With four in ten people สมัครง่าย ๆ ที่ UFA worldwide now playing video games, the industry is bigger than ever. And while the bulk of the market is in hard copies and downloads, online virtual products are increasingly lucrative—generating revenue from microtransactions and other in-game purchases.

But it isn’t just the allure of a new sword or character costume that lures gamers. Many games incorporate economic elements, requiring players to manage portfolios and make crucial financial decisions. Companies like the creators of “Eve Online” even hire economists to carefully balance their in-game economies. These decisions mirror real-world economic behaviors, such as assessing the value of in-game currency and calculating the effort required to acquire it.

Buying Power: Tips for Navigating the Complexities of the Online Gaming Marketplace

As we’ll hear in Part 4 of this special edition of Marketplace Morning Report, the virtual economy is a powerful learning tool for understanding human behavior. Researchers can test theories in a safe, controlled environment where the stakes aren’t as high as in the real world.

The lines between virtual and real money are becoming blurrier than ever as gamers use third-party sites to sell weapons, clothes and spells gathered in the game for actual dollars. This commerce helps keep the gaming industry’s revenue streams flowing. And it highlights a duality of gaming behaviors, from antagonism to camaraderie, that adds depth to researchers’ understanding of how individuals’ economic choices are influenced by their social contexts. This article is the fourth in a series about The Economics Behind Popular Online Games.