Evolution and Transformation of the Central Place Theory in E-Business: China’s C2C Online Game Marketing

Abstract

In contemporary studies in areas such as the field of classical theory, there has been an increasing emphasis on E-Business. In this study, we examine central place theory principles using China’s consumer-to-consumer online game marketing as a case of E-business. The results indicate that virtual goods in China’s C2C online game marketing are distributed in areas with high economic development and where residents have high purchasing power. Further, we found that the transmission capacity of virtual goods is affected by the level of telecommunication services because they are transmitted through information flow. Such effects illustrate that virtual goods are no longer affected by spatial distance and traffic conditions because virtual goods do not need to be touched; however, they are still affected by market forces. We conclude that there are key differences between the marketing and transport principles of CPT based on the hierarchical model describing new internal and external relations and the level of complexity in E-Business processes.