Exploring motivations for social games in virtual reality for smart cities

Abstract

The Metaverse is experiencing widespread adoption by organizations aiming to elevate brand engagement, particularly in computer engineering’s burgeoning field focused on virtual world gamification. This trend spans various sectors, including network science, smart cities, and online games. This study aims to reveal the motivations driving the use of virtual media, providing valuable insights into diverse user preferences. Integrating this information into smart city development holds promise for enhancing responsiveness to user needs, making our dataset relevant for both governmental and private entities seeking to create virtual media platforms or smart cities tailored to user demands. This research contributes to the ongoing evolution of smart city design, aligning with user motivations and adapting to evolving trends in user behavior. The findings offer a foundation for informed decision-making, promoting a user-centric and responsive approach in developing virtual experiences within the smart city context. Our research paper focuses on investigating the motivation and necessity of virtual reality (VR) games for potential integration into smart cities. Targeting a specific demographic of 40 individuals aged 18 to 24 in the capital of Thailand, we utilized correlational research methods to explore motivations and needs for VR games. Through the development of a socially virtual game-free asset using Unity, our experiments shed light on the significant motivations for Generation Z in Thailand, emphasizing convenience, product appearance, and game effects. The findings highlight the pivotal roles of social engagement and the motivation for self-disclosure in building relationships. Additionally, our study suggests that social connections and shared experiences strongly motivate individuals to participate in gaming activities. Notably, female players are significantly influenced by social connections, while branding has a minimal impact on their motivation and desire.