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An Empirical Analysis of Indirect Network Effects in the Home Video Game Market

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We explore the indirect network effect in the market for home video games. We examine the video game console makers’ strategic choice between increasing demand by lowering console price and by encouraging the growth of software variety. We also explore the existence of an applications barrier to entry in the console market, and find that there is little evidence for such a barrier. Finally, we assess the applicability of the model to out-of-sample situations, to look at whether our model and previous similar models can generalize to other markets for purposes of marketing or antitrust inquiry. We find that the model generalizes reasonably well to the Japanese market for the same generation of gaming systems, but poorly to previous generations in the US market.

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  • James E. Prieger & Wei-Min Hu, 2006. "An Empirical Analysis of Indirect Network Effects in the Home Video Game Market," Working Papers 06-25, NET Institute, revised Oct 2006.
    • Handle: RePEc:net:wpaper:0625
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    1. Chou, Chien-fu & Shy, Oz, 1990. "Network effects without network externalities," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 259-270, June.
    2. Matthew T. Clements & Hiroshi Ohashi, 2005. "Indirect Network Effects And The Product Cycle: Video Games In The U.S., 1994–2002," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 515-542, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Corts, Kenneth S. & Lederman, Mara, 2009. "Software exclusivity and the scope of indirect network effects in the U.S. home video game market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 121-136, March.
    2. Daniel Birke, 2009. "The Economics Of Networks: A Survey Of The Empirical Literature," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(4), pages 762-793, September.
    3. Ricard Gil & Frederic Warzynski, 2015. "Vertical Integration, Exclusivity, and Game Sales Performance in the US Video Game Industry," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 31(suppl_1), pages 143-168.
    4. Gandal, Neil & Regibeau, Pierre, 2013. "SSOs: Current Policy Issues and Empirical Evidence," Foerder Institute for Economic Research Working Papers 275825, Tel-Aviv University > Foerder Institute for Economic Research.
    5. James E. Prieger & Wei‐Min Hu, 2012. "Applications Barrier To Entry And Exclusive Vertical Contracts In Platform Markets," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 50(2), pages 435-452, April.
    6. Maruyama, Masayoshi & Flath, David & Minamikawa, Kazumitsu & Ohkita, Kenichi & Zennyo, Yusuke, 2015. "Platform selection by software developers: Theory and evidence," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 282-303.
    7. Christiaan Hogendorn, 2012. "Spillovers and Network Neutrality," Chapters, in: Gerald R. Faulhaber & Gary Madden & Jeffrey Petchey (ed.), Regulation and the Performance of Communication and Information Networks, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Michael R. Ward, 2007. "Patents and Antitrust: Video Games and Violent Crime," Working Papers 07-18, NET Institute.
    9. Soo Jin Kim & Pallavi Pal, 2021. "Quality Differentiation and Optimal Pricing Strategy in Multi-Sided Markets," CESifo Working Paper Series 9267, CESifo.

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