Circulation

The platformization of cultural production: Theorizing the contingent cultural commodity

“…Consequently, contrary to news organizations, game publishers have always followed platform-native distribution and publishing strategies, which affected the organization of market structures. For over two decades, dedicated game consoles functioned as two-sided markets that served as an attractive venue for game publishers to reach players (Kerr, 2017). As a result of this market configuration, the game industry has historically been subject to strong winner-take-all effects with a relatively small number of premium-priced blockbuster franchises, such as Call of Duty and FIFA , dominating the market.…”

“…The rise of major digital platforms in the mid-2000s, launching social network services, smartphones, and tablets, radically transformed the game industry. Game developers gained access to much wider and diverse audiences as these new platforms offered games that were more accessible both to players and developers (Kerr, 2017). As a result, game apps emerged as a vibrant new sub-segment in the wider game industry, which continues to see double-digit revenue growth on a global basis.…”

How Does Games Critique Impact Game Design Decisions? A Case Study of Monetization and Loot Boxes

“…Previous research in Game Studies examined historical and political economic shifts (see Dyer-Witheford & Peuter, 2009; Marchand & Hennig-Thurau, 2013). However, contemporary shifts including the rise of smartphone and tablet games, independent games development, and shifts in how games are monetized are underrepresented in Game Studies (Kerr, 2017; Whitson, 2012). The role of monetization requires further investigation and arguably impacts how games are consumed and purchased but also who can have a career in games.…”

“…Economic analyses of the video game industry are significant as the industry continues to grow as a large contributor to global media and entertainment economies (Marchand & Hennig-Thurau, 2013). Shifts in models of game development and the reorganization of labor have been previously examined (see Kerr, 2017; Lipkin, 2012; Whitson, 2012). While this article no doubt fits in with work that has tackled the political economy of the video game industry (see Dyer-Witheford & Sharman, 2005; Joseph, 2017; Kerr, 2017) and therefore may fit in with the more economic-centered analyses of political economy more generally, my main focus here is on the processes of critique as a function and how it intersects with production practices and collective understanding of games issues.…”

“…Shifts in models of game development and the reorganization of labor have been previously examined (see Kerr, 2017; Lipkin, 2012; Whitson, 2012). While this article no doubt fits in with work that has tackled the political economy of the video game industry (see Dyer-Witheford & Sharman, 2005; Joseph, 2017; Kerr, 2017) and therefore may fit in with the more economic-centered analyses of political economy more generally, my main focus here is on the processes of critique as a function and how it intersects with production practices and collective understanding of games issues. Issues of how critique shapes and informs games culture and its communities are arguably lost with a focus only on the economics involved.…”