Game Theory in the Media (Topoi)

Hey guys. So, I don’t know if how I’m going to approach this blog post is the appropriate way to do so, but nonetheless I am today going to discuss game theory with culture as my frame of reference. More specifically, think media. Even more specifically, think movies and television.

Some of you who actually care may recall my blog post a few weeks ago which referenced Game of Thrones and House of Cards, shows in which this “game” is played by the main characters.

As a reminder, this “game” is a dynamic situation in which two or more players are involved and must make strategic, rational decisions such that they achieve their objective. It’s the main topic of political game theory and is presented with different packaging in the realms of economics, psychology, biology, and computer science.

Anyway, since it’s easy to talk about theory without showing it in action, I wanted to elaborate on how the game is played with examples from popular media. For starters, I’ll bring up “A Beautiful Mind,” a movie about a mathematician named John Nash, the father of game theory (also note that game theory, although a mathematical subject, doesn’t always require complex formulas or probability calculations to apply). Obviously, the whole movie is about game theory, but see it here in action:

Now, for some dramatic examples of how people play the political game in Game of Thrones:

(skip to 2:22)

Lastly, this guy thoroughly and clearly explains how the game is played in politics and House of Cards:

Now, a common factor some may have noticed and that was pointed out in the last video is that game theory doesn’t care about being a nice guy or what you think. It’s like mother nature; once you enter the game, you play to survive. It’s every man for himself.

So, one might wonder how often this game is played in real life. If it doesn’t care about morals, or the well-being of others, how much is the game in politics and business hurting the general population? How much is it helping, if at all? Find out next time on “Game Theory: Is it complete moral bullshit?”