Game business and digital economy (5 cr)

Objective

You are aware of different business and revenue models in the game industry such as freemium and premium.
You know the basic principles of how the chosen business model affects game design decisions.
You understand the basic principles of digital economy.
You are aware of the different channels to market and advertise your games.
You understand the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and how to assess the revenue logic.

Content

How does the business model of a game affect game design?
What are the differences between monetisation models such as premium, freemium and paymium?
How are affiliate marketing, microtransactions, subscriptions and merchandising used in games as a source of revenue?
How to write a business plan for your game?
What to take into account when setting up a startup and how to estimate its profitability?

Course material

- One or two courses in business and administration is expected.
- Lecture notes from the instructor
- Other readings suggested by the instructor
- Following text-book: Chaffey, D. (2015). Digital Business and E-Commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Study forms and methods

At the end of the study unit, students should be able to:
• Describe the characteristics of the digital economy
• Identify environmental factors impacting organization’s digital business strategy
• Analyze and manage requirements for digital business systems
• Describe how digital infrastructure supports and enhance functional areas and business processes
• Outline potential technological solutions to build a digital business infrastructure
• Evaluate the effectiveness of business and revenue models for digital businesses

Timing of exams and assignments

Resit exams takes place on specific times during the academic. Registration and acceptance of registration is necessary before the resit exam takes place.

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

The maximum number of points obtainable from the course is 100. There will be 3 theme specific tasks each worth 20%. In addition, each individual will complete a development project worth 40%. The instructions for the development project will be provided later in a separate document. There will be some points allocated for the attendance and class activities.

Qualifications

Basic knowledge of game production required.