Do Online Customer Reviews Matter? Evidence from the Video Game Industry

Telecom ParisTech Working Paper No. ESS-08-02

22 Pages Posted: 9 Feb 2020

See all articles by David Bounie

David Bounie

Télécom Paris

Marc Bourreau

Telecom ParisTech

Michel Gensollen

Telecom Paris Tech

Patrick Waelbroeck

Télécom Paris

Date Written: february 2008

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of online customer reviews on purchasing decisions and the influence of online customer or peer reviews compared to other channels of information such as offline press (expert reviews) and trial versions (personal reviews). Using 7,024 answers of an anonymous online survey administrated from June 18 to July 5, 2004, on one of the leading websites dedicated to video games in France, we show that i. online peer reviews gathered by consumers before purchasing video games positively influence purchasing decisions; ii. the effect of online peer reviews is as important as the effects of personal and expert reviews; iii. online customer reviews complement trial versions and expert reviews from magazines.

Keywords: Customer reviews, Word-of-mouth, Internet, Experience goods, Video Games

JEL Classification: L82, L86

Suggested Citation

Bounie, David and Bourreau, Marc and Gensollen, Michel and Waelbroeck, Patrick, Do Online Customer Reviews Matter? Evidence from the Video Game Industry (february 2008). Telecom ParisTech Working Paper No. ESS-08-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1091449 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1091449

David Bounie

Télécom Paris ( email )

19 Place Marguerite Perey
Palaiseau, 91120
France

Marc Bourreau

Telecom ParisTech ( email )

46, rue Barrault
Paris Cedex 13, F-75634
France

Michel Gensollen

Telecom Paris Tech ( email )

46, rue Barrault
Paris Cedex 13, F-75634
France

Patrick Waelbroeck (Contact Author)

Télécom Paris ( email )

19 Place Marguerite Perey
Palaiseau, 91120
France

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