Exploring the Player Flow Experience in E-Game Playing

Flow theory has been widely applied in the context of information technology and is useful in understanding users’ behavior; however, few studies empirically examine what factors influence players’ flow, and what the facets and consequences of flow are in the context of electronic games (e-games). In this study, the author reviews previous flow-related literature to develop the proposed model to explore these research questions. The proposed model is empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 277 users responding about their perception of e-game. Results of this empirical study show that perceived ease of use, immediate feedback, skill and challenge are antecedents of flow, while enjoyment is the most salient facet of flow. The results provide further insights into e-game design and development. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61350-465-9.ch004