This bachelor’s thesis presents a study mainly focused on players’ motivations of purchasing cosmetics items in Path of Exile, a free-to-play, action role-playing game. A “Theory of Consumption” is used in this paper as the theoretical framework. This study is conducted by running nine interviews and one survey, where 33 sets of results are collected in total. It was found that there were two main motivations for purchasing cosmetic items in that game. The dominant one is “conditional” motivation which is to support the game or game company, while the second one is “emotional” motivation which is to bring certain feelings within the game experience. However, the study found that one non-cosmetic item in Path of Exile was also purchased very frequently when it comes to the microtransactions of this game, so a “functional” motivation will also be mentioned in this paper. This study could be helpful for game designers wanting to figure out a good monetization strategy which does not alienate, but welcome players, especially in free-to-play games. / Denna kandidatuppsats presenterar en studie huvudsakligen fokuserad på spelarnas motivationer till köp av kosmetiska objekt i Path of Exile, ett ‘free-to-play’ actionrollspel. En “Konsumtionsteori” används i denna uppsats som dess teoretiska grund. Denna studie genomfördes genom nio intervjuer och en enkät där totalt 33 olika svar samlades in. Undersökningen visade att det fanns två huvudsakliga skäl till köp av kosmetiska objekt i spelet. Det dominerande skälet visades vara “villkorligt baserad” där spelare vill visa support åt spelet eller spelföretaget, medan nästa skäl visades vara “känslomässigt baserad” där spelarnas känslor höjs genom köp som förgyller spelupplevnaden. Studien visade även att den enda icke kosmetiska varan i Path of Exile köptes mycket ofta i relation till andra mikrotransaktioner i spelet, så ett “funktionellt baserat” skäl kommer även presenteras i uppsatsen. Denna studie kan bli hjälpsam åt speldesigners som vill lista ut en god monetäriseringsstrategi som inte fjärmar, utan välkomnar spelare, särskilt inom ‘free-to-play’ spel.

This thesis investigates the use of scaffolding techniques in video game design to increase player engagement and satisfy psychological needs as defined by self-determination theory (SDT). It focuses on how games use scaffolding mechanisms to improve player autonomy, competence, and relatedness—the three fundamental needs proposed by SDT as ways to promote intrinsic motivation. The study also examines self-scaffolding strategies employed by players, exploring how they independently leverage game features to meet their psychological needs. Through case studies on games including Hearthstone, Magic: the Gathering Arena, and Path of Exile, the research analyzes the application of scaffolding and self-scaffolding using formal analysis of game tutorials and systems, as well as discourse analysis of player and specialist discussions about these aspects. The findings indicate that Hearthstone's tutorial, which effectively uses scaffolding, is well received by players, while the scaffolding in Magic: the Gathering Arena is not as effective. Path of Exile's complex skill tree promotes self-scaffolding, highlighting the importance of self-directed learning in intricate game environments. The study concludes that effective scaffolding design is essential for onboarding players, but tutorials should be skippable to accommodate experienced players. At the same time, games should provide sufficient structure to guide player learning while allowing freedom for exploration, innovation, and self-directed learning.