“Paid companionship”: a study on the phenomenon of gaming accompaniment under the perspective of emotional consumption

Abstract

The ever-changing digital technology has brought people into the era where everything is shown as a form of a medium, and the online game escort is gradually evolving into a new profession. At present, the game escort is not only a simple "newbie escort" but also an emotional exchange, and players are willing to pay a certain amount of money precisely because the process of game escort meets their needs. So, what are the reasons for the phenomenon of "game accompaniment"? What are the players' consumption motivations? How do game escorts increase consumer stickiness and promote their purchasing willingness? In this paper, we will analyze the above questions in depth through the research method of in-depth interview.