Non-Strategic Games - Case Study Example

Non-strategic Games Whether or not non-strategic games actually reflect the psychology of the decision maker's rather objectively derived outcomes remains an issue to be discussed. A strategic game is a game which could be computer based one, video game, paper game or even board game in which the players' decision making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Most games the world over include the element of using skills to a greater extend in determining the ultimate outcome. The concept involves the use of skills in the game and employing some strategies in the outcome thus making demarcation difficult. It is therefore more accurate to describe a particular game as having a certain level of strategic elements. Games are normally based on certain strategic principles (Condon 498-410). In non-strategic games, little skills are involved. In fact, there are no predetermined solutions and results and hence none of the players can determine how the outcome of the game would be. Experience in non-strategic games is not of essence. The crucial factor that separates this type of game and business models from the rest is that there exists relatively little chance involved. All players, or business partners in a business scenario, have equal degree of knowledge of the elements of the game or business market constraints. Little or no physical skills are required in this game. Examples of strategic games include the Mastermind, English Draughts, Chess, Go, and the Nine Men's Morris. Non-strategic games are also different from the strategic ones which involve strategic decision making. Non-strategic games do not focus on important issues of the game, they do not consider long term horizons nor do they bother with the need to be accountable. There is very little or no accounts for uncertainty. Businesses and business managers heavily employ the concept of non-strategic games in their decision making processes. A strategy or tactics in general are usually contrasted with luck. Individuals who believe laying down strategies so as to achieve certain goals do not concentrate so much on issues related to luck. This is because the outcome of games and other activities related to luck relay so much on probability. Wishful behaviors are not associated to strategic games. Games exist on a continuum from pure skill to pure chance, with strategic games usually towards the skill end of the spectrum (462). There exist so many non-strategic games in Europe and in other parts of the world. Some of these games are chess and other chase related games, paper and pencil games such as dot and boxes and the sprouts game, the n-in-a-row games among others. A game of skills is not a strategic game. This is precisely because the the outcome is determined mainly by mental and sometimes by the physical skills and not purely ones chance. Non-strategic games, unlike other games of skill, are not a means of exploring one's own capabilities. They also do not encourage the players to understand, look into and even experience what is happening. Technological advancement has for quite a long time encouraged the use and development of non-strategic games. Even though most games involve a degree of chance, randomization devices are used mainly to ensure that the chances of an instance repeating itself are minimal. Some of the commonly used randomization devices and games include the coin flip, the dice, playing cards and the random number generator. There is always a legal importance in the distinction between chance and the use of skills in accomplishing a given task. Chance games and even chance business management strategies and decision making models are differentiated from the ones where skills are employed. However, the legal distinction between the two terms is often vague and it varies widely from one set up to another. Unlike non-strategic games, abstract strategy games are only loosely tied to a real-world theme, if at all. A small category of non-perfect and abstract strategy games and business models are incorporated into hidden information without using random elements. Non-strategic games go against nature and they reflect the psychology of the decision maker's rather objective rule. Non-strategic games do not follow certain predefined or known patterns; certain rules are used in arriving at the derived outcomes. The fact that the games' outcome are derived reveals the idea that the rules come from a given source of origin and can be deduced or inferred by reasoning or gotten from another source. The concept of having a database from which certain results would be inferred from should a certain input be made is therefore quite crucial. Games against Nature Non-strategic games are considered to be games that go against nature. Naturally, games, especially those played by human beings, involve the use of intellect. Skills are therefore a core requirement for the success of individuals participating in strategic games. The games also do not use the natural characteristic of actual players. Instead, simulation is used by the participants of the games. Such games are also considered to be abstract. Abstract games cannot be completely divided from simulations and so games can be thought of as existing on a continuum of almost pure abstraction such as abalone to almost pure simulation which is used in the strat-o-matic baseball. Naturally, decision making is a very complex process. The major reasons why this is so include people's evasive nature to risks, multiple decision makers, lack of the desire to be accountable for outcomes that may not be desirable, and the fact that there are always many individuals who are held with the responsibility of making decisions. In