User language and cultural product innovation: insights from the global mobile gaming industry

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Pengxiang; Yi, Jingtao; Niu, Chao; Zhao, Eric Yanfei; Li, Sali
• 署名单位: Peking University; Renmin University of China; The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen; University of Oxford; University of South Carolina System; University of South Carolina Columbia
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-024-00752-0
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 1050-1068
• 关键词: Cultural product innovation; Global user involvement; Future-time reference; Temporal framing; digitalization

摘要

Traditional studies on cultural industries have emphasized localized innovation rooted in cultural products' countries of origin. While this research acknowledges the significance of production origin, the digital transformation of cultural industries has shifted the landscape of cultural product innovation from traditional localized processes to a more globalized and democratic approach by engaging users worldwide. However, there is a notable gap in understanding demand-side variations in users from different countries, particularly as digitalization allows global users' languages to convey diverse linguistic inputs. To address this gap, we investigate how users' future-time reference (FTR) across countries influences the pace of cultural product innovation in the mobile gaming industry. Analyzing a global sample of 7787 mobile games, we find that in countries where gamers predominantly use weak FTR languages, their communication exhibits proximate temporal framing, prompting the introduction of new gaming content at a faster pace. Further, the effectiveness of such FTR framing becomes more pronounced when publishers pay close attention to or are familiar with gamers' languages. These findings contribute important insights for research on country of origin and cultural industries and for managers to better engage users to drive cultural product innovation. In a world where digital technology is rapidly changing how we create and consume cultural products, understanding the role of global users in this process is more important than ever. Traditionally, cultural products like movies, music, and games were deeply rooted in their country of origin, reflecting the unique culture of that place. Now, however, digital platforms allow users from all over the world to contribute to the creation of these products. Despite this shift, there is a gap in the research about how these global contributions affect cultural product innovation. Our study fills this gap by examining the mobile gaming industry and how gamers' feedback, particularly their use of language, influences the speed at which new game content is introduced.This study analyzed data from 7787 mobile games available on global markets. We used a statistical method called the Cox proportional hazards model (a technique for exploring the relationship between the survival of a subject and several explanatory variables) to look at how quickly new content was added to these games. We focused on a linguistic feature known as future-time reference (FTR), which is how languages talk about the future. Some languages (strong FTR languages) require a clear distinction between future and present events, while others (weak FTR languages) do not. We hypothesized that gamers speaking weak FTR languages would push for quicker updates because they express future needs in the present tense, signaling an immediate desire for new content. We also considered how negative feedback and game publishers' familiarity with gamers' languages might affect this process.Our results showed that games with a user base that speaks weak FTR languages indeed updated their content faster. Negative feedback from gamers made this effect even stronger, as did publishers' familiarity with the gamers' languages. This suggests that understanding the linguistic background of a game's global user base can be crucial for publishers looking to innovate effectively.The implications of this research are significant. For one, it suggests that engaging with users from weak FTR language countries could help speed up the introduction of new content in mobile games. It also highlights the importance of digital technologies in enabling users to participate in the innovation process, shaping the experiences that cultural products offer. Looking ahead, this study points to the potential of leveraging global user involvement to drive innovation in other cultural industries reshaped by digitalization.This text was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then reviewed by the author(s) to ensure accuracy. Les recherches traditionnelles sur les industries culturelles ont mis l'accent sur l'innovation localis & eacute;e, enracin & eacute;e dans les pays d'origine des produits culturels. Bien que cette recherche reconnaisse l'importance de l'origine de la production, la transformation num & eacute;rique des industries culturelles a modifi & eacute; le paysage de l'innovation des produits culturels, passant de processus localis & eacute;s traditionnels & agrave; une approche plus mondialis & eacute;e et d & eacute;mocratique en impliquant les utilisateurs du monde entier. Cependant, il existe une lacune notable dans la compr & eacute;hension