Service quality in cloud gaming: instrument development and validation

Su, Tong; Lee, Zach W. Z.; He, Xinming; Chan, Tommy

Abstract

Purpose
The global market for cloud gaming is growing rapidly. How gamers evaluate the service quality of this emerging form of cloud service has become a critical issue for both researchers and practitioners. Building on the literature on service quality and software as a service, this study develops and validates a gamer-centric measurement instrument for cloud gaming service quality.

Design/methodology/approach
A three-step measurement instrument development process, including item generation, scale development and instrument testing, was adopted to conceptualize and operationalize cloud gaming service quality.

Findings
Cloud gaming service quality consists of two second-order constructs of support service quality and technical service quality with seven first-order dimensions, namely rapport, responsiveness, reliability, compatibility, ubiquity, smoothness and comprehensiveness. The instrument exhibits desirable psychometric properties.

Practical implications
Practitioners can use this new measurement instrument to evaluate gamers' perceptions toward their service and to identify areas for improvement.

Originality/value
This study contributes to the service quality literature by utilizing qualitative and quantitative approaches to develop and validate a new measurement instrument of service quality in the context of cloud gaming and by identifying new dimensions (compatibility, ubiquity, smoothness and comprehensiveness) specific to it.

Citation

Su, T., Lee, Z. W. Z., He, X., & Chan, T. (2024). Service quality in cloud gaming: instrument development and validation. Internet Research, https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-12-2022-0954

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Feb 20, 2024
• Publication Date: Feb 20, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jan 22, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 20, 2024
• Journal: Internet Research
• Print ISSN: 1066-2243
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-12-2022-0954
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2160538