Game Design Business Models

Game Design Business Models is a digital PDF master’s thesis about the relationship between game design and revenue mechanics in free-to-play video games. This edition is available as an instant download.

Written by Kasper Hurwitz, Kristian Wulff, Nikolaj Frølund Jensen, and Thomas Lykke Larsen, the thesis was submitted to Aalborg University in 2014 as part of a Master of Science programme in Information Technology and Interactive Digital Media.

Its research considers how game design and business models can work together to support entertaining player experiences and sustainable revenue models.

Book Overview

This academic work studies the emerging free-to-play market across PC and mobile platforms. It investigates how revenue mechanics are applied within game design and how they relate to player behaviour and engagement.

The research uses literature studies, four expert interviews, and case studies of six state-of-the-art games. Its findings include a Game Design Model, a Revenue Mechanics Framework, and guiding principles for analysing and developing free-to-play games.

Category: Technology

Authors: Kasper Hurwitz, Kristian Wulff, Nikolaj Frølund Jensen, and Thomas Lykke Larsen

What You’ll Discover Inside

• The research question concerning game design, business models, entertainment, and sustainable revenue.
• A work method covering research framing, epistemology, and case study strategy.
• Theories of video games, entertainment, game design, business models, and game creation cycles.
• Discussion of revenue models and revenue mechanics in free-to-play games.
• Analysis of mobile and PC games, including business model and revenue mechanics tabulations.
• Topics including game balance, session length, player engagement, retention, core loops, microtransactions, virtual goods, and exclusivity.
• Guiding principles based on the thesis’s research conclusions.

Why This Book Matters

This thesis documents a period when free-to-play models were becoming increasingly prominent in PC and mobile games. It connects the creative and commercial dimensions of video game development through a structured academic investigation.

Its models and frameworks are relevant to readers studying game design, interactive digital media, business models, and video game development.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital PDF download with no physical shipping. Access is available after purchase.

The file can be used with appropriate Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and compatible reading apps that support PDF documents. Device features may vary. Printing is not promised.

FAQ

When can I access the book?
Access is available after purchase, with instant download delivery for the digital file.

Will I receive a physical copy?
No. This product is a digital download, and no physical copy is shipped.

Which devices support the file?
The PDF can be opened with appropriate Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and compatible PDF reading apps.

Download Game Design Business Models for focused reading on free-to-play game design, revenue mechanics, and video game business models.

Verified Bibliographic Details