Monetary Value of a Player in GTA Online : Role of Inflation

Abstract: This study investigates the monetary value of a player within the video game GTA Online, published by Rockstar in 2013. A survey was sent out to a subreddit called r/gtaonline where a sample of 171 respondents who play GTA Online were used and the results were analysed using an OLS regression. Monetary value was calculated by multiplying GTA$ earned per hour by the indirect exchange rate between GTA$ and the Euro €. Further data was collected on the inflation within each content update of the virtual economy of GTA Online, measured in terms of CPI. This measurement was then corresponded with when a player first started playing GTA Online to get a measure of the relative CPI they experienced when they first started playing. This study found that the most significant determinants affecting monetary value where if a person was a grinder their monetary value increased by €8.1 If a person purchased micro transactions named “Shark Cards” in GTA Online, the monetary value for purchasing one “Megalodon Shark Card” was €38.7 and one “Whale Shark Card” was -€59.1. However, sampling error and a limited time frame should be considered when interpreting the results. Despite the limitations, this study offers a perspective for future research into monetary value as others can learn from the limitations and improve future methodology.