The gamification of in-game advertising: Examining the role of psychological ownership and advertisement intrusiveness

Gamification on the mobile platform through the concept of online games has the potential to create unprecedented engagement with customers. With the growth in the gamification market due to the increase in internet penetration and the number of mobile devices, it has become one of the potential channels to reach and influence young consumers who spend more time on gaming. There is a shortage of empirical evidence on the impact of gamification on online consumer decisions. This study uses ‘psychological ownership theory’ and ‘schema theory’ to examine the effects of gameful experience (GFUL) on the attitudes of online gamers (N = 326). Data were analyzed using AMOS 25 and Process Macro for SPSS. The analytical results indicated that GFUL is mediated through both the intervening variables (perceived in-game advertisement effectiveness and psychological ownership), which positively influence gamers’ attitudes towards the game and in-game advertising. Further, the study investigated the impact of in-game advertisement intrusiveness. Based on the research findings, this study proposed the theoretical and managerial implications.