Lost in the App Store: The State of the Canadian Game App Economy

Abstract

This commentary discusses the political economy of apps. The authors found that Canadian-made game apps are notably absent in the Canadian App Store. This should be both worrying and surprising, as Canada has a relatively sizable game industry. While policy conversations on digital transformation focus on emerging technology, the authors point toward the power and politics of digital platforms as one of the key issues preventing growth in the Canadian digital economy.Ce commentaire discute de l’économie politique des applications. Les auteurs ont observé que les applis de jeu fabriqués au Canada sont absents de l’App Store canadien. Cette situation devrait surprendre et inquiéter, puisque le Canada a une industrie du jeu relativement grande. Les conversations sur les politiques relatives à la transformation numérique portent en grande partie sur les technologies émergentes, mais les auteurs tiennent à souligner que le pouvoir et les politiques relatifs aux plateformes numériques sont parmi les raisons clés pour lesquelles l’économie numérique au Canada ne croît pas autant qu’elle le pourrait.

The Case of This War of Mine: A Production Studies Perspective on Moral Game Design

“…First, tension between creativity and profit often drives aspects of design and development in games (Nieborg, 2011). Like any product-based industry, having a skillset and an idea is not sufficient to be successful; capital is critical for production.…”

“…First, we present current discourses in games ethics and war game literatures, and position how this research is a step toward filling an empirical gap. Then, we define important considerations in the production studies field relevant to the study of moral game design by building on reflective design literatures (Julier, 2006), production literatures (Bourdieu & Johnson, 1993; Nieborg, 2011; O’Donnell, 2014), and ethical design practices (Sandovar et al, 2016; Sicart, 2009; Zagal, 2009). Lastly, after a short consideration of the methodological challenges and limitations of a focus group interview, we focus on the main results of our analysis.…”

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

“…Historically, triple-A studios (large studio corporations, e.g., Ubisoft, Electronic Arts) focused their development on blockbuster games. Blockbuster games follow a “hit-driven publishing strategy” that relies on profiting from established franchises for revenue (Nieborg, 2011, p. 3). This relies on one-time purchases of polished retail products from large, established fan bases (Nieborg, 2011; White, Koch, Gehrke, & Demers, 2009).…”

“…Blockbuster games follow a “hit-driven publishing strategy” that relies on profiting from established franchises for revenue (Nieborg, 2011, p. 3). This relies on one-time purchases of polished retail products from large, established fan bases (Nieborg, 2011; White, Koch, Gehrke, & Demers, 2009). Several critiques emerged out of this form of monetization including a stagnation in creative game aesthetics.…”

“…Several critiques emerged out of this form of monetization including a stagnation in creative game aesthetics. Combined with high development costs, risk aversion meant developers were less likely to take creative risks, placing a greater emphasis on sequels and proven genres (Nieborg, 2011). Consumers were additionally required to purchase games in full before playing leading to consumer uncertainty as they were unable to assess the value before purchase (Andersson & Andersson, 2006).…”