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Publications

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    • All HBS Web  (167)
      • Faculty Publications  (90)

      Games, Gaming, and Gambling Remove Games, Gaming, and Gambling →

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      • 2023
      • Working Paper

      A Welfare Analysis of Gambling in Video Games

      By: Tomomichi Amano and Andrey Simonov
      In 2020, gamers worldwide spent more than $15 billion on loot boxes, a lottery of virtual items built into video games. Loot boxes are contentious, as regulators worry that they constitute gambling. In contrast, video game companies maintain that loot boxes are...  View Details
      Keywords: Consumer Behavior; Policy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Product Design; Video Game Industry
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      Amano, Tomomichi, and Andrey Simonov. "A Welfare Analysis of Gambling in Video Games." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 23-052, February 2023.
      • February 2023
      • Case

      Roblox: Virtual Commerce in the Metaverse

      By: Ayelet Israeli and Nicole Tempest Keller
      In 2022, Roblox had 58.8 million daily active users, including over half of all children and teens under the age of 16 in the United States. Roblox, a free-to-use “co-experience platform”, allowed users to come together in immersive 3D experiences to socialize, work,...  View Details
      Keywords: Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Market Design; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Business Strategy; Economics; Economy; Economic Systems; Advertising; Advertising Campaigns; Digital Platforms; Markets; Price; Innovation and Management; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States; California; North America; South America; Asia; Europe
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      Israeli, Ayelet, and Nicole Tempest Keller. "Roblox: Virtual Commerce in the Metaverse." Harvard Business School Case 523-028, February 2023.
      • July 2022 (Revised November 2022)
      • Case

      Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard

      By: Joseph Pacelli, Jonas Heese and James Barnett
      In January 2022, Microsoft announces its acquisition of the video game company Activision Blizzard, in a deal valued at $68.7 billion, which would make Microsoft the world’s third largest video game company. The deal came as Activision Blizzard faced gender pay...  View Details
      Keywords: Accounting; Goodwill Accounting; Analysis; Decision Making; Talent and Talent Management; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Ethics; Leadership; Risk and Uncertainty; Mergers and Acquisitions; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; North America; California
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      Pacelli, Joseph, Jonas Heese, and James Barnett. "Call of Fiduciary Duty: Microsoft Acquires Activision Blizzard." Harvard Business School Case 123-011, July 2022. (Revised November 2022.)
      • October 2021
      • Article

      Changing Gambling Behavior through Experiential Learning

      By: Shawn A. Cole, Martin Abel and Bilal Zia
      This paper tests experiential learning as a debiasing tool to reduce gambling in South Africa, through a randomized field experiment. The study implements a simple, interactive game that simulates the odds of winning the national lottery through dice rolling....  View Details
      Keywords: Debiasing; Experiential Learning; Behavioral Economics; Financial Education; Learning; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Behavior; Decision Making
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      Cole, Shawn A., Martin Abel, and Bilal Zia. "Changing Gambling Behavior through Experiential Learning." World Bank Economic Review 35, no. 3 (October 2021): 745–763.
      • March 2021
      • Case

      Astralis Group: Determining a Brand Strategy

      By: Benjamin C. Esty, Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej and Emilie Billaud
      After launching a Danish esports company in July 2019, and going public in December 2019 with multiple brands associated with different games, the Astralis leadership team was contemplating a shift to a single, corporate brand. While the original arguments for...  View Details
      Keywords: Brand Strategy; Esports; Video Games; Corporate Scope; Positioning; Ecosystem; Brands and Branding; Strategy; Business Ventures; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Sports; Competitive Strategy; Value Creation; Diversification; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Denmark; Europe
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      Esty, Benjamin C., Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej, and Emilie Billaud. "Astralis Group: Determining a Brand Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 721-382, March 2021.
      • 2021
      • Working Paper

      Consuming Contests: Outcome Uncertainty and Spectator Demand for Contest-based Entertainment

      By: Patrick J. Ferguson and Karim R. Lakhani
      Contests that are designed to be consumed for entertainment by non-contestants are a fixture of economic, cultural and political life. In this paper, we examine whether individuals prefer to consume contests that have more uncertain outcomes. We look to...  View Details
      Keywords: Contest Design; Information Preferences; Consumer Demand; Sports; Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Demand and Consumers; Outcome or Result
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      Ferguson, Patrick J., and Karim R. Lakhani. "Consuming Contests: Outcome Uncertainty and Spectator Demand for Contest-based Entertainment." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-087, February 2021.
      • 2020
      • Working Paper

      The Twofold Effect of Customer Retention in Freemium Settings

      By: Eva Ascarza, Oded Netzer and Julian Runge
      The main tradeoff in designing freemium services is how much of the product to offer for free. At the heart of such a tradeoff is the balancing act of providing a valuable free product in order to acquire and engage consumers, while making the free product limited...  View Details
      Keywords: Freemium; Retention/churn; Field Experiment; Field Experiments; Gaming; Gaming Industry; Mobile App; Mobile App Industry; Monetization; Monetization Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile Technology; Customers; Retention; Product Design; Strategy
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      Ascarza, Eva, Oded Netzer, and Julian Runge. "The Twofold Effect of Customer Retention in Freemium Settings." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-062, November 2020.
      • October 2020 (Revised August 2022)
      • Case

