Architecting virtual storefronts: how in-game shops are designed to encourage consumption

Abstract

As a multi-billion-dollar global industry, commercial games are designed to profit off players, keep them engaged, and have them return for more. This article examines the design of the in-game shop as a specific context of monetization. Through an immersive netnography of seven commercial games, the findings reveal three architectural shop elements that collectively encourage continuous engagement and spending. Shop entanglement refers to the strategic placement and contents of in-game shops, commercial concealment highlights the integration of shop promotions within the gameplay to mask their commercial intent, and transactional fluidity details the conflation of virtual and real currencies to obscure actual prices in the shop. Together, these elements create a cohesive shop system that seamlessly incorporates spending into the core gameplay. This paper contributes to the broader discourse on gaming monetization and virtual economies, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations to ensure consumer protection and foster a fair gaming environment.