An Empirical Study of In-App Purchase Intention Behavior of Generation Z in Mobile Games

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October 28, 2025

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Background: The rapid evolution of information technology has significantly transformed digital transactions and consumer behavior. Although in-game transactions and the mobile gaming industry are expected to experience significant growth, Generation Z gamers’ purchasing behavior remains underexplored.  

Objective: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing Gen-Z’s intention to make in-app purchase of virtual goods within mobile games.  

Methods: Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) analysis was conducted to examine whether live streamers, co-branding, good price, and mobile game loyalty affected in-app purchase intention among Gen-Z gamers. 

Results: The results showed that live streamers, co-branding, and good price positively influenced gamers’ desire to purchase in-game items. Mobile game loyalty was also found to have the strongest influence on in-app purchase intention. 

Conclusion: This study emphasized how game influencers, co-branding, fair pricing, and player loyalty influenced in-app purchase intentions among Indonesian Gen-Z mobile gamers. The findings revealed that using live streamers to showcase game characters, building stronger interactions with players, and offering sales promotions are effective ways to promote more in-app purchases. 

 

Keywords: Co-Branding, Good Price, In-App Purchase Intention, Live Streamers, Mobile Game Loyalty.