Hits and Myths

I encourage you to read brief PBS/MIT essay on video game "myths" which addresses the social and cultural affects of video gaming from a different perspective than you will get from most politicians and media outlets. Here are some pieces of information in this essay that relate to our own topic of video game economies:

- 90 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls play
- 62 percent of the console market and 66 percent of the PC market is age 18 or older
Okay - so these are some basic demographics of the "consumers" of game related currency, goods and services. Also, "40 percent of girls" is a significant chunk of market and spending potential. Games that appeal to girls and provide opportunities for purchases with real world dollars should be a profitable combination. For example, see the previous "Gem of an Idea?" blog on this site.

- The Federal Trade Commission has found that 83 percent of game purchases for underage consumers are made by parents or by parents and children together.
Ah, the role of parents in viceo game-related purchases should not be overlooked. Advertising should appeal to both the purchaser (parent) and consumer (gamer). Likewise, methods or services for purchasing game items should be easy, secure and appealing to the purchasing parent.

- Many current games are designed to be ethical testing grounds. They allow players to navigate an expansive and open-ended world, make their own choices and witness their consequences.
While this statement mostly applies to the "physical" aspects of the game such as combat, puzzle solving and socializing with other gamers, there are also quite a few significant economic choices made by gamers like

• do I level up or farm gold?
  
• which trade skill should I develop to make money from crafting?
  
• should I save up for better armor or by the best I can afford now
  

and specifically, choices related to economic "ethics"

• do I split from my guild so I can be boss of my own and collect tribute money?
  
• how much do I charge for crafted items on top of the cost of the raw materials?
  
• should I try to sell my in-game items or characters even though it's against the Terms of Service?
  
• should I ask this person for gold before I will buff/resurrect/help them?
  
• do I keep all of the loot for myself or share it with the rest of the party?
  
• should I hire someone to farm gold for me?
  
• do I create a bot to do crafting?
  
• should I log in from work to do a little bit more mining?
  

And then we must ask ourselves, what do our answers to these questions reflect about our real-life selves?

- Thirty-three percent play with siblings and 25 percent play with spouses or parents.
Have video game economies tapped the full potential of virtual "presents." While, "Honey, I got you gold armor for our anniversary" might not go over well in every gaming household, think about how easy it is to send electronic cards on special occasions. Giving game currency or item gifts should be made just as easy - especially for the non-gamer who knows how much their friend loves their online game but has no idea *what* would be good gift or *how* to get it for them.