      Epic Games: Nineteen Eighty-Fortnight

      By: Andy Wu, Miaomiao Zhang and Christopher Zhang
      In the midst of intensifying public and political attention towards the market power of big technology, Epic Games in 2020 challenged the status quo that has existed for years in the Apple iOS and Google Android mobile application marketplaces and payment systems....  View Details
      Keywords: Mobile Platforms; Mobile App Industry; Mobile Payment Systems; Antitrust; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entrepreneurship; Competitive Strategy; Digital Platforms; United States
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      Wu, Andy, Miaomiao Zhang, and Christopher Zhang. "Epic Games: Nineteen Eighty-Fortnight." Harvard Business School Case 721-395, October 2020. (Revised August 2022.)
      • August 2020 (Revised June 2021)
      • Case

      Skillz: Esports and Skill-Based Mobile Gaming

      By: Andy Wu, David B. Yoffie and George Gonzalez
      Founded in 2012, Skillz offered a platform for mobile app developers to monetize skill-based games via prized tournaments. Skillz had over 20,000 registered developers that had created thousands of Skillz-powered games played by over 30 million registered users...  View Details
      Keywords: Video Games; Mobile; Esports; Applications and Software; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Technology; Digital Platforms; United States
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      Wu, Andy, David B. Yoffie, and George Gonzalez. "Skillz: Esports and Skill-Based Mobile Gaming." Harvard Business School Case 721-358, August 2020. (Revised June 2021.)
      • January 2020
      • Case

      Ninja: Which Platform Wins Esports' Biggest Star?

      By: Anita Elberse and Michal T. Leszczynski
      It is July 2019, and the business of esports and gaming is booming. Tyler Blevins—better known as Ninja—has risen to stardom playing the immensely popular shooter game Fortnite. He has become the most followed streamer in the world and, helped by his management company...  View Details
      Keywords: Esports; Platforms; Superstar; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Internet and the Web; Personal Development and Career; Decision Making; Digital Platforms; Video Game Industry; Technology Industry
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      Elberse, Anita, and Michal T. Leszczynski. "Ninja: Which Platform Wins Esports' Biggest Star?" Harvard Business School Case 520-036, January 2020.
      • October 2019 (Revised October 2019)
      • Case

      Epic Games

      By: Andy Wu and Christopher Zhang
      Epic Games entered a stagnant market with its PC-games digital storefront in 2018, in the context of incumbent competitors such as Steam, its meteoric rise via Fortnite, and imminent industry shifts in gaming distribution. On the surface, Epic Games Store’s competitive...  View Details
      Keywords: Industry Analysis; Video Games; Platforms; Comparative Advantage; Growth Strategy; Innovation Focused Strategy; Pricing Strategy; Strategy; Competition; Growth and Development Strategy; Innovation Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Digital Platforms; Technology Industry
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      Wu, Andy, and Christopher Zhang. "Epic Games." Harvard Business School Case 720-380, October 2019. (Revised October 2019.)
      • September 2019 (Revised June 2020)
      • Case

      Othellonia: Growing a Mobile Game

      By: Eva Ascarza, Tomomichi Amano and Sunil Gupta
      In the summer of 2019, Yu Sasaki, Head of the Game Division of DeNA, a Japanese mobile gaming company, is evaluating various growth strategies for its recent game Othellonia. Sasaki needs to decide if he should focus on customer acquisition, retention, or monetization.  View Details
      Keywords: Targeting; Retention/churn; Freemium; Monetization; Customer Relationship Management; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing; Customers; Marketing Strategy; Retention; Acquisition; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Japan
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      Ascarza, Eva, Tomomichi Amano, and Sunil Gupta. "Othellonia: Growing a Mobile Game." Harvard Business School Case 520-016, September 2019. (Revised June 2020.)
      • November 2018
      • Case

      Sportradar (A): From Data to Storytelling

      By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Karen Elterman and Oliver Gassmann
      In 2013, the Swiss sports data company Sportradar debated whether to expand from its core business of data provision to bookmakers into sports media products. Sports data was becoming a commodity, and in the future, sports leagues might reduce their dependence on...  View Details
      Keywords: Sports Data; Data; Sport; Sportradar; Football; Soccer; Gambling; Betting; Betting Markets; Statistics; Odds; Live Data; Bookmakers; Betradar; Visualization; Integrity; Monitoring; Gaming; Streaming; 2013; St.Gallen; Algorithm; Mathematical Modeling; Carsten Koerl; Betandwin; Bwin; Wagering; Probability; Sports; Analytics and Data Science; Mathematical Methods; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Transition; Strategy; Media; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Europe; Switzerland; Asia; Austria; Germany; England
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      Casadesus-Masanell, Ramon, Karen Elterman, and Oliver Gassmann. "Sportradar (A): From Data to Storytelling." Harvard Business School Case 719-429, November 2018.
      • January 2018
      • Case

