The video below, created by the YouTube channel Shmoop, displays real-world examples and a deeper dive into how Game Theory can be used in different fields such as politics, business, philosophy, and biology. The video demonstrates a common yet simple idea of Game Theory. The example that is primarily spoken about consists of two competing stores selling tongue depressors. Within this example, four outcomes with pricing the tongue depressors are discussed:
Pricing Option 1: Both stores increase their prices to the same. This will result in what the creator referred to as a "wash," where it will be a toss-up as to where customers will decide to purchase their tongue decompressors.
Pricing Option 2: Store B decides to lower its prices while store A keeps the prices the same. This will result in Store B gaining more market share.
Pricing Option 3: Store A decreases its prices, while Store B keeps its prices as is. Customers will be more inclined to purchase products from Store A.
Pricing Option 4: Both Stores decide to lower their prices. This results in another toss-up about what customers will decide when purchasing their tongue depressors.
Negotiations are prevalent in many important fields, including Politics, Business, and Research. Game theory is an integral part of negotiating. This allows both parties to come up with the most optimal solution to their issues.
Management and Work Unions: Game Theory allows for the optimal solution to occur during worker strikes. In this case, it could include increasing wages, which in return could benefit the welfare of both the workers and management.
Salary Negotiations
Compensation Negotiations
Negotiating with Suppliers
Game Theory is a key factor in research and product development. This mainly impacts both the science and business fields. When releasing a new product, Game Theory helps businesses and researchers understand whether they should enter a new market.
Technology manufacturers: Companies like Samsung and Apple deciding when to release their phones in an attempt for one of the companies to capture the market
Biotech Industry: Companies within this field are deciding if they should rush to the market to dominate it.
While prevalent in the Business Field, many factors of Game Theory help businesses determine product pricing. They do this by analyzing the competitor's strategies to dominate the market share. Retailers also predict consumer behavior to adjust prices accordingly and offer discounts on certain products.
Companies lowering their Candy Prices after the holiday
Retailers price matching to remain competitive
A real-world application of Game Theory that is applicable to everyone in the everyday world is Games in general. The majority of board and card games involve Game Theory to some degree. Even games that aren't board games or card games involve some element of game theory.
Poker Card Game: Poker is a great example of Game Theory as it shows how one person wins the amount their opponent loses.
Rock, Paper, Scissors: Only one person can win, and you are unsure of what the other person will do, similar to Nash equilibrium.
The next module will discuss how Game Theory is implemented in the business world. Click below to take you to the next page: