Uncertainty-Triggered Responses in Game-Themed Live Streaming

Live streaming channels are new business models enabled by information technologies. Game-themed live streaming channels provide players information by demonstrating how to engage in various gameplay strategies, thus reducing player-perceived uncertainty during gameplay. We argue that game-themed live streaming channels also provide unexpected, predesigned activities or gameplay strategies that increase player-perceived uncertainty but positively formulate players’ gameplay experience. By using the dual uncertainties (including both negative and positive uncertainties), our study examined how game streaming affordances reducing negative uncertainty or inducing positive uncertainty foster players’ intention to recommend, to stick, and to consume more in the live streaming channels. We built a panel of players and followed up their responses, reducing common method bias. The results of structural equation modeling methods provide support to our assertion: both reduction of negative uncertainty and increase in positive uncertainty contribute to favorable responses. We also found that enhanced parasocial interactions are the important underlying mechanism. We believe that the findings regarding both negative and positive uncertainties could be generalized to IS areas other than streaming.