Examining mobile game’s loyalty strategy: The case of honkai star rail
Keywords:
Content Marketing, Flow Experience, Loyalty, Reward, SatisfactionAbstract
The mobile gaming industry is experiencing exponential growth, as evidenced by its contribution of half the revenue to the global gaming market. Honkai Star Rail, a product of Mihoyo, has secured the prestigious position of Best Mobile Game Award in 2023. A year post-launch, Honkai Star Rail has maintained its status as a top-tier mobile game, consistently ranking among the top 15 grossing applications. The effectiveness of strategies implemented by game developers can significantly enhance customer loyalty and repurchase behaviour. This phenomenon underscores the dynamic nature of the mobile gaming sector. It highlights the critical role of strategic planning in sustaining market position and fostering consumer engagement in this highly competitive digital ecosystem. Therefore, this research examines whether the variables of In-game Reward, Flow Experience, and Content Marketing mediated by Customer Satisfaction can affect the player’s loyalty. Researchers use quantitative methods and S.P.S.S. and Amos 26 applications to process and test the data in this research process. Based on the data collected from 225 respondents from Indonesia, in-game rewards, flow experience, and content marketing significantly affect the loyalty of Honkai Star Rail’s players, with the mediating variable of satisfaction.
References
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Hwang, J., & Choi, L. (2020). Having fun while receiving rewards?: Exploration of gamification in loyalty programs for consumer loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 106, 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.031
Khairawati, S. (2019). Effect of customer loyalty program on customer satisfaction and its impact on customer loyalty. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478), 9(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v9i1.603
Kim, M. (2022). How can I Be as attractive as a Fitness YouTuber in the era of COVID-19? The impact of digital attributes on flow experience, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102778
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Liao, G. Y., Cheng, T. C. E., & Teng, C. I. (2019). How do avatar attractiveness and customization impact online gamers’ flow and loyalty? Internet Research, 29(2), 349–366. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-11-2017-0463
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Lopes, J. V., & Casais, B. (2024). Longitudinal perceptions of gamified loyalty programs (GLPs): a mix of slot machines and entertainment toys. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-10-2023-0383
Lou, C., & Xie, Q. (2021). Something social, something entertaining? How digital content marketing augments consumer experience and brand loyalty. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 376–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1788311
Mobile gaming dominance: Indonesia takes lead in APAC gaming trends - Front Row - The Jakarta Post. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://www.thejakartapost.com/front-row/2024/03/18/mobile-gaming-dominance-indonesia-takes-lead-in-apac-gaming-trends.html
Mohammadi, S., & Dickson, G. (2021). Online Shopping for Sporting Goods: The Role of Flow, E-Satisfaction, and E-Loyalty. Global Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211019516
Panjaitan, R. (2021). The Role of Digital Loyalty Program towards Customer Loyalty through a Measure of Satisfaction. The Winners, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.21512/tw.v22i2.7082
Purnami, L. D., & Agus, A. A. (2020). THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED VALUE AND MOBILE GAME LOYALTY ON IN-APP PURCHASE INTENTION IN MOBILE GAME IN INDONESIA (CASE STUDY: MOBILE LEGEND AND LOVE NIKKI). ASEAN Marketing Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.21002/amj.v12i1.12887
Ramadania, A. R. R. (2023). Are Content Marketing and Switching Barriers Decisive in Building Consumer Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty on Ride-Hailing Services in Indonesia. The Asian Journal of Technology Management, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.12695/ajtm.2023.16.2.1
Rusli, M. G., & Berlianto, M. P. (2022). Enrichment: Journal of Management is Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) Enrichment: Journal of Management ANTECEDENTS OF SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY TOWARDS IN-APP PURCHASE INTENTION FOR INDONESIAN GENSHIN IMPACT PLAYERS. In Enrichment: Journal of Management (Vol. 12, Issue 2).