      Peak Games: Hiring Priorities in Times of Rapid Growth (A)

      By: William R. Kerr and Gamze Yucaoglu
      Sidar Şahin, founder and CEO of Peak Games, a Turkey-based global mobile gaming company, must decide on the final list of candidates for the critical global marketing director position the company has been trying to fill for over a year. Since its founding in 2010,...  View Details
      Keywords: Recruiting; Staffing; Emergent Countries; Entrepreneurial Management; Private Sector; Business Strategy; Decision; Growth Management; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Selection and Staffing; Talent and Talent Management; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Value Creation; Organizational Culture; Decision Choices and Conditions; Technology Industry; Turkey
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      Kerr, William R., and Gamze Yucaoglu. "Peak Games: Hiring Priorities in Times of Rapid Growth (A)." Harvard Business School Case 818-083, January 2018.
      • January 2018
      • Supplement

      Peak Games: Hiring Priorities in Times of Rapid Growth (B)

      By: William R. Kerr and Gamze Yucaoglu
      On November 7, 2017, Sidar Şahin, founder and CEO of Peak Games, a Turkey-based global mobile gaming company, had just closed the sale of Peak Games’ card games studio. This sale included three of the company’s top grossing games and half of its team. Sahin was happy...  View Details
      Keywords: Games; Gaming; Acquisitions; Exits; Private Sector; Decision; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Emerging Markets; Acquisition; Entrepreneurship; For-Profit Firms; Business Model; Business Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Making; Value Creation; Leading Change; Management Teams; Technology Industry; Turkey
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      Kerr, William R., and Gamze Yucaoglu. "Peak Games: Hiring Priorities in Times of Rapid Growth (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 818-084, January 2018.
      • September 2017 (Revised July 2018)
      • Technical Note

      Virtual Reality and the Gaming Sector 2017

      By: David B. Yoffie, Natalia Prieto Nino, Prasad Raman, Brad Kowalk and Ruby Tamberino
      This brief note explores the emerging possibilities of virtual reality and its potential as a gaming platform.  View Details
      Keywords: Virtual Reality; Gaming; Strategy; Technological Innovation; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Technology Platform
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      Yoffie, David B., Natalia Prieto Nino, Prasad Raman, Brad Kowalk, and Ruby Tamberino. "Virtual Reality and the Gaming Sector 2017." Harvard Business School Technical Note 718-405, September 2017. (Revised July 2018.)
      • October 2016
      • Case

      Supercell

      By: William R. Kerr, Benjamin F. Jones and Alexis Brownell
      Supercell is a young Finnish smartphone game company with an unusual team structure and company philosophy. It is already one of Finland’s most valuable companies, and despite being only six years old, it has put up some impressive numbers: as of 2016, it has released...  View Details
      Keywords: Supercell; Finland; Video Games; Firm Structure; Startups; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Groups and Teams; Video Game Industry; Finland
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      Kerr, William R., Benjamin F. Jones, and Alexis Brownell. "Supercell." Harvard Business School Case 817-052, October 2016.
      • April 2016 (Revised February 2018)
      • Teaching Note

      Riot Games: Can Culture Survive Growth?

      By: Boris Groysberg and Michael Norris
      This teaching note gives instructors a guide for a discussion of Riot Games, a fast growing videogames firm with a strong, player-centric culture. It also offers references to research on culture that will allow students to decide whether or not Riot Games’ culture...  View Details
      Keywords: Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Video Game Industry
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      Groysberg, Boris, and Michael Norris. "Riot Games: Can Culture Survive Growth?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 416-049, April 2016. (Revised February 2018.)
      • February 2016 (Revised March 2019)
      • Case

      Bankruptcy at Caesars Entertainment

      By: Kristin Mugford and David Chan
      Caesars Entertainment was a large casino operator in the United States that had been purchased in a 2008 leveraged buyout by Apollo and TPG. In January 2015, Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC), its largest subsidiary, filed for Chapter 11. This set up a...  View Details
      Keywords: Gaming; Chapter 11; Fraudulent Conveyance; Apollo; TPG; Bankruptcy; Leveraged Buyouts; Restructuring; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Private Equity; Financial Management; Lawsuits and Litigation; Negotiation; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Las Vegas
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      Mugford, Kristin, and David Chan. "Bankruptcy at Caesars Entertainment." Harvard Business School Case 216-052, February 2016. (Revised March 2019.)
      • October 2014 (Revised August 2018)
      • Case

      Caesars Entertainment

      By: Janice H. Hammond and Aldo Sesia
      This case describes the introduction of a regression analysis model for forecasting guest arrivals to Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company will use the forecast to staff the front desk in the hotel. The staff is unionized and the company has little...  View Details
      Keywords: Forecasting; Staffing; Gaming; Gaming Industry; Hotel Industry; Decision Making; Forecasting and Prediction; Human Resources; Selection and Staffing; Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Operations; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Las Vegas
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      Hammond, Janice H., and Aldo Sesia. "Caesars Entertainment." Harvard Business School Case 615-031, October 2014. (Revised August 2018.)
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