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Two separate samples of Italian gamers were used to develop a five\u2010factor scale (utility, enjoyment, investment, reputation, and self\u2010realization) capable of explaining a substantial portion of in\u2010game spending behavior. In the first study, 573 gamers were recruited, and an initial four\u2010factor scale measuring psychological motivations behind in\u2010game purchases was internally and externally validated, explaining 5.4% of the variance in in\u2010game purchases. In the second study, conducted with 284 gamers, the self\u2010realization factor was added, increasing the scale\u2019s explanatory power to 8% for the amount of money spent on in\u2010game purchases. When controlling for variability attributed to the game type (i.e., analyzing just participants who spent money over a specific game), we observed an increase in the explanatory power of the scale from 5.4% to 12% for the initial four\u2010factor model in Study 1 and from 8% to 27.5% for the evolved five\u2010factor model in Study 2. The results indicate that gamers who purchase virtual items are driven by diverse psychological motivations that play a critical role in their spending behavior. 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