Sabah Ibrahim, M., & Yesiltas, M. (n.d.). IMPACT OF INTERNAL MARKETING ON LOYALTY, PROMOTION AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CONSIDERING THE MEDIATING ROLES OF TRAINING, MOTIVATION AND REWARD. XXX, 200–211. https://doi.org/10.24205/03276716.2020.4019
Suharto, Junaedi, W. R., Muhdar, H. M., Firmansyah, A., & Sarana. (2022). Consumer loyalty of Indonesia e-commerce SMEs: The role of social media marketing and customer satisfaction. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(2), 383–390. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2021.12.016
Top Apps  AppMagic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/apps?kind=games
Wang, H., Ding, J., Akram, U., Yue, X., & Chen, Y. (2021). An empirical study on the impact of e-commerce live features on consumers’ purchase intention: From the perspective of flow experience and social presence. Information (Switzerland), 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/info12080324
Wow! Honkai Star Rail Menang Best Mobile Game 2023 di The Game Awards, HoYoverse Bagi-Bagi 1600 Stellar Jade Gratis - Tekno Liputan6.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.liputan6.com/tekno/read/5475876/wow-honkai-star-rail-menang-best-mobile-game-2023-di-the-game-awards-hoyoverse-bagi-bagi-1600-stellar-jade-gratis
Xie, S., & Yuan, Y. (2021). An Empirical Study on the Impact of Online Travel Consumers’ Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Effect of Flow Experience. E3S Web of Conferences, 253. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125303043
Zhou, T. (2020). The effect of flow experience on users’ social commerce intention. Kybernetes, 49(10), 2349–2363. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-03-2019-0198
Alkandi, I. G., Khan, M. A., Fallatah, M., Alabdulhadi, A., Alanizan, S., & Alharbi, J. (2023). The Impact of Incentive and Reward Systems on Employee Performance in the Saudi Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Industrial Sectors: A Mediating Influence of Employee Job Satisfaction. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043415
Baker, M. A., & Legendre, T. S. (2021). Unintended negative consequences of loyalty programs: endowed vs earned loyalty. Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2), 210–221. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2019-0089
Barkah, B., Pebrianti, W., & Mutari, R. (2022). The Influence of Content Marketing and CRM toward Brand Image and Brand Loyalty. 711–724. https://doi.org/10.5220/0010528300002900
Bui, T. T., Tran, Q. T., Alang, T., & Le, T. D. (2023). Examining the relationship between digital content marketing perceived value and brand loyalty: Insights from Vietnam. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2225835
Cai, X., Cebollada, J., & Cortiñas, M. (2022). From traditional gaming to mobile gaming: Video game players’ switching behaviour. Entertainment Computing, 40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2021.100445
Cheung M, W. K. S., Chang, L. M. K., & Shi, S. (2023). Driving loyalty intentions of mobile games: a motivation theory perspective. Quality and Quantity, 57, 657–682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01120-y
Choi, D., & Kim, J. (2004). Why People Continue to Play Online Games: In Search of Critical Design Factors to Increase Customer Loyalty to Online Contents. In CYBERPSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIOR (Vol. 7, Issue 1).
Choi, S., Kim, D., Kang, J., Kang, S., & Moon, T. (2016). The Influence of Flow and Satisfaction of Realistic Performing Art on Revisiting Intention.
Chou, S. Y., Jang, W. (William), Ma, S. C., Chang, C. H., & Byon, K. K. (2023). Is mobile gaming a new pillar of esports? Exploring players’ in-game purchases in PC and mobile platforms by using flow and clutch. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 24(2), 311–332. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-07-2022-0134
Danaher, P. J., Sajtos, L., & Danaher, T. S. (2020). Tactical use of rewards to enhance loyalty program effectiveness. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(3), 505–520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.02.005
Dimou, A., Leuven, K. U., Chrysakis, I., Flouris, G., Patkos, T., & Verborgh, R. (2020). REWARD: Ontology for reward schemes. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32935.57769
Ertemel, A. V., Civelek, M. E., Eroǧlu Pektaş, G. Ö., & Çemberci, M. (2021). The role of customer experience in the effect of online flow state on customer loyalty. PLoS ONE, 16(7 July 2021). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254685
Fitra Ramadhan, Z., & Benny Mutiara, A. (2023). Sentiment Analysis of Honkai: Star Rail Indonesian Language Reviews on Google Play Store Using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers Method. International Journal of Engineering, Science and Information Technology, 3(3), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.52088/ijesty.v3i3.462
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. (n.d.). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224927532
Hair, J. F., Tomas, G., Hult, M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (n.d.). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354331182
Hsiao, K. L., & Chen, C. C. (2016). What drives in-app purchase intention for mobile games? An examination of perceived values and loyalty. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 16, 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2016.01.001
Hsiao, K. L., Lytras, M. D., & Chen, C. C. (2020). An in-app purchase framework for location-based AR games: the case of Pokémon Go. Library Hi Tech, 38(3), 638–653. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-09-2018-0123
Hwang, J., & Choi, L. (2020). Having fun while receiving rewards?: Exploration of gamification in loyalty programs for consumer loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 106, 365–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.031
Khairawati, S. (2019). Effect of customer loyalty program on customer satisfaction and its impact on customer loyalty. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478), 9(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v9i1.603
Kim, M. (2022). How can I Be as attractive as a Fitness YouTuber in the era of COVID-19? The impact of digital attributes on flow experience, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102778
Kotler 2022. (n.d.). tMarketing Managemen. https://ebooksecure.com/download/ebook-pdf-marketing-management-16th-edition/
Liao, G. Y., Cheng, T. C. E., & Teng, C. I. (2019). How do avatar attractiveness and customization impact online gamers’ flow and loyalty? Internet Research, 29(2), 349–366. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-11-2017-0463
Liestyana, Y., & Hara, M. J. (2023). FLOW EXPERIENCE, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY ON ONLINE SHOPPING APPLICATION Corresponding Author. 8, 151–163.
