World of Warcraft

New research from Olin Business School finds that when a video game-making firms change a game’s rewards schedule and how it limits how long gamers can play in a sitting, the firm can actually make more money — and users devote a smaller share of their time on gaming.

“World of Warcraft” might not seem like typical research material. But Yulia Nevskaya, PhD, assistant professor of marketing at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis found it the perfect research platform. She has helped lead a study of gamers’ behavior and what’s behind their motivation.