Invisible Hand in Virtual Worlds - The Economic Order of Video Games

Studies the economic order that governs virtual worlds and ways individuals work together to govern social relations in the digital space.

List of contents

Introduction Matthew McCaffrey; 1. The Economic Meaning of Play: Ludology and Praxeology in Video Game Worlds Matthew McCaffrey; 2. Spontaneous Order and Video Game Narrative Zachary Gochenour; 3. Law and Economics in a World of Dragons Robert S. Cavender; 4. Minerals, Titans, and Connections: The Political Economy of Empire in the World of 'EVE Online' Stephen Davies; 5. The Origins of Money in 'Diablo II' Solomon M. Stein; 6. A Virtual Weimar: Hyperinflation in 'Diablo III' Peter C. Earle; 7. The Facilitate or Acquire Decision: The Tipping Points for Strategies Towards User-Generated Content in Massive Multiplayer Online Game Platforms Robert Conan Ryan; 8. Mod the World: How Entrepreneurs Learn from Video Game 'Modding' Communities William Gordon Miller; 9. Levels without Bosses? Entrepreneurship and Valve's Organizational Design Ulrich Möller and Matthew McCaffrey.

Summary

Studies how games provide a unique space to study economic behavior. It combines theory with gaming practice to look at the economics of virtual worlds and the game industry. Long-established ideas about the benefits of the division of labor and trade and new work on the evolution of social institutions and governance are explored.

Foreword

Studies the economic order that governs virtual worlds and ways individuals work together to govern social relations in the digital space.

Product details

• Authors: Matthew (University of Manchester) Mccaffrey
• Assisted by: Matthew McCaffrey (Editor), Matthew (University of Manchester) Mccaffrey (Editor)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.02.2021
• EAN: 9781108839716
• ISBN: 978-1-108-83971-6
• No. of pages: 262
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > Management; BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economics / General, Business innovation, Economic theory & philosophy, Behavioural economics, Organizational theory & behaviour, Political Economy, Organizational theory and behaviour, Economic theory and philosophy