Developer Discourse: Exploring Technical Communication Practices within Video Game Development

ABSTRACT

This study examines the discourse style of managers, developers, engineers, and artists working for an independent game development studio. Fourteen employees were interviewed, and then the results were coded and analyzed using an exploratory, single-case case study methodology. The authors argue that the texts, tactics, and technologies used by these professionals reveal insights into the practical, outcome-oriented dimensions of technical communication within the games industry as well as deeper cultural characteristics of this community.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaboration
• digital games
• digital technologies
• documentation
• engineering communication
• help systems
• knowledge management
• management practices
• organizational communication
• workplace studies

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rudy McDaniel

Rudy McDaniel is associate professor of digital media at the University of Central Florida. His current research focuses on knowledge management and communication strategies in video game development. He also researches digital badges.

Alice Daer

Alice Daer is a content strategist at Findlaw, a part of Thomson Reuters. She is also a member of SIGDOC, the Association for Computing Machinery’s special interest group on the design of communication, and serves on the editorial board of its flagship journal, Communication Design Quarterly.