Game theory is a mathematical model of cooperation and conflict. Basically, it is about starting to maximize your chances of winning in a game by making strategic decision that is based and constructed on how others play. It is a very powerful tool to analyze social interactions (by examining the rules of the game), the information one can get through that interaction and the outcome based on the decisions of the user. This can also be compared to marketing, where there is a control to the behavior  of the consumer, which are usually irrational and cannot be predicted.

The House of the Dead reminds me of this theory. This strategic game was famous for being the most thrilling computer game back then. This game ranges from simple personal or small group encounters or problems to major confrontations between corporations or superpowers. One of the principal aim of game theory is reflected on the House of the Dead – and that is determining the optimum strategy for dealing with a given situation or confrontation (in this case the bosses at the end of each stage). This can involve such goals as maximizing one’s gains or the weapons you’ll use, maximizing the probability that a specific goal or stage can be reached, minimizing one’s risks or losses, or inflicting the greatest possible damage brought by the creatures.

Another good example is the mobile game called Pokemon Go. This game was released on July 6, 2016 and basically, it teaches Pokemon trainers or the players on how a dominant strategy can be planned for their Pokemons to be powerful and manage to beat the gym leader as well as ideas on how a player can improve their chances of winning, no matter gym battle they will be encountering. It shows how game theory can lead this trainers in strategically planning which pokemon they and the their opponents’ have so they can train and know upto what level they should train their pokemon.

In marketing perspective, we have that “customer journey” where in the consumer is led to a controlled path where their actions and decisions can be predicted and handled in the most effective way. For instance, if you’re marketing condominium units here in Taft aimed at either students, employees and or tourists on social networking sites like Facebook, your best bet to notice or to lead them in your site is to identify what they are looking for and to provide them with facilities that you think will be most useful to them. This, in turn, increases the chance of them converting and buying. The first info you’ll send out might have three pieces of content: one aimed at students, one at employees and one at tourists or foreigners. If, for example, the lead opens the piece aimed at students, the second email or info they receive can offer them exclusively student accommodations content – perhaps a digital brochure of the facilities showing study are, game room and all the facilities that the students might like.

To conclude, Game Theory is applied in various areas of study to understand why an individual makes a particular decision and how the decisions made by one individual affect others. As a multimedia student, we are expected to apply this theory by using strategic decision making process as an effective way in marketing or selling our product or design to the right designated audience. With the game theory, we as artists and students should know how we compete and know the process and the predicted moves the consumer and or other competitors will make.

References:

Zhao, V. et. al. (2011). Game Theory for Social Networks. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.ph

Chowdrey, N. (2014, August 8). Playing ‘game theory’ as a marketing tool. Retrieved from http://campaignlive.co.uk

Rouse, M. (2016, May). Definition: game theory. Retrieved from http://whatis.techtarget.com

Abramson, A. (2016, July 12). Pokemon Go and Theory Behind Game Theory. Retrieved from http://www.cricketmedia.com