Games: an Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal

Over the last fifty years, game theory has evolved from a mathematical theory of optimal behaviour in stylized situations (" games ") to a general theory of human behaviour, be it actually observed or normatively desirable. Its scope includes both the mathematical modelling and analysis of competition and conflict and the study of human behaviour in strategic contexts and its determinants. Nowadays, game theory has become the language of economics and is increasingly becoming one of the main methods of analysis in several social sciences. Its theoretical underpinnings can be viewed as a mathematical subdiscipline, while its more behavioural offshoots benefit from cross-fertilization with psychology. Game theory has grown within economics but is, by its very nature, interdisciplinary, to the extent that no game theorist can or should define him or herself in disciplinary terms anymore. Games is a game theory journal, and as such we expect most of its actual content to be related to economics. The scope of the journal, however, is broader. All contributions which foster our understanding of game theory (including decision theory) and its applications are welcome, independently of whether the research methodology is analytic, experimental, or both. We explicitly welcome contributions from economics, mathematics, political science, computer science, psychology, and in general all fields where game theory has become a tool or which can contribute to the understanding of human behaviour in strategic situations. Why a new journal? Game theory is a well-established discipline, with a small number of dedicated, high-quality journals. So, why a new journal? When the people at MDPI first approached me, I asked precisely that question. Then I realized a number of obvious answers, which actually define what Games aims to be. The main reason comes from the increasing dissatisfaction among researchers with the publication process in economics (where most game-theoretical articles are published). The main complaints are OPEN ACCESS

Over the last fifty years, game theory has evolved from a mathematical theory of optimal behaviour in stylized situations ("games") to a general theory of human behaviour, be it actually observed or normatively desirable.Its scope includes both the mathematical modelling and analysis of competition and conflict and the study of human behaviour in strategic contexts and its determinants.Nowadays, game theory has become the language of economics and is increasingly becoming one of the main methods of analysis in several social sciences.Its theoretical underpinnings can be viewed as a mathematical subdiscipline, while its more behavioural offshoots benefit from cross-fertilization with psychology.Game theory has grown within economics but is, by its very nature, interdisciplinary, to the extent that no game theorist can or should define him or herself in disciplinary terms anymore.
Games is a game theory journal, and as such we expect most of its actual content to be related to economics.The scope of the journal, however, is broader.All contributions which foster our understanding of game theory (including decision theory) and its applications are welcome, independently of whether the research methodology is analytic, experimental, or both.We explicitly welcome contributions from economics, mathematics, political science, computer science, psychology, and in general all fields where game theory has become a tool or which can contribute to the understanding of human behaviour in strategic situations.

Why a new journal?
Game theory is a well-established discipline, with a small number of dedicated, high-quality journals.So, why a new journal?When the people at MDPI first approached me, I asked precisely that question.Then I realized a number of obvious answers, which actually define what Games aims to be.
The main reason comes from the increasing dissatisfaction among researchers with the publication process in economics (where most game-theoretical articles are published).The main complaints are OPEN ACCESS the spectacular publication delays and the extremely high prices for institutional subscriptions that some publishers (if not most of them) are charging.A possible solution to the latter problem is to put journals in the hands of professional associations rather than publishers, but that tends to force researchers to spend time on publishing tasks rather than conducting research.
Games will rely on MDPI's experience to take a different route.The journal will follow peerreviewing practices from the natural sciences, which put a lot of the burden on the managing editors rather than the editorial board members, to ensure a quick refereeing and publication process.Further, as all other MDPI journals, Games is strictly Open Access, meaning that no reader (and no institution) will ever be charged a cent for access to research reported in this journal.The costs are covered through modest Article Processing Charges (APCs), similar to submission fees but paid only if the article is accepted.MDPI will waive the APCs for the first 100 articles or two years.APCs are uncommon in economics, but again they are widespread in the natural sciences.Open Access publishing is much less costly for researchers who are both authors and readers of scientific journals.

What Games will publish
Game theory, as our world itself, is growing and changing, and research is becoming fast-paced and broader in scope.Games will provide a faster avenue for knowledge dissemination than traditional, paper-based journals, and one which is universally accessible.It aims at an open-minded, comprehensive coverage of research in game theory, decision theory, and human behaviour in general.After a rigorous peer review process where editorial delays will be carefully avoided, accepted papers will be published online immediately, with issues closed on a quarterly basis.
Games will publish research articles, reviews, and short notes.No restrictions are placed on the length of regular articles, and indeed we encourage authors of theory papers to provide as much detail on proofs as possible, and not to cut down on illustrative examples.Authors of experimental articles are encouraged to share their data and full experimental instructions, ensuring that experimental results are replicable.
Reviews on any aspect of (or relevant for) game theory are welcome in Games.Reviews which keep in mind that the potential audience includes specialists from different disciplines are especially welcome.We also welcome proposals for guest-editorships of special issues targeting specific topics.
Short notes are focused contributions addressing a specific theoretical result, application of interest, or experimental setting.We actively encourage experimental economists and psychologists to also submit reports on negative results (e.g.experiments which did not produce the "desired" effect) as short notes, thereby avoiding the well-known publication bias by virtue of which only research producing behavioural paradoxes, surprising effects, or refutations of established theories is reported.
On behalf of the Editorial Board, I invite you to submit your articles to Games and share the results of your effort with the game-theoretic community.It is up to us, game theorists, to seize this unique opportunity to improve research communication in game theory.