{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T04:31:51Z","timestamp":1750221111606,"version":"3.41.0"},"reference-count":81,"publisher":"Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]],"date-time":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1541980800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.acm.org\/publications\/policies\/copyright_policy#Background"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["dl.acm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Comput. Entertain."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Recent years have witnessed independent game production rise to a prominent position in the digital game industry. Be it by the fresh, innovative take it brought to the scene or by its rebellious attitude towards what is perceived as mainstream, the term \u201cindie game\u201d has become somewhat of a buzzword. The following study displays a series of findings of research fieldwork aiming to advance the study of indie game development by investigating organizational and managerial practices commonly adopted by these developers. Relying on semi-structured interviews conducted with lead developers of seven Brazilian indie game firms, the connections, similarities, and differences among these developers\u2019 firm structure and project management practices and those of the larger game industry is explored, utilizing the lenses of scope, organization, time, cost, and quality management as a starting point. Given the growing and significant relevance of the game industry as a whole, this empirical study offers pragmatic data on the still-niche research topic of indie games.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1145\/3276322","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,13]],"date-time":"2018-11-13T13:20:16Z","timestamp":1542115216000},"page":"1-16","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Aspects of Independent Game Production"],"prefix":"10.1145","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Le\u00f4nidas S.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maur\u00edcio M. S.","family":"Bernardes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"320","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_1_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.entcom.2016.08.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"L. Bardin. 2013. L'analyse de contenu. Presses universitaires de France.  L. Bardin. 2013. L'analyse de contenu. Presses universitaires de France.","DOI":"10.3917\/puf.bard.2013.01"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","unstructured":"B. Bates. 2004. Game Design. Boston: Thomson Course Technology.  B. Bates. 2004. Game Design. Boston: Thomson Course Technology."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","unstructured":"R. A. Belei S. R. Gimeniz-Paschoal E. N. Nascimento and P. H. V. R. Matsumoto. 2008. O uso de entrevista observa\u00e7\u00e3o e videograva\u00e7\u00e3o em pesquisa qualitativa. Cadernos de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o - FaE\/PPGE\/UFPel Pelotas 30 1 (2008) 187--199.  R. A. Belei S. R. Gimeniz-Paschoal E. N. Nascimento and P. H. V. R. Matsumoto. 2008. O uso de entrevista observa\u00e7\u00e3o e videograva\u00e7\u00e3o em pesquisa qualitativa. Cadernos de Educa\u00e7\u00e3o - FaE\/PPGE\/UFPel Pelotas 30 1 (2008) 187--199."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","unstructured":"E. Bethke. 2003. Game Development and Production. Wordware Publishing Plano.   E. Bethke. 2003. Game Development and Production. Wordware Publishing Plano."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1555412009339732"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.techfore.2016.10.073"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G. A. Cignoni. 2001. Reporting about the mod software process. In Software Process Technology V. Ambriola (Ed.). Springer Berlin 242--245.   G. A. Cignoni. 2001. Reporting about the mod software process. In Software Process Technology V. Ambriola (Ed.). Springer Berlin 242--245.","DOI":"10.1007\/3-540-45752-6_19"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/job.460"},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2006","author":"Cook D.","key":"e_1_2_1_10_1"},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2006","author":"Cook D.","key":"e_1_2_1_11_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/03090560010342764"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1590\/0104-4060.357"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_1","unstructured":"Entertainment Software Association. 2016. Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry 2016. Retrieved from http:\/\/essentialfacts.theesa.com\/Essential-Facts-2016.pdf.  Entertainment Software Association. 2016. Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry 2016. Retrieved from http:\/\/essentialfacts.theesa.com\/Essential-Facts-2016.pdf."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_1","unstructured":"European Union. 2003. Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro small and medium-sized enterprises Official Journal of the European Union \u00a7 (2003). European Union: Official Journal of the European Union. Retrieved from http:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX:32003H0361.  European Union. 2003. Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro small and medium-sized enterprises Official Journal of the European Union \u00a7 (2003). European Union: Official Journal of the European Union. Retrieved from http:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX:32003H0361."},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2011","author":"Fahey R.","key":"e_1_2_1_16_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdeveco.2010.01.009"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.telpol.2011.12.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_19_1","first-page":"85","article-title":"Paratext and meaning-making in indie games","volume":"6","author":"Fiadotau M.","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Compar. Res. Anthropol. Sociol."},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2017","key":"e_1_2_1_20_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_21_1","unstructured":"M. B. Garda and P. Grabarczyk. 2016. Is every indie game independent? towards the concept of independent game. Retrieved from http:\/\/gamestudies.org\/1601\/articles\/gardagrabarczyk.  M. B. Garda and P. Grabarczyk. 2016. Is every indie game independent? towards the concept of independent game. Retrieved from http:\/\/gamestudies.org\/1601\/articles\/gardagrabarczyk."},{"volume-title":"Porto Alegre: Editor","year":"2009","author":"Gerhardt T. E.","key":"e_1_2_1_22_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compind.2016.04.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_24_1","unstructured":"J. Graham. 