An empirical study on the motivations underlying augmented reality games: The case of Pokémon Go during and after Pokémon fever

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 133; pp. 56 - 66
• Main Authors: Zsila, Ágnes, Orosz, Gábor, Bőthe, Beáta, Tóth-Király, István, Király, Orsolya, Griffiths, Mark, Demetrovics, Zsolt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Augmentation; Augmented reality; Augmented reality games; Boredom; Computer & video games; Confirmatory factor analysis; Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); Fantasy; Games; Gaming motivation; Impulsivity; MOGQ-PG; Motivation; Nostalgia; Plug & play; Pokémon Go; Psychometric scale development; Qualitative research; Questionnaires; Pokémon Go; Psychometric scale development; Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); Gaming motivation; MOGQ-PG; Augmented reality games
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.06.024

In 2016, Pokémon Go became the most popular game in the history of smartphone games and was among the first games to feature geo-located augmented reality (AR) elements. The goal of the present research was to obtain a deeper understanding concerning the motivations underlying Pokémon Go use and to create a measure that assesses these motivations. By extending the framework of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire, three new factors – Outdoor Activity, Nostalgia, and Boredom – were added based on the findings of qualitative analysis, and which led to the creation of the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire - Pokémon Go extension (MOGQ-PG). Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out on a sample of Pokémon Go players (N=621). Results demonstrated that the final 37-item, first-order, 10-factor model had appropriate factor structure and internal consistency. A second follow-up study on Pokémon Go players (N=510) examined associations between gaming motivations, problematic use, and impulsivity. Results demonstrated that impulsivity was not related to the MOGQ-PG motives. Results also showed that competition and fantasy motivations predicted problematic gaming behavior. The present research is the first empirical contribution to the assessment and understanding of the motivational background of playing AR games such as Pokémon Go. •Through two studies we identified 10 motivational factors of Pokémon Go use.•The factor structure of this measure was stable during and after Pokémon fever.•Three game-specific motivations were: Outdoor Activity, Nostalgia, and Boredom.•Impulsivity was unrelated to Pokémon-Go motives.•Competition and fantasy motivations predicted problematic gaming behavior.