How is the Gacha System Reported on in Japanese Newspapers?: A Content Analysis of News Sources

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between news sources and news frames on the newspaper coverage of gacha in major Japanese newspapers to explore one of the factors on the diffusion of gacha in Japan. This study adopted content analysis based on 233 news articles and 697 news sources that appeared from January 2001 to December 2019. The results show that major Japanese newspapers not only focused on social and consumer frames, but also used many business frames. Business and industry persons were frequently used as news sources. In addition, it was confirmed that the news sources used many business frames with a central focus on gaming companies. In the Japanese news coverage of gacha, it was frequently used as a favorable news source before 2011 mainly about capsule toy gacha, but it changed to an unfavorable news source in 2012. It was gradually accepted as the new in-game purchase system with a central focus on gacha after 2013.