Question

Suppose there are only two firms that sell smartphones: Flashfone and Pictech. The following payoff matrix shows the profit (in millions of dollars) each company will earn, depending on whether it sets a high or low price for its phones.

Pictech Pricing Pictech Pricing
High Low
Flashfone Pricing High 11,11 3,15
Flashfone Pricing Low 15,3 9,9
For example, the lower-left cell shows that if Flashfone prices low and Pictech prices high, Flashfone will earn a profit of $15 million, and Pictech will earn a profit of $3 million. Assume this is a simultaneous game and that Flashfone and Pictech are both profit-maximizing firms.
If Flashfone prices high, Pictech will make more profit if it chooses a _____ price, and if Flashfone prices low, Pictech will make more profit if it chooses a _____ price.
If Pictech prices high, Flashfone will make more profit if it chooses a _____ price, and if Pictech prices low, Flashfone will make more profit if it chooses a _____ price.
Considering all of the information given, pricing low _____ a dominant strategy for both Flashfone and Pictech.
If the firms do not collude, what strategies will they end up choosing?
(i) Flashfone will choose a low price, and Pictech will choose a high price.
(ii) Both Flashfone and Pictech will choose a high price.
(iii) Flashfone will choose a high price, and Pictech will choose a low price.
(iv) Both Flashfone and Pictech will choose a low price.
The game between Flashfone and Pictech is an example of the prisoners' dilemma
(i) True
(ii) False

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Low

Low

B. Low

Low

C. Pricing low is a dominant strategy for both firms.

D. (iv) Both Flashfone and Pictech will choose a low price.

E. True

Step-by-step explanation:

Game theory looks at the interactions between participants in a competitive game and calculates the best choice for the player.

Dominant strategy is the best option for a player regardless of what the other player is playing.

Nash equilibrium is the best outcome for players where no player has an incentive to change their decisions.

If either firm prices high, the best strategy for the other firm is to charge low. This is because the firm that charges low earns a profit of 15 which is the highest amount of profit that can be earned in this case. If the other firm also charges low, it would earn a profit of 9 which is less than 15

If either firm prices low, the best strategy for the other firm is to charge low. Its this strategy that yields the highest profit for the firm in this case. If the other firm a charges high, it would earn a profit of 3 which is less than 9.

If both firms do not collude (they do not agree on the price to sell), the best strategy is to price low because the payoffs of pricing low (15,9) is greater than the payoff of pricing high (3,11).

It is a prisoners dilemma because the nash equilibrium is not the best option for either firms. The best strategy is colluding and keeping the price high. Hence it is a prisoners' dilemma

I hope my answer helps you