User Communities and Social Software in the Video Game Industry

Co-Creation in the Game Industry: A Case Study in a Brazilian Developer

“…For the author, this process of co-creating, through interactivity, the possibility of content customization, awakens a pleasant and effective interaction between the player and the system within these virtual communities. However, the definition of an organizational strategy based on or with elements of co-creation needs to be aided by the knowledge of the existing community; The typology of [30], explained below, can help identify the main types of community users and their connections with the company. They can also help in the definition of guidelines for co-creation of value for the company and to answer strategic questions such as: Are organizational strategies aligned with the community?…”

“…Reference [30] reports that a particular gap exists in these studies regarding the nature of the relationship between the company and the community. In their opinion, a) the domain of knowledge and cognitive activities that the company should delegate to user communities; b) After the delegation of these domains, little research answers the question of how companies can seize or direct communities to make this effort lucrative.…”

“…Technology/beta tester -The company tries to catch the attention of users -The game is developed without the community Developer -The company tries to take advantage of the whole community production Source: Adapted from [30].…”

“…Users with such characteristics would usually belong to the technology/beta tester communities of the typology (see Figure 2) of [30].…”

“…Concerning Following the typology of [30], it can be stated that Oktagon consumers can be considered as testers, "technology testers/beta" and "creative testers", and when players, "open player" and "game organizer". In both cases, the consumers are at the bottom of the pyramid.…”