Group items tagged

Abstract: "The video game industry is a billion dollar industry with an ever-growing fan base. Massachusetts, along with other states, has begun to take an interest in further developing this dynamic industry. A problem facing many policy makers and economic developers is accurately defining the video game industry, determining the types of workers that form of human capital within its workforce and where these businesses are located. This study helps to solve this problem by converting video game credits, found in all video games, into Standard Occupational Codes to identify the types of workers who comprise the industry and by conducting spatial analysis using Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). It also uses the Occupational Information Network to evaluate what forms of human capital comprises the video game industry. The results show the video game workforce comprises both creative workers such as artists and musicians, but also computer programmers, engineers, and business management and marketing professionals. This workforce tends to be concentrated not only in larger U.S. metropolitan areas but also in regions with a significant high-technology workforce, college towns, and government laboratories. Also, as this diverse workforce contains a wide variety of skills and abilities, a common theme is being able to work together as a team to develop a product. This study is part of a growing body of research and initiatives to identify and to locate new, creative industries within metropolitan regions. This research will contribute to future research using occupational analysis to identify new and growing industries."

Description in Google Books: "The Video Game Industry provides a platform for the research on the video game industry to draw a coherent and informative picture of this industry. Previously this has been done sparsely through conference papers, research articles, and popular science books. Although the study of this industry is still stigmatized as frivolous and 'only' game oriented, those who grew up with video games are changing things, especially research agendas, the acceptance of studies, and their interpretation. This book describes and defines video games as their own special medium. They are not pinball from which they grew, nor movies which they sometimes resemble. They are a unique form of entertainment based on meaningful interactions between individuals and machine across a growing sector of the population. The Video Game Industry provides a reference foundation for individuals seriously interested in the industry at the academic level. As a result, this book will serve as a reference in curricula associated with video game development for years to come. "

Abstract: Video games are no longer a means of simple entertainment that serve as a form of escapism. They are perceived not simply as free time distractions, but as logic of engagement and platforms of creative thinking. Furthermore, online video games have taken the idea of interaction to a level no any other media has ever achieved. Online video games known as virtual world or MMO (massively multiplayer online) are a mega interaction platform that attract millions of players across the globe. They are the ultimate goal that all architects have ever dreamed of, i.e. to create an interactive space that satis es the needs of users. This thesis research will tend to examine a variety of video games from 3 perspectives: space, structure and interactivity, with a view to understanding and exploring the behaviour of players in video games, as known as, virtual stages. In recognizing and articulating such behaviour, followed by exploring the relationship between architects, users and spaces, the interpretation of architectural languages can then be translated into physical spatial form. This research then questions the possibilities of promoting the gaming industry in South Africa. In the current digital era, the IT (information and technology) industry is a main stream profession that helps with the growth of a country as a whole. The role of the gaming industry therefore cannot be ignored in this instance. The gaming industry is a rapid growing profession that comprises a lot of speci c professionals. SA does not offer nor focus on the video game eld and as a result, we are experiencing a shortage of professionals in this eld. This thesis proposes a facility to facilitate current and future game industry related professionals, on the same time, providing a playful environment that integrates the building and local context, allowing deeper engagement for those who haven t been exposed to the real meaning behind video games.

Abstract: "The main goal of this research is to understand how Utrecht's business environment must be developed in order to increase the region's international competiveness in the gaming industry. Utrecht's aim is to specialize in the gaming industry. In this research it is estimated that Utrecht is focused on small digital development game companies. The results indicate that Utrecht's competitive advantages are in its policy intervention, low labor wages and real estate costs, well developed demographical factors and infrastructure compared to the other investigated European cities. However, Utrecht scores below average on the categories of investments, quality of life and human resources. Once Utrecht has a stronger promotional effort in the gaming industry, it enlarges its attraction to draw game companies and to better its international position."

Abstract: "Digitalization has given rise to new opportunities for small and medium-sized video game development studios. No longer bound by physical products and creative restrains, the de-veloper has been empowered with independency. This qualitative study is aimed to under-stand how a development studio develops their business model and how underlying strate-gy is formulated. Additionally we evaluate the degree of innovativeness of the business model in terms of radical and incremental innovation according to Damanpour (1991). To achieve this we present a comprehensive literature review as to gain a more theoretical un-derstanding of industry mechanics and to be able to comprehend reasoning behind existing business models. We structure the dynamics of the business model by analyzing nine busi-ness model aspects as suggested by Osterwalder, Pigneur and Clark (2010). Following our theoretical framework we gain practical input from four separate case studies. An interpret-ative research method is used to gain better understanding of reasoning and choices made. We interpret our findings following a narrative approach which shows that the digitaliza-tion has preluded a paradigm shift in the sense that development studios have started to adopt activities otherwise performed by key partners. As barriers dissipate small and me-dium-sized development studios try to make sense of the current industry, but struggle in doing so. Having to reinvent themselves we conclude that a focus towards creating thicker customer relationships is considered and the idea of seeing games as a service is acknowl-edged to depict the future of the industry. The conclusions of this study contribute to both academic science and industry practice."

Abstract: Through a retrospective account of the evolution of China's online game industry, this paper examines the political, economic and cultural factors, with an emphasis on formal policy making, that have shaped the industry. Drawing on the theory of fragmented authoritarianism, this study finds that 10 Chinese online games are deeply shaped by the political environment of the autocratic Chinese system, which features inter-ministerial competition and intertwined state control and commercial interests. The current Chinese online market is combined with a strong private sector presence and a considerable government role. The Chinese government seems to have achieved its policy goal of helping Chinese companies to dominate the domestic market. However, the extensive and ambiguous government 15 policy and regulations, have, to some extent, restrains innovation. To that end, whether China can accomplish its three-stepped importation-substitution-creation strategy in this highly creative industry remains to be seen and warrants future investigation."

