IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v141y2022icp564-574.html

Games-as-a-Disservice: Emergent value co-destruction in platform business models

Author

Listed:
  • Lehtonen, Miikka J.
  • Vesa, Mikko
  • Harviainen, J. Tuomas

Abstract

Digital distribution has enabled game studios to reach global audiences and treat mobile games as services rather than products, creating novel opportunities to develop value propositions through the games-as-a-service (GaaS) approach. Yet simultaneously, there are also negative consequences caused by a sharp focus on maximizing profits at the expense of customer enjoyment. Drawing on a study bridging game development and gameplay experience, we shed light on the negative consequences of GaaS. We introduce the concept of Games-as-a-Disservice that draws on value co-destruction research by highlighting how platform business models in mobile games have emergent properties that paradoxically seem to encourage the creation and maintenance of negative playing experiences. Disservice in game development is conceptualized through four analytical themes: predatory monetization, play as labor, support denial and closure denial. To counter these properties, companies could adopt participatory design methods for a more granulated understanding of who plays their games and why.

Suggested Citation

  • Lehtonen, Miikka J. & Vesa, Mikko & Harviainen, J. Tuomas, 2022. "Games-as-a-Disservice: Emergent value co-destruction in platform business models," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 564-574.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:141:y:2022:i:c:p:564-574
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.055
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296321008626
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.055?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pera, Rebecca & Menozzi, Anna & Abrate, Graziano & Baima, Gabriele, 2021. "When cocreation turns into codestruction," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 222-232.
    2. Vandermerwe, Sandra & Rada, Juan, 1988. "Servitization of business: Adding value by adding services," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 314-324, December.
    3. Verhoef, Peter C. & Broekhuizen, Thijs & Bart, Yakov & Bhattacharya, Abhi & Qi Dong, John & Fabian, Nicolai & Haenlein, Michael, 2021. "Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 889-901.
    4. F. Ted Tschang, 2007. "Balancing the Tensions Between Rationalization and Creativity in the Video Games Industry," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(6), pages 989-1005, December.
    5. Olli I. Heimo & J. Tuomas Harviainen & Kai K. Kimppa & Tuomas Mäkilä, 2018. "Virtual to Virtuous Money: A Virtue Ethics Perspective on Video Game Business Logic," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 95-103, November.
    6. L. Plé & R. Chumpitaz, 2010. "Not always co-creation: introducing interactional co-destruction of value in service-dominant logic," Post-Print halshs-00588239, HAL.
    7. Kai Huotari & Juho Hamari, 2017. "A definition for gamification: anchoring gamification in the service marketing literature," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 27(1), pages 21-31, February.
    8. Matarazzo, Michela & Penco, Lara & Profumo, Giorgia & Quaglia, Roberto, 2021. "Digital transformation and customer value creation in Made in Italy SMEs: A dynamic capabilities perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 642-656.
    9. Myriam DAVIDOVICI-NORA, 2014. "Paid and Free Digital Business Models Innovations in the Video Game Industry," Communications & Strategies, IDATE, Com&Strat dept., vol. 1(94), pages 83-102, 2nd quart.
    10. J. Tuomas Harviainen & Janne Paavilainen & Elina Koskinen, 2020. "Ayn Rand’s Objectivist Ethics Applied to Video Game Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(4), pages 761-774, December.
    11. Plé, Loïc & Demangeot, Catherine, 2020. "Social contagion of online and offline deviant behaviors and its value outcomes: The case of tourism ecosystems," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 886-896.
    12. Järvi, Henna & Kähkönen, Anni-Kaisa & Torvinen, Hannu, 2018. "When value co-creation fails: Reasons that lead to value co-destruction," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 63-77.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hussain, Ali & Abid, Muhammad Farrukh & Shamim, Amjad & Ting, Ding Hooi & Toha, Md Abu, 2023. "Videogames-as-a-service: How does in-game value co-creation enhance premium gaming co-creation experience for players?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Cayetano Medina-Molina & Noemí Pérez-Macías & Sierra Rey-Tienda, 2024. "Strategies for urban cycling: an analysis through generalized analytic induction," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 21(4), pages 963-997, December.
