The Impact of an Augmented Reality Game on Local Businesses: A Study of Pokemon Go on Restaurants
By Vandith Pamuru, Warut Khern-am-nuai, Karthik Kannan
Information Systems Research | September 2021
DOI
doi.org/10.1287/isre.2021.1004
Citation
Pamuru, Vandith., Khern-am-nuai, Warut., Kannan, Karthik. (2020). The Impact of an Augmented Reality Game on Local Businesses: A Study of Pokemon Go on Restaurants Information Systems Research doi.org/10.1287/isre.2021.1004.
Copyright
Information Systems Research, 2020
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Abstract
Pokemon Go, a mobile game that utilizes the augmented reality (AR) technology, garnered tremendous public interest upon release with an average of 20 million active daily users. The game combines geo-spatial elements with gamification practices to incentivize user movement in the physical world. In this study, we examine the potential externalities that such incentives may have on associated businesses. Particularly, we study the impact of Pokemon Go on local restaurants by using online reviews as a proxy for consumer engagement and perception. We treat the release of Pokemon Go as a natural experiment and study the post-release impact on associated restaurants. We find that restaurants associated with Pokemon Go do indeed enjoy a higher level of consumer engagement and more positive consumer perception. In addition, we find that the characteristics of a restaurant moderate these effects significantly. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to examine the economic implications of augmented-reality applications. Therefore, our research lays the foundations for future studies that examine how augmented-reality applications affect consumer economic behavior. Our study also provides insights for business owners and policymakers regarding the potential value of being associated with AR-based applications.

Vandith Pamuru is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems at the Indian School of Business (ISB). His primary research interests lie in the areas of user engagement on online platforms and incentives design, particularly in the context of emerging technologies. His work has been presented at several academic conferences including ICIS, WISE, SCECR, CIST, POMS, DSI, and WITS, where he also received the Best Paper runner-up award.

Professor Pamuru received his PhD in Management Information Systems and a Master’s in Economics from Purdue University, and completed his undergraduate degree in Information Systems from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS)  Pilani. Prior to his doctoral studies, he gained extensive industry experience in user experience design and product management.

Vandith Pamuru
Vandith Pamuru