"One of the emerging fields in the Creative Industry is Serious Gaming. In the Municipality of Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, a small number of (Serious) gaming companies is established. One of the fields of Interest, the Municipality tries to develop, is the health care sector. Despite the foreseen growing demand for Serious game products in this sector, the Gaming segment of the Creative Industry has not developed to an economically sustainable entity yet. In this paper we will describe the efforts that were undertaken to develop the Creative Industry and especially the Serious Gaming segment. This choice was made because of seemingly inconsistent policy decisions of some key stakeholders concerning this emerging field. Following we will present a theoretical framework how a cluster could be formed that will be able to survive without governmental aid. This framework is based on a theoretical review and on two examples of existing clusters in Japan and Germany. The paper will end by raising some questions for future research and discussion."

abstract: "This paper examines video game sales by platform in the North American market from a period spanning 2006 through 2011. As the home video game industry has rapidly matured and become established as a forefront facet of interactive entertainment in the home, we seek to determine what aspects of the video game market seem to most impact sales. This question is particularly poignant as the maturation of the video game industry has witnessed efforts at both vertical integration and horizontal expansion on the part of the top game publishers and developers in hopes of solidly grounding the industry. This study employs a Kruskal-Wallis test to compare eight different gaming platforms. The results indicate Nintendo's Wii and DS are the top selling game platforms, Xbox 360 is in a second tier, multiple Sony PlayStation platforms are in the third tier, personal computer games are in tier four, and the retired sixth generation Nintendo GameCube is the lowest sales tier."

"The swift migration of gamers such as Ingegneri from costly consoles to smartphones and tablets, where games are often free or 99 cents, is causing a tectonic shift in the video game industry that has hit a burgeoning sector of the Massachusetts economy especially hard. Two Massachusetts game makers abruptly closed in October, sales of console-based games are plummeting, and game makers are struggling to resize games designed for large screens so they will perform as well on a smaller window. "

From the introduction: "With the sudden and massive influx of mobile technologies, the need for efficient agile techniques in the video game de- velopment industry has amplified further. With relatively short lifecycles and unique input, size, and performance constraints, as well as dealing with a wide range of device hardware, the industrys development process as a whole has had to adapt in order to survive. We present a subset of these adopted methods and technologies as they pertain to agile development in the video game industry."

Published May 2015, from publisher's description: "Video games have become a global industry, and their history spans dozens of national industries where foreign imports compete with domestic productions, legitimate industry contends with piracy, and national identity faces the global marketplace. This volume describes video game history and culture across every continent, with essays covering areas as disparate and far-flung as Argentina and Thailand, Hungary and Indonesia, Iran and Ireland."

CAMBRIDGE, MA, Mar 22, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- "The gaming industry is a harsh environment in which to start and to grow a business. It's risky, hits-driven, and traditionally receives minimal support from governments, banks, incubators, and most modern institutions devoted to nurturing new companies. How then does one survive and, ultimately, thrive? Thursday, April 5, 2012, the 4th Annual MIT Sloan Business and Gaming (BiG) Conference will gather industry insiders, independent developers, gaming enthusiasts, venture capitalists, attorneys, academics, and students from across MIT and other top-tier colleges for a day-long exploration into the business side of the gaming industry." MIT BiG is being held on the MIT Sloan campus in Cambridge, MA the day before PAX East -- one of the country's largest events celebrating gaming culture -- which takes place in Boston, making it convenient for participants to attend both conferences.

The UK video game industry was ecstatic today after the Chancellor of the Exchequer (akin to the US Secretary of the Treasury) announced that the government would make tax credits available to UK video game developers in the next budget.

"One Shrewsbury company is bringing online, tech. and video game-related jobs to the area. Elevation Exhibits & Events, an exhibit design and event-planning firm, announced a new client, Rooster Teeth. The newly added user is one of the fastest-growing online communities in the comic book, video, film and gaming industry."

Discloses some striking findings from Mass DiGi's survey of Massachusetts game companies last summer, specifically that employment in the industry increased 78% over a three year period and that "nearly forty percent" of survey respondents indicated an intention to increase employment.

Links to press release, summary results and press coverage of Mass DiGi's survey of Massachusetts game companies documenting exceptional industry growth

A hub of career information in the video game industry, including industry news, news stories, career advice, online communities, and other material of interest to aspiring game designers and developers

Abstract: "This essay is about common problems that can arise during game development projects. It is focused around the production cycle and how the game industry treats the game development pipeline. It mainly describes issues with communication within game development teams, problems concerning planning and how the design process affects members of the game development team's work process and efficiency. It includes an analysis of common problems that I have found during my studies of literature describing the game industry, a short research study of post mortems written by game developers and a survey about game design documentation and communication sent out to game developers and game design students."

Abstract: "A number of changes are occurring in the field of computer game development: persistent online games, digital distribution platforms, social and mobile games, and the emer- gence of new business models have pushed game development to put heavier emphasis on the live operation of games. Artificial intelligence has long been an important part of game development practices. The forces of change in the industry present an opportunity for Game AI to have new and profound impact on game development practices. Specifically, Game AI agents should act as "producers" responsible for managing a long-running set of live games, their player communities, and real-world context. We characterize a confluence of four major forces at play in the games industry today, together producing a wealth of data that opens unique research opportunities and challenges for Game AI as producers. We enumerate 12 new research areas spawned by these forces and steps toward how they can be addressed by data-driven Game AI Producers"

"In this episode of the Ars Technicast, we talk about where we think the industry is headed and which new players might have real impact. Senior Apple Editor Jacqui Cheng, Social Editor Cesar Torres, and Senior Reviews Editor Lee Hutchinson join Kyle in a discussion about hardware, software, and indie development issues."