Begin: Thu, 20. of Apr 2017 (12:00 AM)
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The data that is made available closing the gap in the current research of subproject A3 in the field of video games – usage data on over 9.5 million video gamers.
Nadja Maraun and Daniel Kaimann, doctoral students in Microeconomics at the University of Paderborn and members of the SFB 901, were accepted for collaborative research with the Wharton Business School of the University of Philadelphia and a major game manufacturer. This collaboration grants the researchers access to an extensive data set that gives them unique insights into the usage behavior of online gamers. As a result, Kaimann and Maraun's research team lines up with top American universities such as Yale, Stanford and Maryland, whose teams were also selected for the project.
Together with their research partner Joe Cox of the British University of Portsmouth, Kaimann and Maraun attempt to optimize how gaming partners in video games are assigned, thus enhancing the gaming experience. Daniel Kaimann explains, "We are very excited about the opportunity to work together with such a prestigious institution like the Wharton Business School. We expect that the data that is made available can close a large gap in our current research in the video game field."
In collaboration with the Wharton Business School, the researchers will receive non-personal usage data from more than 9.5 million video gamers. But even this non-personal data allows detailed insights into individual gaming behaviors and also individual usage histories. The research team now faces the challenge of developing new algorithms for distributing gaming partners, which take into account technological advancements and also the gamers' individual use behaviors. Thus, the project helps to learn more about an existing on-the-fly market namely the online gaming market. It has high potential for bringing this theoretical knowledge into the fields of matching markets especially in on-the-fly environments and consumer research, while also voicing practical recommendations for game manufacturers. Additionally, it is now possible to not only study the market side of an on-the-fly market but also to consider consumer side and specifically consumer perceptions.
The Wharton Business School is considered one of the most prestigious business schools in the world, with famous graduates such as US entrepreneurs Donald Trump and Warren Buffet. In the rankings for undergraduate and MBA programs, the Wharton Business School is regularly listed as one of the top institutions.
