Co-experiencing digital play: aesthetic engagement, collaborative motivation, and co-design alignment in gaming in Chongqing, China

This study explores how experiential and collaborative dynamics sustain digital gaming engagement, reframing continuance intention as a co-designed, co-experienced process. We integrate Aesthetic Engagement (AE) and Collaborative Motivation (CM) into a behavioural model grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Using a mixed-methods approach, we surveyed 500 university gamers in Chongqing, China, and conducted 15 qualitative interviews. Structural equation modelling revealed that AE and CM significantly predict continuance intention, which in turn predicts actual gameplay. Subjective norms had a positive influence, while time constraints negatively affected intention. Interviews reinforced these findings: players emphasised the emotional resonance of game worlds and the socially co-produced nature of play as key motivators, while also acknowledging tensions with real-life demands. The qualitative interviews led us to develop an inductive concept of Co-design Alignment (CDA), which we use to interpret how player practices and developer updates come into (mis)alignment over time. This research bridges behavioural modelling with co-design theory, proposing continuance as a temporal co-design process. It offers practical insights for designers seeking to foster emotional engagement, collaborative participation, and sustained use in digital platforms, extending co-design principles beyond development into ongoing use.