MONOPOLIZACJA CYFROWEJ DYSTRYBUCJI GIER, A HANDEL KLUCZAMI AKTYWACYJNYMI: WPŁYW NA CENY I KONKUREN- CJĘ W BRANŻY ROZRYWKI ELEKTRONICZNEJ
MONOPOLIZATION OF DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTION AND THE TRADE OF ACTIVATION KEYS: IMPACT ON PRICES AND COMPETITION IN THE ELEC- TRONIC ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Summary/Abstract: Purpuse – analysis of the computer games market in the context of free market princi-ples, activation key trading and its impact on title prices. The constant growth in populari-ty of electronic entertainment combined with rising costs mean that an increasing groupof players may be looking for alternative purchases, which raises controversy related tothe legality of key sources and the impact on the market.Methodology – comparison of game prices on the official distribution platform (Steam)with offers from key trading stores (G2A, Eneba, Kinguin). Various game genres andprice variables such as sales and historically lowest prices were taken into account.Findings – game prices in online key trading stores are often lower than on official plat-forms, which proves the benefits of competitiveness and decentralization of the market.Monopolization by Steam does not carry negative consequences for the consumer, be-cause the platform responds to demand. Key trading, despite certain risks, promotes priceefficiency, which confirms its importance in dynamic price formation in the video gameindustry.

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