The Influence of Sexualization of Female Characters on Purchase Intentions in MOBA Games

The sexualization of female characters in video games has long been a prevalent issue. The gaming industry holds a belief that sexualized female character will attract their main audience: male players and boost sales. However, limited research has examined the economic implications of sexualized female characters in gaming. This study investigates how and to what extent the sexualization of female game characters in MOBA games influences male and female players' in-game purchase intention. Take the most popular MOBA game, League of Legends as an example, in which players compete by controlling different “champions”. By using the framework of objectification theory and the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study examines the effects of the sexualization of female champion skins (virtual products that can alter the appearance of champions) in League of Legends on players’ purchase intention, with gender as a moderating variable and aesthetics and attitude as mediating variables. A sample of 300 participants completed a survey as part of an experimental design. The findings reveal that higher levels of sexualization in female champion skins were associated with lower aesthetic perceptions and decreased purchase intention among male players. In contrast, the sexualization of female champion skins showed a positive impact on purchase intention but a negative effect on aesthetics in female players. The attitude toward purchasing champion skins and aesthetics do mediate the influence of sexualization on purchase intention, supporting the TRA and objection theory. The results suggest that male players neither find sexualized female champion skins aesthetically appealing nor exhibit a desire to purchase them, which contradicts the previous study. While female players may have a higher purchase intention with sexualized female champion skins, they still do not perceive them as aesthetically pleasing. This may be due to the reason that male players prefer sexualized female characters as secondary characters in video games but are not sexualized when they play as them. And women may have internalized the social norms of sexualization and tend to find sexualized female avatars aspirational. Besides, the study also validates the positive influence of attitude toward purchasing virtual goods on purchase intention.