a humane natural setup, a game involves decision making which is relatively a complex process. Analysis is thus very fundamental in the designation and playing a game. Low quality analysis often has oversights such as the real decision maker not being involved, the actual target player also not being consulted, avoiding to include the implementation personnel in the whole process, having biased information hence biased results and new requirements may be raised after full recommendations have been made. The term decision analysis is becoming broadly used in many industries. While it can be used descriptively, here we use the normative meaning. Descriptive decision analysis is a present-state approach, describing how things are. Normative decision analysis is a future-state approach, describing how things should be. Nature also appreciates the great value of perfect information even though there is hardly perfection of information with respect to a certain scenario. Often we can, at a cost, reduce our uncertainty about nature's future events and this could be done using market research, forecasting and statistical analysis. There must be a limit to what we should spend in these endeavors. The value of less perfect information is normally low within a market setup. Often we can, at a small fee, buy more certainty about the near future. Even in natural setup, probability is a state of mind and it is limited to the concept of an individual being a risk or loss averse, risk neutral or risk preferring. Natural setup also entails the use of garbage in garbage out. In such a set up, whatever information inputted into the system during the designation process becomes the expected results from the system. It is therefore difficult to maintain objectivity. This leads to situations where there is no commitment without quality which is normally a means of measuring success. Strategies such as those employed in the strategy video games, the real time strategy and the turn based strategy are not used in the non-strategic types of games. The games which are normally not real time strategy games usually do not have detailed story line and are thus non-role playing. Furthermore, most non-strategic games are not real time and thus do not offer the players true world which can experience climate, day and night or weather changes depending on the game setup. In real life scenarios, decision variables are used in the playing of games and in the determination of the final results. The decision variables that may be involved may include the marketing potential, personal selling, advertising, research and development, consumer preference, research and product improvement, production and inventory, finance and accounting, competition, marketing information, general planning, marketing growth and competitive strategies and pricing. Playing non-strategic games requires from the players the ability to abstract interactive relationships among the variables incorporated in the game, the commitment of a vast amount of time for the preparation of computerized inputs, a relatively lengthy lapse time designated for the game playing, and the availability of considerable computer facilities and computer time. The non-computerized marketing planning and strategy game developed involves twelve interactive decision variables. Since the game only involves limited variables, a player is expected to grasp the relationship and the trade-off of each variable introduced in the game. The player is not required to utilize computerized input; thus, the time demanded for input preparation and the waiting time for the turn-around of game outputs is minimized. All inputs are keenly analyzed by the designated manager. Consequently, input errors which are frequently induced in key punch decisions are eliminated. The elimination of the input error minimizes the disturbances of the overall output of the industry induced by key punch errors. On the other hand, the use of traditional risk analysis neglects the fact that terrorists are intelligent and adaptive to various situations. The study and research in non-strategic research help to integrate game theory and decision theory in the business environment. The search for equilibrium performance solutions is never ending in the world. There is always the need to use subjective probabilities to describe the choices of other players in the games and in business as a whole. This research will develop methods and techniques for identifying optimal strategies for rational defenders when facing non-strategic players, making it possible to explore the sensitivity of optimal defender strategies to assumptions about the behavior of other players. We plan to apply the results of this research to real-world data, and compare the results to fully endogenous game-theoretic results developed which create funding. The results of this work have the potential to make game-theoretic homeland-security models more realistic and much easier to implement. Mathematics is normally employed in the planning and development of the non-strategic games. While the mathematical models of von Neumann, Morgenstern, and others are aesthetically pleasing and create a solid foundation for thinking about games, as these experiments and others show, elegant models often deviate from a more complex reality. The latest development of games that have gone against nature is the current existence of robots. A robot is mechanical and a virtually artificial agent. It is an electro-mechanical machine which is guided by electronic and at times computer programming. The manner in which a robot is designed enables it perform certain pre-programmed tasks on its own. In addition, another characteristic that is quite common