Salt Seller: Realization of a business game

This paper describes the realization and implementation of a business game named Salt Seller. Salt Seller was first described by John Sterman in 2014 and implemented for the MIT Sloan School of Management. However, Sterman only provided a high-level description of Salt Seller and no low-level details about the realization or the market model were revealed. Our first aim is to fill this gap. As our second contribution introduces a generalized n-person framework for round-based games which serves as an abstract game architecture and encapsulates the round synchronization mechanisms. Utilizing this framework we provide a detailed view on a possible model of the market mechanisms for Salt Seller. We describe all the market functions which are needed to calculate the game outputs in each period. Our work aims to improve decision making in management and to support teaching. To support this third goal we implemented the game using modern web technologies allowing us to use the game in students' lessons at the KIT. All input and output parameters of every round are stored in a database for later analysis of the players' behaviour. Generally, our implementation demonstrates how general round-based multi-player games can be realized in a browser, our architecture supports various other 2-player round-based games.

[1]  Andreas W. Neumann.  Price Elasticity of Digital Scientific Information - A Field Experiment , 2007 .

[2]  Alexander Uskov,et al.  Serious games, gamification and game engines to support framework activities in engineering: Case studies, analysis, classifications and outcomes , 2014, IEEE International Conference on Electro/Information Technology.

[3]  Gary J. Summers.  Today’s Business Simulation Industry , 2004 .

[4]  Frank H. Maier,et al.  What are we talking about?—A taxonomy of computer simulations to support learning , 2000 .

[5]  D. Sterman,et al.  Misperceptions of Feedback in a Dynamic Decision Making Experiment , 1989 .

[6]  E. Hsu,et al.  Role-Event Gaming Simulation in Management Education , 1989 .

[7]  J. Forrester,et al.  Industrial Dynamics , 1997 .

[8]  Katharina Wagner.  Problems In Industrial Dynamics , 2016 .

[9]  J. P. Hofer,et al.  Problems in industrial dynamics , 1966 .

[10]  Raghuram Iyengar,et al.  Nonlinear pricing , 2022 .

[11]  Jannicke Baalsrud Hauge,et al.  State of the art of serious games for business and industry , 2011, 2011 17th International Conference on Concurrent Enterprising.

[12]  Fabio Nonino,et al.  An Exploratory Taxonomy of Business Games , 2013 .

[13]  Stefan Siersdorfer,et al.  Competitive Game Designs for Improving the Cost Effectiveness of Crowdsourcing , 2014, CIKM.

[14]  J. Wolfe.  A History of Business Teaching Games in English-Speaking and Post-Socialist Countries: The Origination and Diffusion of a Management Education and Development Technology , 1993 .

[15]  Ricardo R. S. Bernard.  Characterizing Business Games Used in Distance Education , 2014 .

[16]  F. Berger.  Management Games , 1981 .

[17]  Espen Aarseth,et al.  A multidimensional typology of games , 2003, DiGRA Conference.

[18]  Espen Aarseth,et al.  Game Classification as Game Design: Construction Through Critical Analysis , 2005, DiGRA Conference.

[19]  A. J. Faria.  Business Simulation Games: Current Usage Levels—An Update , 1998 .

[20]  John D. Sterman,et al.  Interactive web-based simulations for strategy and sustainability: The MIT Sloan LearningEdge management flight simulators, Part II , 2014 .

[21]  Franc M. Ricciardi,et al.  Top management decision simulation : the AMA approach , 1957 .

[22]  Hubert Gatignon,et al.  MARKSTRAT : a marketing strategy game , 1977 .