The Diffusion of Networked Gaming in the United States and Korea

This paper seeks to explain the different rates of adoption for networked gaming and mobile gaming technology in the United States and Korea. We use the Global Acceptance of Technology model to analyze the diffusion of online gaming technology according to cultural and socio-demographic factors mediated by the influence of technology-related factors. Using data collected from a survey of U.S. and Korean gamers, we find that the high rate of adoption of online gaming services in Korea compared to usage in the United States can be partially explained by social and cultural differences between the two countries. From this data we also analyze the willingness of consumers in each market to pay for online gaming services and find marked differences between U.S. and Korean consumers. We additionally consider the implications and potential barriers to the adoption of advanced online gaming features such as mobile online gaming in the Unite