The multiplex of value creation and capture logics in the video game industry: An integrative review of 20 years of studies and a future research agenda

Abstract

With the development of digital devices, information and communication technology, and software, value cre- ation and capture logics have evolved, and new ones have emerged. The video game industry has been a fore- runner in this evolution. It has grown from an industry that revolved primarily around entertainment to one that engages game developers, users, spectators, and countless actors, becoming intertwined with many other entertainment and non-entertainment industries, such as education and health management. Although the economic importance of the video game industry has been rapidly increasing over the last two decades or so, research on value creation and capture in the video game industry has remained fragmented and predominantly based on transactional and static views. By addressing theoretical shortcomings and oversights in prior literature, this integrative review of 278 studies makes three key contributions. First, we highlight shortcomings in the current body of knowledge. Second, we craft an integrated framework of value creation and capture logics, which we have conceptualized as the multiplex of value creation logics. Third, we provide future research di- rections and perspectives on the future evolution of value creation and capture logics, both in and across markets and industry sectors.