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Learning PlanSessionsContributors
 Playing the Game: The Economics of the Computer Game Industry
 Harold L. Vogel
Seminar Introduction
It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. In the age of computers, that statement takes on new meanings: Only a few people in the world can beat the best computerized chess-playing machines. And video games cannot ever really be defeated because, no matter how high the score, it is always the human who tires first or makes the fatal error.

This seminar, largely focusing on toys and computerized games, will show how microelectronic technology has enabled game designers to conveniently and inexpensively transform plain television screens into playfields of extraordinary capability. It will show how, from a small kernel, a business evolved in only ten years that at its short-lived peak in 1982 was larger in terms of US domestic retail sales than either the movie or recorded music industries.

This seminar is based on chapter ten of Entertainment Industry Economics, which offers a full account of capital investment in the entertainment industry.




Learning Objectives
  • List the milestones in the development of the computer games industry.
  • Describe the history of the computer games industry, from arcade machines to complete home entertainment systems.
  • Evaluate the various forms of toys in the industry.
  • Describe the proximity of the growth of this market to some of its biggest losses.
  • Explain how the industry developed from physical arcade games to the networked gaming of the future.


Sessions

Session 1 Not Just for Kids
Session 2 Chips Ahoy!
Session 3 Structural Statements
Session 4 Conclusion
Contributors


Credits
This seminar is extracted from chapter ten of Entertainment Industry Economics, published by Cambridge University Press. (c) Cambridge University Press, 2001.

book The entertainment industry is one of the largest sectors of the United States economy and fast becoming one of the most prominent globally as well. In this newly revised book, Harold L. Vogel examines the business economics of the major entertainment enterprises: movies, television and cable programming, music, broadcasting, casino wagering and gambling, sports, publishing, performing arts, theme parks, and toys. This edition incorporates a full chapter on the Internet, covering the web{A146}s operational features, its revenue sources, and the net{A146}s role as an agent of change. Other expanded features include sections on industrial structure, asset valuation methods, and comparative price trends. The result is a comprehensive, up-to-date reference guide on the economics, financing, production, and marketing of entertainment in the US and overseas. Investors, business executives, accountants, lawyers, arts administrators, and general readers will find that the book offers an invaluable guide to how entertainment industries operate.

Entertainment Industry Economics
Harold L. Vogel
Hardback (2001)




Technical Requirements
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.
Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.

Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.