The game boy’s network. A network analysis of the German digital games industry

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Kröger Sonja Domahidi Emese Quandt Thorsten
2011 DiGRA '11 - Proceedings of the 2011 DiGRA International Conference: Think Design Play

This paper aims to map the German digital games industry. Using expert interviews and social network analysis, the current paper focuses on the industry development in Germa-ny, identifying structures of organizational and personal networks in the digital games in-dustry. Following a holistic approach, it is argued that while actors of the standard value chain are key units in the digital games industry, stakeholders who influence the political and social discourse have to be taken into account as well. The results show, that not only console manufactures have an outstanding role in the German digital games industry. Considering in-degree and eigenvector centrality, trade associations (e.g. GAME, BIU) and political organizations (e.g. USK, KJM) are well connected and consequently im-portant actors too.

 

Cultures of independent game production: Examining the relationship between community and labour

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Guevara-Villalobos Orlando
2011 DiGRA '11 - Proceedings of the 2011 DiGRA International Conference: Think Design Play

In this paper I aim to show the process in which independent game development is being shaped and leveraged by communities of developers. Despite digital distribution channels and the emergent markets configured around a new generation of mobile and online platforms, indie developers still struggle to develop creatively controlled games mainly by the means of more or less compromising sources of funding. Within this context, I argue that experimentation, user testing and feedback, exploration of ideas, skill acquirement, collaboration and moral support within indie communities are crucial elements of the process of game development. These features constitute the very nature of the events organised by communities, providing a series of emotional, cognitive and practical tools to deal with changing markets and work conditions. In sum, I suggest we might be witnessing the configuration of communities of production as a means by which developers seek to regain creative control over of their own labour.