Digital Items as Information System Artifacts: Toward a Typology of Valuation-to-Monetization Mechanisms in Southeast Asian Free-to-Play Economies

Free-to-play games have become one of the dominant economic models in the digital games industry, especially in mobile-first markets. Although access to these games is free, revenue is generated through digital items, premium currencies, randomized reward systems, seasonal passes, and other monetization mechanisms. Existing studies have examined many of these features separately, but there is still a lack of a design-oriented framework that explains how player-perceived value is systematically converted into monetization. This paper proposes a Design Science Research approach for developing a typology of valuation-to-monetization mechanisms in Southeast Asian free-to-play game economies. The study reframes digital items as information system artifacts whose design shapes both player value and revenue capture. Drawing from literature in information systems, game studies, virtual goods, and monetization research, the paper outlines a three-phase research design consisting of systematic evidence synthesis, typology development, and empirical evaluation through structured observation. The intended contribution is a practical and theoretically grounded typology that helps explain how digital items are designed to generate willingness to spend. The paper also argues that Southeast Asia provides a meaningful regional context because of its mobile-heavy market, hybrid monetization portfolios, and strong presence of free-to-play titles. This preprint presents the conceptual foundation and methodological design of the study.