Against this background, the report discusses various aspects of the phenomenon, like genres, products and markets, technology, usage and effects, or the legal framework. It unites various approaches (economic, technical, sociological and jurisprudential) and identifies three overarching criteria (complexity, persistence and player numbers), which are decisive for the form and consequences of online-games.
The expert report thus lays the foundations for decisions within media policy, for instance optimising the areas of application of media-specific legal norms. In addition, it forms an important basis both for further discussions and investigations in various disciplines, like Social Science, Economics and Jurisprudence, and for the public engagement with developments in this area.
