This study delves into the potential of games as a unique platform to raise awareness about the resource consumption of clothing production. We explore the intricacies of game skin acquisition, its influence on players’ identity and engagement, and the potential of games in learning. Examining game skin and its related pricing strategy and reward mechanics, we aim to convey sustainable concepts related to in-game clothing, drawing parallels with real-world fashion.
The experiment examines the intricate dynamics of player awareness and attitudes toward sustainability issues related to clothing, game experience, and tangential learning in the context of two game skin acquisition models: traditional and proposed. The proposed model employs the water footprint of real clothing as the pricing strategy of game skin, using a water icon as the currency symbol. In contrast, the traditional model uses a gold icon with the same price for each game skin.
Results show that the proposed game skin acquisition model significantly increases player attitudes towards general sustainability, especially toward paying higher taxes for environmental protection. It also demonstrates that the proposed game skin acquisition model has no impact on participants’ awareness linked to clothing, while the player is becoming more mindful of the resource consumption of clothing before purchasing. Importantly, the gaming experience remains not compromised, with the proposed model yielding more positive responses than the traditional model for 10 out of 11 items in the mini PXI. The occurrence of tangential learning was also more frequent in the proposed model, and a possible linear connection exists where participants with tangential learning experiences generally exhibit more positive attitudes toward reward mechanics and pricing strategy. However, the intricate logic and factors behind tangential learning warrant further research.
In conclusion, this study initially researched and proved a game skin acquisition model can effectively foster positive attitudes toward general sustainability issues while facilitating tangential learning. Further research is needed to explore the key design factors of the game skin acquisition model that facilitate tangential learning. Moreover, it is necessary to explore how to incorporate sustainability concepts into the game's storyline with more textual information and narrative justification to help participants learn from the game’s context and promote tangential learning. The ultimate goal, following the widespread adoption of the game skin acquisition model, is to shape new social norms around clothing consumption, potentially sparking behavioral shifts not only within the gaming community but also in the general public.