Article in International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations · October 019 doi: 10. 4018/ijgcms. 2019100103 citations reads 105 authors: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects

International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations

Volume 11 • Issue 4 • October-December 2019

43

specificallydesignedandcreatedtopromoteabrand,product,servicewheretheentertainmentcontent

mimicstraditionalgameforms”(Kretchmer,2004,p.7;TerlutterandCapella,2013,p.96).Withthe

promotionalcontent,e.g.,brandlogo,alongwithinteractiveandfunenvironment,advergamesare

believedtocreatemorefavorableoutcomesinbrandpositioningandpromotion.

Brandedentertainmentandtheuseofadvergameshavedrawntheattentionofscholarsaswell.

InrecentyearsmanyresearchersaretryingtounderstandtheconditionsinwhichBEwouldbemost

effective.Someofthesestudiesweredesignedtounderstandthepossibleeffectsofbrand-game

congruityinadvergames(e.g.,OkazakiandYagüe,2012;GohandPing,2014;VashishtandPillai,

2016),whileotherswerefocusedontheaffectiveandcognitiveresponsesoftheplayersbasedon

game-brandrelatedfactors(e.g.,brandprominence,gamecontent,thematicrelevance)(Wiseetal.,

2008;CoubergheandDePelsmacker,2013;Waigunyetal.,2013;VashishtandPillai,2016).Finally,

thereareasmallnumberofstudiesconsideringtheaudiencefactor(Waigunyetal.,2012;Terlutter

andCapella,2013;Steffenetal.,2013).

Thepresentstudyaimstoclosearesearchgapofthecurrentstudiesbyconnectingadvergame

featureswithaudienceresponsesrelyingondual-processtheoriesofpersuasion.Theaimistoexamine

thepossibleeffectsofcognitiveload(CL),alongwithgameinvolvement(GI)onplayers’affective

responses.Thespecificobjectivesoftheresearchare:

(1)Todiscoverwhethermulti-brand(MB)andsinglebrand(SB)settingsinadvergameshavedifferent

effectsonplayers’affectiveresponses;

(2)ToexaminethepossibleeffectsofCL,forbothMBandSBonaffectiveresponsesofthe

gameplayers;

(3)ToexplorewhetherGIoftheplayerhasanyeffectonaffectiveresponsescreatedbyCLandBE

(SBvs.MB)andifso,inwhichway.