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"Starting today and continuing through June 1, a group of indie game makers is cutting prices in select digital distribution markets as part of the "Because We May" campaign. Ron Carmel, co-founder of 2D Boy (makers of World of Goo), came up with the concept behind the initiative, which is intended to celebrate distributors who allow price flexibility. "We believe that developers should have the freedom to price their games how they like, without interference from the online stores that sell the games," reads a statement on the event's homepage.

Abstract Berry (1994) and some later papers provide a way to estimate dierentiated product models. When the product of interest is a durable good, consumers do not pay the entire retail price due to the existence of the second hand market. This paper employs data from the US video game market and proposes a new angel to investigate the demand side of a durable good. The results of the empirical investigation suggests that the inclusion of the future resale price makes the model estimation more sensible and reasonable.

"Alan Price had a successful career in the video game industry as chief technology officer for EA Games in Canada. But a desire to create games that would do more than simply entertain, combined with a transformation in his industry that has seen video games shift from consoles to smartphones and social networks, prompted Price join the burgeoning digital health sector where he's creating wellness apps for kids."

"Online games increasingly sell virtual goods to generate real income. As a result, it is increasingly important to identify factors and theory of consumption values that affect intent to purchase virtual goods in online games. However, very little research has been devoted to the topic. This study is an empirical investigation of the factors and theory of consumption values that affect intent to purchase virtual goods in online games. The study determines the effects of game type, satisfaction with the game, identification with the character, and theory of consumption values on intent to purchase virtual goods. The study used a survey to collect information from 523 virtual game users. Study results showed that game type is a moderating variable that affects intent to purchase virtual goods. And it demonstrated that role-playing game users are affected by theory of consumption values: functional quality, playfulness, and social relationship support. Moreover, war-strategy game users are affected by satisfaction with the game, identification with the character, and theory of consumption values: price, utility, and playfulness. The study also presents conclusions, proposes applications, and describes opportunities for further research."

Abstract: "Search-based procedural content generation methods allow video games to introduce new content continually, thereby engaging the player for a longer time while reducing the burden on developers. However, games so far have not explored the potential economic value of unique evolved artifacts. Building on this insight, this paper presents for the first time a Facebook game called Petalz in which players can share flowers they breed themselves with other players through a global marketplace. In particular, the market in this social game allows players to set the price of their evolved aestheticallypleasing flowers in virtual currency. Furthermore, the transaction in which one player buys seeds from another creates a new social element that links the players in the transaction. The combination of unique user-generated content and social gaming in Petalz facilitates meaningful collaboration between users, positively influences the dynamics of the game, and opens new possibilities in digital entertainment."