The article of Hamari and Lehdonvirta discusses the promotion of virtual goods; specifically, it concerns the issue of online games design and selling. Before presenting the study, the authors prove the importance of the matter. For instance, the authors present an objective analysis of literature related to the topic. The critical approach to literature review suggests that not only achievements but also gaps in the sphere of virtual goods promotion are shown. To be specific, the authors accentuate the one-sided nature of the previous studies, which focused solely on consumers and did not consider manufacturers. Therefore, the authors developed a new marketing strategy, which focuses on product design. Thus, the objective of the article is to study the interdependence between game design and its demand. The research questions are clearly defined.
The defined objective of the study allowed the authors to present a clear argument. The authors predicted the new directions, which may appear in the flow of the study; however, the points that can possibly contradict the argument of the study were not studied. Nevertheless, the importance of the study, research objectives, and the study itself are logically connected and justified in terms of research value.
Concerning the research method, the study is based on a qualitative approach. The use of this approach is justified, as well as the presented issue needs a deep analysis, rather than statistical data. The author chose several most popular online games and studied their design, trying to define which of its elements contribute to the product demand. What is more, the authors study the connection between the design and other branches of marketing, such as segmentation, scarcity, differentiation, etc.
Due to the proper organization of the study, it presents findings, which can be considered important in the sphere of marketing. For instance, the study showed that there is a need of designing different online games of both high and low quality, which is explained by the diversity of the consumers and their financial possibilities. Among the other findings of the study is the discovery of special factors that increase the demand for new virtual goods, such as the inconvenience of the old ones, holidays, and others.
The presented findings are undoubtedly relevant to the research objectives, and thus leave the reader satisfied with the results of the study. The authors managed to prove their argument about the interdependence of game design and its success in the market. The article also focuses on the possibilities for further research, such as applying the results of the study with other products. Moreover, they present a separate chapter, suggesting how the study results can be implemented in marketing. All in all, the article is well-organized and rather educational.
Works Cited
Hamari, Juho & Lehdonvirta, Vili “Game design as marketing: how game mechanics create demand for virtual goods”. International journal of Business Science and Applied Management 5(1) : 15-29, 2010.