in the movement and working principle of a robot to men is its movement. A robot often conveys a given sense that it has intentions or specific agency that is of its own. The perspective of games and that of doing business and addressing customer needs has changed. This is because the player preferences have changed too. If a non-strategic game is being designed, then the concept of natural games is lost. The audience may be the fans or the designer themselves in other circumstances. A number of characteristics and preferences continue to emerge regarding the manner in which strategic games need to be developed. To begin with, there is need for positive scoring mechanisms that reinforce success and encourage the player to continue developing in their career. Writing of notes or doing of simple mathematics by the player in the non-strategic game should not be encouraged. Instead, a player should have a steadily reduced number of plausible choices. There is a dire need to ensure that the creation of non-strategic games is done using very clear and stronger visual orientation thus reducing the uncertainty of information. This would also ensure a reduced rate of player-to-player conflicts. Most business strategies are the same even though they operate in different environments. This is regardless of whether or not one uses an electronic machine and other new technologies or not. The possibility of having a well known predetermined state of the future remains elusive. According to the Nobel Laureate, Fredrick Von Hayek, the future is unknowable. It is to determine what may happen in future. This fact can be attributed to so many factors that determine what happens in human life and the complex and ever changing environment that surrounds people. Econometrics, which combines economic theories and statistical concepts to analyze and test economic relationships, also has the responsibility of developing and applying statistical or quantitative methods to the study of various economic principles. Many econometric methods and principles represent applications of standard statistical models. There are also some features of economic data that distinguish it from other branches of statistics. Most economic data are mainly observational as opposed to being derived from controlled experiments in life. The field of econometrics has developed various methods for identification and estimation of simultaneous equation models. Through the use of econometric methods, researchers can now make causal inferences in the absence of controlled experiments. Early work in econometrics focused on time-series data, but now econometrics also fully covers cross-sectional and panel data used in the making of non-strategic games. However, this does not mean that econometrics and other predictive techniques are of no practical use. In fact, the unknowable future makes the concept of econometrics much more critical and fundamental than ever. The major purposes of econometrics are economic theories to potentially falsifying tests and giving empirical content to the economic theories. According to the economic theory, an increase in the overall price would also lead to a decrease in the quantity of the product or service demanded. This however depends on the fact that all other relevant factors are assumed to be held constant. Technology has become a great driving force in the manner in which people do business. It has even changed the overall way of life hence it is considered an autonomous force. It is inconsistent and ever evolving nature clearly explains the fact that non-strategic management should be taking shape and ensuring that business try to maximize on the latest technologies. Realization of new concepts and development of new information technologies have continued to shape both the business world and the sporting environment. This has improved the standards of life in general due to faster and better ways of carrying out such activities in the most cost effective and efficient manner. The continued research on the non-strategic games, though they seem to go against nature, has ensured that more findings of the best ways of doing business are realized. Researchers have over the years continued to come up with new findings which, if implemented, would result into better performance of all the aspects of the non-strategic game. The high level of unpredictability of life and the unknowable future has complicated the strategic development and reliability on the non-strategic games. Individuals would prefer to deal with a future they can predict. However, the high level unknowable life has become very complicated thus leading to the non-strategic games and business models being doubted by the users. Nevertheless, we are already witnessing the emergence of sector and economic changes which are set to have a profound effect on how businesses need to be done over the coming decade. These shifts include the rise of the fourth sector of business where companies increasingly derive their profits from ethical and more sustainable engagements as well as philanthropic efforts and business models. There is also the need to develop and invest in the interpersonal economy in which the growth of an economic model requires human, emotional and high-human touch skills that cannot be automated thus being non-strategic. The use of the emo-economics may also be of great importance. In this case, there would be increased favor to the marginalized and special groups of people in the society. This would ensure that special individuals in the society are encompassed in the development of the non-strategic approaches and in the development of the non-strategic games as well as the available business modules. Fredrick Von Hayek, who