Turning Livestreaming Viewers into Game Players: Exploring the Impact of Game Streamers on Viewer Video Game Engagement Based on an Extended Means-End Chain Framework

This study aims to explore how perceived influence of game streamers affects viewer video game engagement. We propose a research model based on an extended means-end chain framework and validate this model through a two-wave field survey with 465 respondents. The results show that perceived attractiveness, perceived competence, and perceived trustworthiness are important attributes of perceived influence of game streamers. Additionally, viewer value perception—encompassing perceived utility value, perceived hedonic value, and perceived symbolic value—which is derived from watching game streaming, partially mediates the relationship between perceived influence of game streamers and viewer video game engagement. These findings not only provide insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying the impact of game streamers on viewer behavioral intention but also contribute to a better understanding of the contemporary game streaming landscape.