The Impact of ABS with MMORPG Games for Developing Entrepreneurship in Young People

It is proposed to evaluate the impact of a Simulation-Based Learning (ABS) module that integrates free MMORPGs on the development of entrepreneurial competencies among undergraduate students (18–25 years) at Universidad Continental – Arequipa Campus. Using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design, an ABS+MMORPG group will be compared with a group using traditional methodology.

The quantitative component will measure gains in decision-making under uncertainty, problem solving, resource management, teamwork, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy/intention, controlling for covariates such as prior gaming experience, motivation, connectivity, and exposure time. The qualitative component will document perceived usefulness, learning processes during missions, and transfer to real entrepreneurial situations.

The intervention will span 4–6 weeks with guided missions, instructional scaffolding, and structured debriefing. Performance rubrics, standardized scales (ESE, EIQ, Teamwork Quality, PSI), and basic in-game logs will be employed. Analysis will use ANCOVA, mixed-effects models, and dose–response analysis; the qualitative strand will follow thematic analysis with triangulation.

We expect to observe effects of ABS+MMORPG superior to those of the traditional methodology and to outline implementation conditions (fidelity, debriefing quality) that maximize outcomes. The findings will provide accessible, scalable guidelines to strengthen entrepreneurship education, contributing to SDG 4 and SDG 8.

“Free multiplayer video games—beyond entertainment—can become a low-cost educational tool to develop entrepreneurial competencies in resource-constrained contexts.”
[Mgtr. Jorge Luis Obregón Peralta, III UC Pedagogical Innovations Meeting]

This project was launched in a pivot version and presented at the III UC Pedagogical Innovations Meeting. At that stage it solely proposed the innovation of Simulation-Based Learning using free role-playing game simulators for conducting foreign trade exercises. The project was part of the conference talks and received very positive feedback; although it did not receive formal recognition because it was unfinished at the time of presentation. On the other hand, the results were better than expected, measured on a Likert scale, and participants left very heartfelt written dedications.

Globally, the development of entrepreneurial competencies in youth faces two persistent tensions: on the one hand, evidence supports the value of active methodologies based on simulation and serious games to build skills such as decision-making under uncertainty, resource management, and teamwork; on the other hand, the most widespread solutions are paid business simulators that require licenses, infrastructure, and technical support—raising costs and hindering scalability in budget-restricted contexts. In parallel, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)—although designed for recreational purposes—embed dynamics of coordination, resource allocation, strategic planning, and risk management that are analogous to several entrepreneurial competencies. However, the international literature remains incipient regarding the causal effect of incorporating commercial MMORPGs (not expressly conceived as “serious games”) into structured educational interventions.

In Latin America, this tension is heightened by the unequal distribution of resources across institutions and regions, along with gaps in digital infrastructure and connectivity. Although reports and specific experiences indicate promising outcomes from serious games and gamification in business education, adoption faces financial and operational bottlenecks. At the same time, the high youth penetration of gaming and access to free MMORPG titles could offer an accessible pedagogical alternative. Even so, rigorous studies in the region are scarce that assess whether the guided use of MMORPGs—integrated into instructional sequences and formative assessment—produces measurable improvements in entrepreneurial competencies, and under what conditions those effects are maximized.

In the Peruvian context, the promotion of youth entrepreneurship and competency-based learning forms part of guidelines and programs advanced by the State and by higher education institutions. Nevertheless, many universities and youth initiatives lack low-cost options for intensive training in simulated practice environments. The adoption of commercial simulators is constrained by licenses and specialized labs; and although there are educational innovation efforts, there is no robust local evidence comparing the performance of a Simulation-Based Learning (SBL/ABS) intervention that integrates free MMORPGs versus traditional methodologies (e.g., lectures or case studies without simulation). Questions also persist about the equity and internal validity of such experiences, given the possible influence of variables such as intrinsic motivation, prior gaming experience, effective exposure time, and connectivity quality.

In the local setting of Arequipa—where entrepreneurial vocations tied to sectors such as tourism, commerce, and services coexist—budgetary and technological constraints in training programs pose a challenge to delivering practical, scalable training. The availability of labs with paid simulators is limited and uneven across institutions, making it difficult to standardize immersive learning experiences. By contrast, the pedagogical use of free MMORPGs—accompanied by instructor facilitation and instructional design aligned with learning outcomes—could enable safe, collaborative, low-cost practice spaces to develop key competencies, provided their effectiveness is demonstrated and implementation guidelines established.

Despite advances in gamification and serious games, there is a lack of causal evidence in Latin American and Peruvian contexts on the impact of integrating free MMORPGs into a formal Simulation-Based Learning framework in higher education. Specifically, it remains undetermined: (i) the effect size on entrepreneurial competencies relative to traditional methodologies; (ii) the implementation conditions that maximize outcomes; and (iii) impact moderators related to motivation, prior gaming experience, gender, and connectivity. This gap constrains curricular and investment decisions in educational innovation and leaves institutions with budget constraints without an accessible, scalable alternative.

Therefore, this study proposes to empirically evaluate whether a Simulation-Based Learning intervention integrating free MMORPGs generates significant improvements in entrepreneurial competencies among university students in Arequipa, compared to traditional methodologies, and to identify the conditions under which these effects are strongest. The study will seek to control potential biases (motivation, prior gaming experience, exposure time, connectivity) and to estimate differential effects across subgroups. The expected contributions are: theoretical—by clarifying the role of commercial play environments as practice contexts for entrepreneurial development; and practical and policy-oriented—by offering low-cost, scalable guidelines for local institutions seeking to strengthen entrepreneurship education with rigorous evidence.

“It is important to emphasize that, should this research be conclusive, it would validate the development of a cross-curricular elective course—applicable to all majors—based on MMORPG video games that would enhance innovative teaching and entrepreneurship. Thus, Universidad Continental would differentiate itself from other undergraduate institutions by attracting a segment of the student population that has grown up playing such games without ever seeing their real pedagogical value; it would even help students discover their true vocation. This would make Universidad Continental a pioneer in this area, tapping into the unexplored potential within students’ playful domain.”