2011. Am i indie? Game Developer Magazine: Game Career Guide Special Issue (2011) 85.  J. Graham. 2011. Am i indie? Game Developer Magazine: Game Career Guide Special Issue (2011) 85."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_25_1","unstructured":"J. Grubb. 2012. How fez's first-day sales compare to braid limbo and other XBLA hits. Retrieved May 1 2018 from https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/2012\/04\/14\/fez-20000-units-sold-on-first-day\/.  J. Grubb. 2012. How fez's first-day sales compare to braid limbo and other XBLA hits. Retrieved May 1 2018 from https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/2012\/04\/14\/fez-20000-units-sold-on-first-day\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_26_1","first-page":"18","article-title":"Cultures of independent game production: Examining the relationship between community and labour","volume":"1","author":"Guevara-Villalobos O.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Dig. Games Res. Assoc."},{"volume-title":"Handbook of Digital Games (730--750)","author":"Guevara-Villalobos O.","key":"e_1_2_1_27_1"},{"volume-title":"Proceedings of the 2015 DiGRA International Conference (DIGRA\u201915)","year":"2015","author":"Guevara-Villalobos O.","key":"e_1_2_1_28_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_29_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"When passion isnt enough: Gender, affect and credibility in digital games design","volume":"20","author":"Harvey A.","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Cult. Stud."},{"volume-title":"Changing the Rules of the Game","author":"Hotho S.","key":"e_1_2_1_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137318411"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_31_1","first-page":"29","article-title":"Small businesses in the new creative industries: Innovation as a people management challenge","volume":"49","author":"Hotho S.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Manage"},{"volume-title":"Changing the Rules of the Game","author":"Hotho S.","key":"e_1_2_1_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137318411"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1555412008314128"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_34_1","unstructured":"D. Irish. 2005. The Game Producer's Handbook. Thomson Course Technology Boston.   D. Irish. 2005. The Game Producer's Handbook. Thomson Course Technology Boston."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0266242613498789"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_36_1","unstructured":"J. Juul. 1999. A Clash Between Game and Narrative: Danish literature. University of Copenhagen. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.jesperjuul.net\/.  J. Juul. 1999. A Clash Between Game and Narrative: Danish literature. University of Copenhagen. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.jesperjuul.net\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_37_1","unstructured":"C. Keith. 2010. Agile Game Development with Scrum. Addison-Wesley Boston.   C. Keith. 2010. Agile Game Development with Scrum. Addison-Wesley Boston."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/14626000910977206"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_39_1","unstructured":"S. L. Kent. 2001. The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon-The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Three Rivers Press New York NY.   S. L. Kent. 2001. The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon-The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Three Rivers Press New York NY."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_40_1","article-title":"Live life to the power of PS2: Locating the digital games industry in the new media","volume":"9","author":"Kerr A.","year":"2003","journal-title":"Irish Communications Review"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"A. Kerr. 2006. The Business and Culture of Digital Games. Sage Publications London.   A. Kerr. 2006. The Business and Culture of Digital Games. Sage Publications London.","DOI":"10.4135\/9781446211410"},{"volume-title":"Proceedings of the IX Simp\u00f3sio Brasileiro de Jogos E Entretenimento Digital (SBGames\u201910)","year":"2010","author":"Laubisch A.","key":"e_1_2_1_42_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_43_1","first-page":"8","article-title":"Examining indie's independence: The meaning of \u201cindie \u201d games, the politics of production, and mainstream co-optation","volume":"7","author":"Lipkin N.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Loading"},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2011","author":"Luban P.","key":"e_1_2_1_44_1"},{"volume-title":"Changing the Rules of the Game","author":"McNeish W.","key":"e_1_2_1_45_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1142\/S021819401650042X"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_47_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1367549407088331"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_48_1","unstructured":"J. Novak. 2012. Game Development Essentials: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning Delmar.  J. Novak. 2012. Game Development Essentials: An Introduction (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning Delmar."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_49_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbusres.2016.12.030"},{"volume-title":"Proceedings of the Conference on Digital Games Research Association: DeFragging Game Studies (DiGRA\u201913)","year":"2013","author":"Parker F.","key":"e_1_2_1_50_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_51_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7238\/a.v0i54.2818"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/09548963.2015.1031480"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_53_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G. Poderi and D. J. Hakken. 2014. Modding a free and open source software video game: \u201cPlay testing is hard work.\u201d Transformative Works and Cultures 15 1 (2014).  G. Poderi and D. J. Hakken. 2014. Modding a free and open source software video game: \u201cPlay testing is hard work.\u201d Transformative Works and Cultures 15 1 (2014).","DOI":"10.3983\/twc.2014.0493"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_54_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444813504266"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"H. Postigo. 2010. Modding to the big leagues: Exploring the space between modders and the game industry. First Monday 15 5 (2010).  H. Postigo. 2010. Modding to the big leagues: Exploring the space between modders and the game industry. First Monday 15 5 (2010).","DOI":"10.5210\/fm.v15i5.2972"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_56_1","unstructured":"PWC. (2016). Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2016. