Due to the fast growing importance of the Internet one can observe a significant influence on all parts of the economy. The new Internet economy completely restructures given economic rules, not only because of the new opportunities, also because of the shifting power positions between customer and producer.
One part of this new economy is the existence of online communities, these groups of users show a specific focus (mainly a common topic or interest) and with the increasing possibilities of communications, new social networks are created online. The online communities already have a large influence on the economic, because they offer various opportunities and many potential customers.
This thesis focuses on a special aspect of online communities, the influence of lead users at the example of an online gaming community. Lead users often have needs that will be significant for the future market evolution, because the majority will also have them in the near future. At the example of the gaming market, lead users are often professional players with a serious game interest and a high motivation to further improve the games. Also the current status of other communities with a similar focus is evaluated.
The approach in this thesis features a large scaled online questionnaire, which aims to identify the current needs of the players and pinpoints the significant influence of the lead users. Mainly with regard to the position of the lead users in the gaming market (they act as guides for casual players) this influence and the consequences for a potential online gaming community are evaluated. Furthermore each hypothesis is analyzed individually and discussed afterwards. The approach and the statistical evaluation are described in depth and discussed from a managerial perspective afterwards, in order to draw conclusions for the design of a potential online community with a gaming focus.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Background
2.1 Motivation
2.2 Internet Economy
2.2.1 Online Communities
2.2.2 Network Effects
2.2.3 Critical Mass
2.2.4 Lead User
2.3 Gaming Market
2.3.1 Historical Evolution
2.3.2 Gaming Communities
2.4 Design of an Online Gaming Community
3. Approach
3.1 Operationalization and Measurement Instruments
3.2 Online Survey
3.2.1 Survey Items and Inventory
3.2.2 Conceptual Design of the Online Questionnaire
3.2.3 Technical Implementation
4. Analysis
4.1 Online Questionnaire
4.2 Statistical Analysis
4.3 Results of the Lead User Influence
5. Discussion
5.1 Scientific Discussion about the Approach
5.2 Empirical Results and Implementation
5.3 Further Scientific Opportunities
6. Conclusion and Future Work
6.1 Conclusion
6.2 Outlook
7. Appendix
7.1 Abbreviations and Glossary
7.2 Figures and Tables
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This thesis investigates the role of lead users in online communities, specifically within the gaming industry, to develop guidelines for creating successful, long-term sustainable online gaming communities. The research addresses the challenge of identifying user needs and maintaining high levels of engagement amidst a rapidly evolving digital market.
- The influence of lead users on casual gamers in gaming communities.
- The impact of network effects and critical mass on community adoption.
- Methods for long-term user motivation and interaction in online gaming environments.
- Empirical analysis through a large-scale online questionnaire and statistical correlation.
- Managerial strategies for community design and user data integration.
Excerpts from the Book
2.2.4 Lead User
One of the most important aspects in the network economy is the existence of lead users; the widely accepted definition of this term is introduced in Hippel (1986):
“1) Lead users face needs that will be general in a marketplace – but face them months or years before the bulk of that marketplace encounters them, and
2) Lead users are positioned to benefit significantly by obtaining a solution to those needs”, (Hippel, 1988, pp. 792-793)
The existence of these users fundamentally change the perception of innovations, even a completely new method (lead user integration) is introduced. The idea is to integrate motivated lead users into the development in order to use their individual needs to produce a solution for upcoming problems. Examples can be especially found in the sports section, since the professional athletes often have needs that the next generation of hobby athletes will also aim to have.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the rapid evolution of the Internet economy and defines the focus on lead user influence within gaming communities.
2. Background: Explores fundamental concepts such as the Internet economy, network effects, critical mass, and lead users in the context of the gaming market.
3. Approach: Details the research methodology, including the operationalization of goals and the conceptual and technical design of an online survey.
4. Analysis: Provides a statistical breakdown of survey results, focusing on participant demographics, gaming behavior, and lead user metrics.
5. Discussion: Critically evaluates the research findings, limitations, and offers managerial insights for implementing successful online gaming communities.
6. Conclusion and Future Work: Summarizes the key findings regarding hypotheses and suggests future research directions, such as prototype testing.
7. Appendix: Lists abbreviations, technical terms, and provides supplementary graphical illustrations of survey data.
Keywords
Internet Economy, Online Communities, Gaming Market, Lead Users, Network Effects, Critical Mass, Professional Players, Pro-Gamer, Mean Opinion Score, MOS, User Motivation, Statistical Analysis, Game Mechanisms, Community Design, Online Survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The research examines the influence of lead users within online communities, using the computer gaming market as a specific example to understand how to build and maintain successful community platforms.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the application of Internet economy principles, the significance of network effects, the identification of lead users, and the necessity of fostering long-term user motivation.
What is the central research goal?
The primary goal is to empirically evaluate player needs and the influence of professional gamers to provide actionable guidelines for the successful design of a game-oriented online community.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author utilizes a descriptive research approach, conducting a large-scale online survey with over 1,400 participants to gather data, which is then analyzed using statistical methods and Mean Opinion Scores (MOS).
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main part covers the theoretical background of network economies, the specific characteristics of the gaming industry, the operationalization of user motivation, and a detailed statistical analysis of collected survey data.
What defines the core characteristic of the community mentioned?
The work identifies social interaction and the ability to find and keep in touch with former game-mates as critical factors for maintaining community engagement beyond the lifecycle of a single game title.
How does the author identify a "lead user" in gaming?
Lead users are identified through a specific inventory of questions focused on their interest in game mechanisms, their serious gaming attitude, and their involvement in creating game improvements or add-ons.
What is the role of professional players in the community?
Professional players act as opinion leaders and guides for casual players; their adoption of community features is essential to reaching the critical mass necessary for community sustainability.
- Citation du texte
- Dr. Tobias Fritsch (Auteur), 2007, The Lead User Influence in Online Communities – A Gaming Community Example, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/142219
