FIFA, the football computer game from EA Sports, has proven the most durable source of ‘in-game’ spending by players of any computer game in history, with over $1bn  spent in each of the past three years. The essay below discusses how the design of the game, and the currency system within it, encourage such purchases. To do this, I have first sought to describe the … Continue reading How FIFA currency incentivises increased consumer spending

When instant cake mixes were introduced in the 1950’s as part of a broader trend to simplify the life of the American housewife, housewives were initially resistant: the simplicity of the mixes made women feel self-indulgent for using them, and as a result, women weren’t able to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment which comes with the manual labour of baking a cake. In subsequent years, … Continue reading The IKEA Effect: When Creation Leads to Overvaluation