Turning Livestreaming Viewers into Game Players: Exploring the Impact of Game Streamers on Viewer Video Game Engagement Based on an Extended Means-End Chain Framework

Abstract

This study aims to explore how perceived influence of game streamers affects viewer video game engagement. We propose a research model based on an extended means-end chain framework and validate this model through a two-wave field survey with 465 respondents. The results show that perceived attractiveness, perceived competence, and perceived trustworthiness are important attributes of perceived influence of game streamers. Additionally, viewer value perception—encompassing perceived utility value, perceived hedonic value, and perceived symbolic value—which is derived from watching game streaming, partially mediates the relationship between perceived influence of game streamers and viewer video game engagement. These findings not only provide insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying the impact of game streamers on viewer behavioral intention but also contribute to a better understanding of the contemporary game streaming landscape.

Keywords:

• Game streamers
• livestreaming
• means-end chain framework
• social media
• video game engagement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by Shanghai Pujiang Program (grant number: 23PJC047).

Notes on contributors

Xiaoyu Chen

Xiaoyu Chen is an assistant professor at School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management, Shanghai University. His research interests include “3U”―user information behavior, user cyberpsychology and user-generated content, particularly in the context of digital technologies.

Chunyue Wang

Chunyue Wang is a master student of library and information studies at School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management, Shanghai University. Her research interests include cultural heritage informatics and digital humanities.

Han Zheng

Han Zheng is an associate professor at School of Information Management, Wuhan University. His research interests include health informatics, computational social science, and research evaluation. His work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals such as Telematics and Informatics, Internet Research, and Computers in Human Behavior.