Lopes, J. V., & Casais, B. (2024). Longitudinal perceptions of gamified loyalty programs (GLPs): a mix of slot machines and entertainment toys. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-10-2023-0383
Lou, C., & Xie, Q. (2021). Something social, something entertaining? How digital content marketing augments consumer experience and brand loyalty. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 376–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1788311
Mobile gaming dominance: Indonesia takes lead in APAC gaming trends - Front Row - The Jakarta Post. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2024, from https://www.thejakartapost.com/front-row/2024/03/18/mobile-gaming-dominance-indonesia-takes-lead-in-apac-gaming-trends.html
Mohammadi, S., & Dickson, G. (2021). Online Shopping for Sporting Goods: The Role of Flow, E-Satisfaction, and E-Loyalty. Global Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211019516
Panjaitan, R. (2021). The Role of Digital Loyalty Program towards Customer Loyalty through a Measure of Satisfaction. The Winners, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.21512/tw.v22i2.7082
Purnami, L. D., & Agus, A. A. (2020). THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED VALUE AND MOBILE GAME LOYALTY ON IN-APP PURCHASE INTENTION IN MOBILE GAME IN INDONESIA (CASE STUDY: MOBILE LEGEND AND LOVE NIKKI). ASEAN Marketing Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.21002/amj.v12i1.12887
Ramadania, A. R. R. (2023). Are Content Marketing and Switching Barriers Decisive in Building Consumer Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty on Ride-Hailing Services in Indonesia. The Asian Journal of Technology Management, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.12695/ajtm.2023.16.2.1
Rusli, M. G., & Berlianto, M. P. (2022). Enrichment: Journal of Management is Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) Enrichment: Journal of Management ANTECEDENTS OF SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY TOWARDS IN-APP PURCHASE INTENTION FOR INDONESIAN GENSHIN IMPACT PLAYERS. In Enrichment: Journal of Management (Vol. 12, Issue 2).
Sabah Ibrahim, M., & Yesiltas, M. (n.d.). IMPACT OF INTERNAL MARKETING ON LOYALTY, PROMOTION AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CONSIDERING THE MEDIATING ROLES OF TRAINING, MOTIVATION AND REWARD. XXX, 200–211. https://doi.org/10.24205/03276716.2020.4019
Suharto, Junaedi, W. R., Muhdar, H. M., Firmansyah, A., & Sarana. (2022). Consumer loyalty of Indonesia e-commerce SMEs: The role of social media marketing and customer satisfaction. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(2), 383–390. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2021.12.016
Top Apps  AppMagic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://appmagic.rocks/top-charts/apps?kind=games
Wang, H., Ding, J., Akram, U., Yue, X., & Chen, Y. (2021). An empirical study on the impact of e-commerce live features on consumers’ purchase intention: From the perspective of flow experience and social presence. Information (Switzerland), 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/info12080324
Wow! Honkai Star Rail Menang Best Mobile Game 2023 di The Game Awards, HoYoverse Bagi-Bagi 1600 Stellar Jade Gratis - Tekno Liputan6.com. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.liputan6.com/tekno/read/5475876/wow-honkai-star-rail-menang-best-mobile-game-2023-di-the-game-awards-hoyoverse-bagi-bagi-1600-stellar-jade-gratis
Xie, S., & Yuan, Y. (2021). An Empirical Study on the Impact of Online Travel Consumers’ Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Effect of Flow Experience. E3S Web of Conferences, 253. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125303043
Zhou, T. (2020). The effect of flow experience on users’ social commerce intention. Kybernetes, 49(10), 2349–2363. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-03-2019-0198
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2025-01-30
How to Cite
Pamungkas, A. S. ., Ramadania, R., Heriyadi, H., & Pebrianti, W. . (2025). Examining mobile game’s loyalty strategy: The case of honkai star rail. Journal of Management Science (JMAS), 8(1), 215–224. Retrieved from https://exsys.iocspublisher.org/index.php/JMAS/article/view/594
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