ABSTRACT
As the world of work becomes more precarious and unfulfilling, a growing number of young people are seeking alternative pathways to work that are rewarding, fulfilling, and entrepreneurial. Chapter 2 profiles the formation of a game collective that fosters the development of independent games. The rise of this alternative mode of game creation is set within the context of a game industry marked by contract-based labour, the phenomenon known as crunch or excessive work hours, and a proprietary ethos that forced workers in the corporate game sector to sign non-disclosure and non-compete clauses. Relying mainly on access to relatively cheap production tools, new distribution platforms, and distributed labour, this group of developers fashioned a viable alternative economy for making games. The independent game developers also cultivate social capital to build a viable ecosystem to support indie game creation. For example, the independent game developers use a monthly meet-up to meet other indie developers, share their games for feedback, recruit talent, and sustain an innovation ecosystem that promotes making games. The chapter argues that for this community of independent game developers, game creation is a way to expand the types of games that circulate in the broader games economy.