des variations de la demande chez les utilisateurs de diff & eacute;rents pays, d'autant plus que la num & eacute;risation permet aux langues des utilisateurs mondiaux de v & eacute;hiculer des intrants linguistiques divers. Pour combler cette lacune, nous & eacute;tudions comment la r & eacute;f & eacute;rence temporelle future (Future-Time Reference - FTR) des utilisateurs dans les diff & eacute;rents pays influence la vitesse de l'innovation des produits culturels dans l'industrie des jeux mobiles. En analysant un & eacute;chantillon mondial de 7 787 jeux mobiles, nous constatons que dans les pays o & ugrave; les joueurs utilisent principalement des langues & agrave; faible FTR, leur communication pr & eacute;sente un cadrage temporel proche, ce qui favorise l'introduction de nouveaux contenus de jeux & agrave; une vitesse plus rapide. En outre, l'efficacit & eacute; de ce cadrage FTR est plus prononc & eacute;e lorsque les & eacute;diteurs pr & ecirc;tent une grande attention aux langues des joueurs ou les connaissent bien. Ces r & eacute;sultats apportent des renseignements importants non seulement & agrave; la recherche sur le pays d'origine et les industries culturelles, mais ainsi aux gestionnaires, leur permettant d'impliquer les utilisateurs dans la conduite de l'innovation des produits culturels. Los estudios tradicionales sobre industrias culturales han enfatizado la innovaci & oacute;n localizada arraigada a los pa & iacute;ses de origen de los productos culturales. Si bien esta investigaci & oacute;n reconoce la importancia del origen de la producci & oacute;n, la transformaci & oacute;n digital de las industrias culturales ha desplazado el panorama de la innovaci & oacute;n de productos culturales desde procesos localizados tradicionales hacia un enfoque m & aacute;s globalizado y democr & aacute;tico al involucrar a usuarios de todo el mundo. Sin embargo, existe una brecha notable en la comprensi & oacute;n de las variaciones en la demanda de usuarios de diferentes pa & iacute;ses, particularmente porque la digitalizaci & oacute;n permite que los idiomas de los usuarios globales transmitan diversos aportes ling & uuml;& iacute;sticos. Para abordar esta brecha, investigamos c & oacute;mo la referencia temporal futura (FTR por sus iniciales en ingl & eacute;s) de los usuarios en diferentes pa & iacute;ses influye en el ritmo de innovaci & oacute;n de productos culturales en la industria de juegos en l & iacute;nea. Analizando una muestra global de 7.787 juegos en l & iacute;nea, encontramos que en pa & iacute;ses donde los jugadores utilizan predominantemente idiomas con referencia temporal futura d & eacute;bil, su comunicaci & oacute;n exhibe un encuadre temporal pr & oacute;ximo, lo que promueve la introducci & oacute;n de nuevo contenido de juego a un ritmo m & aacute;s r & aacute;pido. Adem & aacute;s, la efectividad de dicho encuadre de referencia temporal futura se vuelve m & aacute;s pronunciada cuando los editores prestan especial atenci & oacute;n o est & aacute;n familiarizados con los idiomas de los jugadores. Estos hallazgos aportan importantes perspectivas para la investigaci & oacute;n sobre el pa & iacute;s de origen y las industrias culturales, y para que los gestores involucren mejor a los usuarios con el fin de impulsar la innovaci & oacute;n de productos culturales. Estudos tradicionais sobre ind & uacute;strias culturais enfatizaram a inova & ccedil;& atilde;o localizada enraizada nos pa & iacute;ses de origem de produtos culturais. Enquanto esta pesquisa reconhece a relev & acirc;ncia da origem da produ & ccedil;& atilde;o, a transforma & ccedil;& atilde;o digital de ind & uacute;strias culturais mudou o cen & aacute;rio da inova & ccedil;& atilde;o de produtos culturais de processos tradicionais localizados para uma abordagem mais globalizada e democr & aacute;tica, envolvendo usu & aacute;rios em todo o mundo. No entanto, h & aacute; uma not & aacute;vel lacuna no entendimento de varia & ccedil;& otilde;es de demanda entre usu & aacute;rios de diferentes pa & iacute;ses, particularmente & agrave; medida que a digitaliza & ccedil;& atilde;o permite que l & iacute;nguas de usu & aacute;rios globais comuniquem insumos lingu & iacute;sticos diversos. Para abordar essa lacuna, investigamos como a refer & ecirc;ncia temporal futura (FTR) de usu & aacute;rios em diferentes pa & iacute;ses influencia o ritmo da inova & ccedil;& atilde;o de produtos culturais na ind & uacute;stria de jogos m & oacute;veis. Analisando uma amostra global de 7.787 jogos m & oacute;veis, descobrimos que, em pa & iacute;ses onde os jogadores predominantemente usam l & iacute;nguas de FTR fraca, sua comunica & ccedil;& atilde;o exibe uma estrutura temporal pr & oacute;xima, levando & agrave; introdu & ccedil;& atilde;o de novos conte & uacute;dos de jogos a um ritmo mais r & aacute;pido. Al & eacute;m disso, a efic & aacute;cia dessa estrutura & ccedil;& atilde;o de FTR se torna mais pronunciada quando editores prestam aten & ccedil;& atilde;o ou est & atilde;o familiarizados com os idiomas dos jogadores. Esses achados contribuem com insights importantes para a pesquisa sobre pa & iacute;s de origem e ind & uacute;strias culturais e para que gerentes melhor engajem usu & aacute;rios para impulsionar a inova & ccedil;& atilde;o de produtos culturais. 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