My video game console is so cool! A coolness theory-based model for intention to use video game consoles

Dongyan Nan; Haein Lee; Yerin Kim; Jang Hyun Kim

doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121451

My video game console is so cool! A coolness theory-based model for intention to use video game consoles

Technol Forecast Soc Change. 2022 Mar:176:121451. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121451. Epub 2021 Dec 30.

Authors

Dongyan Nan^{1

2}, Haein Lee^{1

3}, Yerin Kim³, Jang Hyun Kim^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human-Artificial Intelligence Interaction, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 03063, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Interaction Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 03063, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, 03063, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

With the outbreak of COVID-19, the video game console market is thriving again. In this study, we attempted to explore users' intention to use video game consoles by developing a causal model mainly based on coolness theory and the technology acceptance model. To better illustrate user experience for video game consoles, we added several concepts to the causal model, including hedonic motivation, system and service quality, perceived cost, and game variety. Through examining survey-based data from 360 Koreans, we discovered that the model had a high explanatory power for users' intention to use video game consoles. The key findings were as follows: First, among the components of coolness theory, individuals' attitude toward consoles was significantly related to subcultural appeal and originality, but not to attractiveness. Second, originality positively influenced subcultural appeal significantly. Overall, this study implied that the novel coolness theory is effective for exploring user experience regarding of specific devices and services.

Keywords: Attractiveness; Coolness; Originality; Subcultural appeal; Video game console.