Loaded with Fun? The Impact of Enjoyment and Cognitive Load on Brand Retention in Digital Games

ABSTRACT

Several studies on in-game advertising have shown that, in line with flow theory, enjoyment increases brand recall. Others, in line with Lang's limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP), have yielded opposite results, suggesting that higher cognitive load associated with the interactive nature of digital games have an adverse effect. A between-subjects experiment (N = 561) demonstrates the important impact of visual and auditory feedback on enjoyment and its subsequent effects on brand recall. Players experience more enjoyment when the character's facial expression, vocal sounds, and a progress bar confirm their achievement. The results showed a negative effect of enjoyment on recognition and a negative effect of cognitive load on implicit recall. A negative interaction effect of enjoyment and cognitive load on free recall was found.

KEYWORDS:

• Feedback
• Enjoyment
• Cognitive Load
• Ludic Focus
• In-Game Advertising