    3. Bhairab Talukdar & Jitu Saikia, 2025. "How sustainability is driven in entrepreneurship? Evidence from apiculture practices," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Hardcastle, Kimberley & Edirisingha, Prabash & Cook, Paul & Sutherland, Matthew, 2025. "The co-existence of brand value co-creation and co-destruction across the customer journey in a complex higher education brand," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    5. Zhou, Fei & Lin, Youhai & Mou, Jian & Cohen, Jason & Chen, Sihua, 2023. "Understanding the dark side of gamified interactions on short-form video platforms: Through a lens of expectations violations theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PB).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hardcastle, Kimberley & Edirisingha, Prabash & Cook, Paul & Sutherland, Matthew, 2025. "The co-existence of brand value co-creation and co-destruction across the customer journey in a complex higher education brand," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    2. Bidar, Dr Reihaneh & Jabbari, Dr Mohammad & Luck, Dr Edwina, 2024. "Value co-destruction in online collaborative networks," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 98-107.
    3. Chuks Otioma, 2023. "IT Capability, Organisational Learning and Innovation Performance of Firms in Kenya," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(3), pages 3489-3517, September.
    4. Xu, Meng & Yang, Zhonghai & Lin, Yu-En & Li, Gaobo, 2024. "Maturity mismatched investment, digital financial inclusion, and digital orientation: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Ewa Cieślik, 2024. "From traditional to digital servicification: Chinese services in European manufacturing," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 927-965, December.
    6. Liping Liu & Lichuan Cui & Qian Han & Chunyu Zhang, 2024. "The impact of digital capabilities and dynamic capabilities on business model innovation: the moderating effect of organizational inertia," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Ancín, María & Pindado, Emilio & Sánchez, Mercedes, 2022. "New trends in the global digital transformation process of the agri-food sector: An exploratory study based on Twitter," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    8. Zahoor, Nadia & Zopiatis, Anastasios & Adomako, Samuel & Lamprinakos, Grigorios, 2023. "The micro-foundations of digitally transforming SMEs: How digital literacy and technology interact with managerial attributes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Sebastian Kussl & Andreas Wald, 2022. "Smart Mobility and its Implications for Road Infrastructure Provision: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    10. Zhou, Zhongsheng & Li, Zhuo, 2023. "Corporate digital transformation and trade credit financing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    11. Hikaru Goto & H. M. Belal & Kunio Shirahada, 2025. "Value co-destruction causing customers to stop service usage: a topic modelling analysis of dental service complaint data," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 348(3), pages 1691-1711, May.
    12. repec:ehu:cuader:69660 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Vincenzo Scafarto & Tamanna Dalwai & Federica Ricci & Gaetano della Corte, 2023. "Digitalization and Firm Financial Performance in Healthcare: The Mediating Role of Intellectual Capital Efficiency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, February.
    14. Brewis, Claire & Dibb, Sally & Meadows, Maureen, 2023. "Leveraging big data for strategic marketing: A dynamic capabilities model for incumbent firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    15. Jin, Huanhuan & Jiang, Nanyue & Su, Weihua & Dalia, Streimikiene, 2025. "How does customer enterprise digitalization improve the green total factor productivity of state-owned suppliers: From the supply chain perspective," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    16. Jie Shang & Tao Guo & Xiaozhou Ding, 2025. "Pinpoint the Golden Point: A Moderated Inverted‐U Relationship Between Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(5), pages 3250-3265, July.
    17. Meng, Tao & Li, Qi & He, Chang & Dong, Zheng, 2025. "Research on the configuration path of manufacturing enterprises' digital servitization transformation," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    18. Junru Chen & Lei Shen, 2024. "A Synthetic Review on Enterprise Digital Transformation: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-20, February.
    19. Piepponen, Amanda & Ritala, Paavo & Keränen, Joona & Maijanen, Päivi, 2022. "Digital transformation of the value proposition: A single case study in the media industry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 311-325.
    20. Zhong‐hai Yang & Meng Xu & Xue Xiu & Gao‐bo Li, 2025. "TMT's technical orientation and ambidextrous innovation capability in digital transformation age," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 46(4), pages 1934-1955, June.
    21. Li, Chengming & Huo, Peng & Wang, Zeyu & Zhang, Weiguang & Liang, Feiyan & Mardani, Abbas, 2023. "Digitalization generates equality? Enterprises’ digital transformation, financing constraints, and labor share in China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:141:y:2022:i:c:p:564-574. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.