Game theory - Very Simple

Game theory is actually an older concept that was developed in the 1940s to study the decisions that players make when presented with a choice. The book Theory of Games and Economicn Behavior by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern (Princeton University Press, 1944) introduced the idea that when players are playing a game, they will always choose the path that

offers the most gain to the player. Besides being used to develop games, this theory has been applied to economics, animal behavior, and sociological issues. When planning your project, game theory can be a great tool to use when placing the gamer in situations where choices must be made regarding the fate of the game’s protagonist (again, this is a great subject worth reading more about—pick up Neumann and Morgenstern’s book for a lot more detail). These choices all have consequences (good or bad, whichever is determined by the designer) and spawn new directions in which the game can travel. Also, as a game producer, it is important to keep this theory in mind when reviewing the game’s design documentation, the story, and game play features.