THE EFFECT OF ONLINE GAME MICROTRANSACTIONS ON FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (STUDY ON THE "SIWA GANGS" COMMUNITY)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36563/c5v0wq42Keywords:
microtransaction, online games, financial management, behavioral financeAbstract
The rapid advancement of digital technology has fundamentally transformed consumption patterns, particularly among Generation Z. One of the most prominent manifestations of this transformation is the proliferation of online gaming, accompanied by microtransaction systems that enable players to acquire virtual items using real money. This study examines the influence of online game microtransactions on the financial management practices of members of the 'SIWA GANGS' gaming community. Grounded in Behavioral Finance Theory (Ricciardi & Simon, 2000) and Mental Accounting Theory (Thaler, 1999), this research adopts a quantitative approach with a causal research design. Data were collected from 73 respondents selected through purposive sampling from a population of 270 community members, using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression with SPSS software. The instrument underwent validity testing (Pearson Product Moment Correlation) and reliability testing (Cronbach's Alpha). The study hypothesizes that online game microtransactions exert a significant negative influence on individual financial management, evidenced by reduced saving capacity, weakened expenditure control, and disrupted financial planning. These findings are expected to contribute to the academic discourse on behavioral finance and digital consumption, while providing practical recommendations for game developers, digital payment providers, and policymakers regarding the promotion of responsible financial behavior in the digital ecosystem.
Downloads
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
Aritonang, N. A. (2023). The impact of online game microtransactions on the financial management of Generation Z.
Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII). (2023). Indonesian internet penetration survey. Jakarta: APJII.
Fauzilana, E. D. (2024). The influence of mental accounting on financial management with financial literacy as a moderating variable: A study of microtransaction buyers in online games.
Financial Services Authority (OJK). (2022). National survey of financial literacy and inclusion 2022. Jakarta: OJK.
Ghozali, I. (2018). Aplikasi analisis multivariate dengan program IBM SPSS 25 (9th ed.). Semarang: Badan Penerbit Universitas Diponegoro.
Gitman, L. J. (2012). Personal financial planning (13th ed.). South-Western Cengage Learning.
Hamari, J. (2015). Why do people buy virtual goods? Attitude toward virtual good purchases versus game enjoyment. International Journal of Information Management, 35(3), 299–308.
Kapoor, J. R., Dlabay, L. R., & Hughes, R. J. (2012). Personal finance (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Kasmir. (2010). Pengantar manajemen keuangan. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group.
Lehdonvirta, V. (2009). Virtual item sales as a revenue model: Identifying attributes that drive purchase decisions. Electronic Commerce Research, 9(1–2), 97–113.
Luhsasi, D. I. (2019). Using casual online games as a medium for financial literacy and financial management education among university students. Jurnal Pendidikan Akuntansi Indonesia, 17(1), 1–12.
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2010). How ordinary consumers make complex economic decisions: Financial literacy and retirement readiness. NBER Working Paper No. 15350. National Bureau of Economic Research.
Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2014). The economic importance of financial literacy: Theory and evidence. Journal of Economic Literature, 52(1), 5–44.
Muhammad, N. I. G., & Nurjihadi, M. (2025). The effect of financial literacy and digital literacy on impulsive top-up behavior in online games. Jurnal Manajemen dan Keuangan.
Newzoo. (2024). Global games market report 2024. Amsterdam: Newzoo.
Pravitasari, E., Simamora, V., & Putra, B. K. A. (2024). The impact of online game microtransactions on the financial management of Generation Z. Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis.
Ricciardi, V., & Simon, H. K. (2000). What is behavioral finance? Business, Education and Technology Journal, 2(2), 1–9.
Sugiyono. (2019). Metode penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta.
Thaler, R. H. (1999). Mental accounting matters. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 12(3), 183–206.
Yuttama, F. R., & Indrawati, I. D. (2022). Enhancing business management knowledge and financial literacy through micro business games. Jurnal Pendidikan Bisnis.
Zhu, J., & Zhang, L. (2023). Educational game on cryptocurrency investment: Using microeconomic decision making to understand macroeconomics principles. Journal of Economic Education.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Imelda Dyah Puspita, Novita Mardiani

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Copyright on any article is retained by the author(s).
- The author grants the journal, right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
- The article and any associated published material is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Deprecated: json_decode(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($json) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/html/plugins/generic/citations/CitationsPlugin.php on line 68

_(1).png)