to empirically investigate this issue. By manipulating structural equation modelling (SEM), we investigate the relationships among brand image (BI), brand trust (BT), and online word-of-mouth (WOM) to examine the moderating effect of game experiences. This research indicates that BT serves as a partial mediator between brand image and online WOM and specifies the substantial moderating effect of game experiences in BI, BT, and online WOM. Meanwhile, if online game companies can develop a good BI, players will be willing to recommend and share their experiences with others on the internet.
Relation:
International Journal of Services Technology and Management 19(4-6), pp.278-293