Why do people play human computation games? Effects of perceived enjoyment and perceived output quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of individuals’ perceived enjoyment and output quality on their intention to play human computation games (HCGs) for location-based content sharing. Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a cross-sectional survey method, and recruited 205 undergraduate and graduate students from a local university. Participants played the developed mobile HCG for content sharing named Seek, PLAy, SHare (SPLASH), and thereafter completed a questionnaire that measured their perceptions of enjoyment, output quality, and intention to play. Findings – Results indicated that individuals derived enjoyment from the affective and cognitive dimensions, which further influenced their intention to play HCGs. Moreover, perceived output relevancy was significant in predicting individuals’ intention to play HCGs such as SPLASH. Practical implications – The design of HCG is complicated due to their entertainment-output generation duality. Understanding what factors contribute to HCG usage is therefore, an essential area of study. Based on the study’s findings, designers should pay attention to HCG features that engender affective and cognitive experiences, and appropriately signify the relevancy aspect of HCG outputs. Originality/value – Although similar in many ways, HCGs differ from entertainment-oriented games by generating output as byproducts of gameplay. Hence, results obtained from prior research in games may not be readily applicable to the HCG context, and further investigations are necessary. Moreover, the multidimensional aspect of HCG enjoyment and output quality, and how these dimensions influence usage intention has yet to be examined. The outcomes of this study can be exploited to drive further research in the field of HCGs, and similar games that are not just for pure entertainment.