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/industry\/entertainment-media\/publications\/global-entertainment-media-outlook\/video-games.html.  PWC. (2016). Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2016. Retrieved from http:\/\/www.pwc.com\/us\/en\/industry\/entertainment-media\/publications\/global-entertainment-media-outlook\/video-games.html."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.emj.2006.05.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_58_1","unstructured":"A. Rollings and D. Morris. 2004. Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition. New Riders Indianapolis.   A. Rollings and D. Morris. 2004. Game Architecture and Design: A New Edition. New Riders Indianapolis."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_59_1","first-page":"144","article-title":"Immaterial fordism: The paradox of game industry labour","volume":"1","author":"Schumacher L.","year":"2006","journal-title":"Work Organis. Labour Global."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"S. Shaw and G. Homan. 2013. HR Issues in the computer games industry: Survival at a price. In Changing the Rules of the Game S. Hotho and N. McGregor (Eds.) Palgrave Macmillan UK London 122--141.  S. Shaw and G. Homan. 2013. HR Issues in the computer games industry: Survival at a price. In Changing the Rules of the Game S. Hotho and N. McGregor (Eds.) Palgrave Macmillan UK London 122--141.","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137318411_8"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D. A. Shepherd and J. Wiklund. 2005. Entrepreneurial Small Businesses: A Resource-based Perspective. Edward Elgar Publishing Cheltenham UK.  D. A. Shepherd and J. Wiklund. 2005. Entrepreneurial Small Businesses: A Resource-based Perspective. Edward Elgar Publishing Cheltenham UK.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781845425692"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_62_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Indie Eh? Some kind of game studies","volume":"7","author":"Simon B.","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Can. Game Stud. Assoc."},{"volume-title":"Proceedings of the Internet Research 5.0 Conference.","year":"2004","author":"Sotamaa O.","key":"e_1_2_1_63_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_64_1","unstructured":"S. Spaulding II. 2009. Team Leadership in the Game Industry. Course Technology Boston.   S. Spaulding II. 2009. Team Leadership in the Game Industry. Course Technology Boston."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_65_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1409360.1409387"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_66_1","unstructured":"C. Steinkuehler and B. Z. Johnson. 2011. Computational literacy in online games: The social life of mods. In Discoveries in Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations R. E. Ferdig (Ed.) Information Science Reference Hershey.  C. Steinkuehler and B. Z. Johnson. 2011. Computational literacy in online games: The social life of mods. In Discoveries in Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations R. E. Ferdig (Ed.) Information Science Reference Hershey."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_67_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/job.465"},{"volume-title":"Retrieved","year":"2013","author":"Tozour P.","key":"e_1_2_1_68_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_69_1","unstructured":"J. R. Turner. 2009. The Handbook of Project-based Management (3rd ed.). McGraw--Hill Professional New York NY.  J. R. Turner. 2009. The Handbook of Project-based Management (3rd ed.). McGraw--Hill Professional New York NY."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"J. van Bree. 2014. Game Based Organization Design (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan New York NY.  J. van Bree. 2014. Game Based Organization Design (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan New York NY.","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137351487_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_71_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1328202.1328245"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_72_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9310.2006.00436.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_73_1","first-page":"78","article-title":"Independent game development as craft","volume":"7","author":"Westecott E.","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Can. Game Stud. Assoc."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_74_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14241270209389979"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_75_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1329878X0511500111"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_76_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ntwe.12042"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_77_1","unstructured":"R. K. Yin. 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications Thousand Oaks CA.  R. K. Yin. 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods (3rd ed.). Sage Publications Thousand Oaks CA."},{"volume-title":"Changing the Rules of the Game","author":"Zackariasson P.","key":"e_1_2_1_78_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_79_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1300\/J396v27n04_05"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_80_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/10595421011029857"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_81_1","unstructured":"E. Zimmerman. 2002. Do independent games exist? In Game On: The History and Culture of Videogames L. King (Ed.). Laurence King Publishing London 120--129.  E. Zimmerman. 2002. Do independent games exist? In Game On: The History and Culture of Videogames L. King (Ed.). Laurence King Publishing London 120--129."}],"container-title":["Computers in Entertainment"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.1145\/3276322","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1145\/3276322","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,18]],"date-time":"2025-06-18T01:01:58Z","timestamp":1750208518000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.1145\/3276322"}},"subtitle":["An Exploratory Study"],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]]},"references-count":81,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1145\/3276322"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3276322","relation":{},"ISSN":["1544-3574"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1544-3574"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,11,12]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2017-08-01","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2018-06-01","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2018-11-12","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}