is a well known Wall Street pioneer and renowned investment consultant, said that the future, though not well known, can be predicted and crucial plans made. Von who believed in the power of learning and making mistakes and attempting to correct them argues that non-strategic and predictive games are still of great importance. The strategies, according to Von are still practical even though some adjustments need to be made to them in a manner in which they are implemented. He also believes in taking greater risks and giving considerations to the consequences if the investment decision is found to be wrong.' Fredrick also argues that it is good to take greater risks with small amounts of capital, and never take small risks with big amounts of money.'This would ensure that no big financial risks are suffered since this would make it difficult for a business enterprise to come out of the challenges and continue doing business. This is an idea that not so many businesses have been able to exploit in the world market. It has therefore led to very few individuals and businesses dominating the market through the simple fact that they do adequate research and realize how fundamental non-strategic means of managing businesses are done. Preservation of capital is always a very fundamental fact in the market. Whooping loses can however not be fully avoided even though efforts can be made to so that loses are considerably reduced. Businesses should have the discipline to re-assess if a holding declines significantly. According to Condon (456), the 'Games against nature's concept reflects the psychology of the decision maker rather objective rule derived outcomes. It is only through the decision maker that a given business solution is understood. Even though the future may not exactly be determined, some issues that relate to it in the business arena can be pre-defined, analyzed and a few issues that relate to it dealt with. Econometrics and other predictive techniques are also fundamental in determining the future aspects of a business. In case of rapid decline in the prices of stock, a sudden spike in the price of oil, high unemployment or even a paradigm shift in the customer preferences to certain commodities, the media should be counted on to help. This can be replaced with an individual who was not as deterministic but yet could predict the future happening of the business. This should however not be surprising since there are many professional economists, accountants and commentators who cannot restrain themselves from making economic predictions on how the market is likely to be. In the end, some of the predictions made normally come true. Most business managers are however able to distinguish between luck and skill in predicting the future. Managers should also try to be obscure, yet inspiring and willing to take business risks. Non-strategic games in business, and to some extend in sports, need less distinguished economists to perform better and ensure that their area of business thrives against those of the competitors. This is true regardless of the economic situations in the market and the business trends. The managers can forecast on the future of the market. Should the businesses go way outside the cluster and the outcome is in the cluster, nobody will remember the wrong forecast made in the previous years. They would neither lose nor gain anything. The rational choice for such an undistinguished economist in management and operation of a business enterprise is to make extreme predictions, corroborated with pessimistic scenarios that make such forecasts plausible. If the economist is wrong, nothing is lost; if they are right, great publicity can be expected. In technical terms, people would say that the manager has access to a positive-sum game against nature. In the world of doing business, Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) that controls paradigm would be used. There is realization of random disturbance which is known when the decision time is introduced. Non-strategic games therefore involve taking chances in the decision making process. In games, nature randomly chooses the disturbance signal and the player, having access to the random disturbance information, employs a feedback module which could be a stroboscopic strategy. The closed-form optimal solution is derived and is compared to the solution of the classical linear quadratic Gaussian problem. Furthermore, the Gaussian assumption is relaxed and the interesting game theoretic interpretation is analyzed. Maintenance of objectivity, though possible, is not easy in non-strategic business management. This leads to situations where there is no commitment without quality which is normally a means of measuring success (Condon 478-456). Strategies such as those employed in the strategy video games, the real time strategy and the turn based strategy are not used in the non-strategic types of games. Normally non-real time strategy games usually do not have detailed story lines and are thus non-role playing games. In conclusion, it is worthwhile to appreciate that most of the computerized marketing games today involve complex environments and are time consuming in preparing of inputs and executing the game, and demand sophisticated computer facilities and a great deal of time. Many small colleges are characterized by students with limited knowledge and limited ability to abstract the interactive with variables incorporated in these sophisticated games. These facts make the execution of sophisticated and time consuming marketing games impractical to these institutions. Work Cited Condon, Anne. Space-bounded probabilistic game automata; Journal of the ACM (JAMCM), v.38 n.2, 1991, pp. 410-498. Read More