Purpose

Given its growing economic potential and social impact, this study aims to understand the motivations and concerns regarding metaverse usage. It identifies user needs and risks around the metaverse grounded on uses and gratifications theory and perceived risk theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyzed user reviews and rating data from Roblox, a representative modern metaverse platform. They applied BERTopic modeling to extract topics from reviews, identifying key motivations and risk aspects related to metaverse usage. They further constructed an explanatory model to assess how those affect user satisfaction and changes in these effects over time.

Findings

This study discovered that gratifications like entertainment, escapism, social interaction and avatar-based self-expression significantly influence user satisfaction in the metaverse. It also highlighted that users find satisfaction in self-expression and self-actualization through creating virtual spaces, items and video content. However, factors such as identity theft, fraud and child safety were identified as potential detriments to satisfaction. These influences fluctuated over time, indicating the dynamic nature of user needs and risk perceptions.

Research limitations/implications

The novelty of this study lies in its dual application of the uses and gratifications theory and perceived risk theory to the metaverse. It provides a novel perspective on user motivations and concerns, shedding light on the distinct elements driving user satisfaction within the metaverse. This study unravels the metaverse’s unique capacity to assimilate features from established digital media while offering a distinctive user-generated experience. This research offers valuable insights for academics and practitioners in digital media and marketing.

Originality/value

This research pioneers the application of both uses and gratifications and perceived risk theories to understand factors influencing metaverse satisfaction. By establishing a comprehensive framework, it explores the metaverse’s unique value as a user-content creation platform, while encompassing existing digital platform characteristics. This study enriches the academic literature on the metaverse and offers invaluable insights for both metaverse platforms and brand marketers.

中文翻译：

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是什么增强或恶化了用户生成的元宇宙体验？ BERTopic 在 Roblox 用户 eWOM 中的应用

目的

鉴于其不断增长的经济潜力和社会影响，本研究旨在了解元节使用的动机和担忧。它基于使用和满足理论以及感知风险理论来识别虚拟宇宙中的用户需求和风险。

设计/方法论/途径

作者分析了 Roblox（一个具有代表性的现代元宇宙平台）的用户评论和评分数据。他们应用 BERTopic 建模从评论中提取主题，识别与 Metaverse 使用相关的关键动机和风险方面。他们进一步构建了一个解释模型来评估这些因素如何影响用户满意度以及这些影响随时间的变化。

发现

这项研究发现，娱乐、逃避现实、社交互动和基于化身的自我表达等满足感会显着影响虚拟宇宙中的用户满意度。它还强调，用户通过创建虚拟空间、物品和视频内容在自我表达和自我实现中找到满足感。然而，身份盗窃、欺诈和儿童安全等因素被认为是满意度的潜在损害。这些影响随着时间的推移而波动，表明用户需求和风险认知的动态性质。

研究局限性/影响

本研究的新颖之处在于其将使用与满足理论和感知风险理论双重应用到虚拟宇宙中。它提供了关于用户动机和关注点的新颖视角，揭示了虚拟宇宙中推动用户满意度的不同元素。这项研究揭示了虚拟宇宙吸收现有数字媒体特征的独特能力，同时提供独特的用户生成体验。这项研究为数字媒体和营销领域的学者和从业者提供了宝贵的见解。

原创性/价值

这项研究开创了应用使用和满足以及感知风险理论来理解影响元宇宙满意度的因素。通过建立一个全面的框架，它探索了元宇宙作为用户内容创建平台的独特价值，同时涵盖了现有的数字平台特征。这项研究丰富了虚拟宇宙的学术文献，并为虚拟宇宙平台和品牌营销人员提供了宝贵的见解。