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The playfulness of eBay and the implications for business as a game-maker

The playfulness of eBay and the implications for business as a game-maker
The playfulness of eBay and the implications for business as a game-maker
The purpose of this article is to theorize and to illustrate how eBay as a game may both support and undermine playful consumption. In reaching that aim, we argue that business models such as eBay that operate in an experiential economy supplying new games for restless consumers to play may find it hard to sustain their initial success. As internal and external forces transform “playful” behaviors into “professional” ones and as imaginative and autotelic play is rationalized such that its purpose becomes extrinsic, consumer boredom may follow. Conceptually, we make a case for an appraisal of consumption as playful activity, borrowing key concepts from Caillois's sociology derived from play to guide our analysis of recent developments in eBay's business model as well as to flesh out an explanation as to how eBay engages playful consumption. We conclude by commenting on society's preferred play forms for businesses and for consumer culture
0276-1467
369-380
Molesworth, M.
48a49a79-1d99-4120-b0aa-578e42541724
Denegri-Knott, J.
596cd46c-c44a-44f6-abc9-9d92dcfa4e8b
Molesworth, M.
48a49a79-1d99-4120-b0aa-578e42541724
Denegri-Knott, J.
596cd46c-c44a-44f6-abc9-9d92dcfa4e8b

Molesworth, M. and Denegri-Knott, J. (2008) The playfulness of eBay and the implications for business as a game-maker. Journal of Macromarketing, 28 (4), 369-380. (doi:10.1177/0276146708325384).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to theorize and to illustrate how eBay as a game may both support and undermine playful consumption. In reaching that aim, we argue that business models such as eBay that operate in an experiential economy supplying new games for restless consumers to play may find it hard to sustain their initial success. As internal and external forces transform “playful” behaviors into “professional” ones and as imaginative and autotelic play is rationalized such that its purpose becomes extrinsic, consumer boredom may follow. Conceptually, we make a case for an appraisal of consumption as playful activity, borrowing key concepts from Caillois's sociology derived from play to guide our analysis of recent developments in eBay's business model as well as to flesh out an explanation as to how eBay engages playful consumption. We conclude by commenting on society's preferred play forms for businesses and for consumer culture

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More information

Published date: December 2008
Organisations: Centre for Relational Leadership & Change

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 362338
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/362338
ISSN: 0276-1467
PURE UUID: 461bac58-708d-4bfb-80fa-ecf42220b5d6

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Date deposited: 24 Feb 2014 08:41
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 16:03

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Contributors

Author: M. Molesworth
Author: J. Denegri-Knott

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