Arrested (game) development: labour and lifestyles of independent video game creators in Cape Town

ABSTRACT

The global video games industry is one of the largest entertainment sectors. Independent, or “indie” video game producers make games using small production budgets, outside of larger corporate game companies. In South Africa, video game production is a new industry. Because of the absence of large game companies, formalised production and distribution infrastructure, all producers are independent. This essay is primarily an ethnographic account of the work and lifestyles of a community of video game creators in Cape Town. I approach the category of “youth” to address the sociological facts of those who work in independent game development and as a metaphor for the emerging game development industry in Cape Town. I show how indie game developers attempt to “evangelise” their craft, hoping to grow the industry by attracting more creators and consumers. They negotiate the tensions of the haphazard work rhythms and uncertainty of financial security and their desire to express themselves by making a career out of creating meaningful cultural artefacts, eschewing mainstream expectations and definitions of success. The essay concludes with a discussion on how the industry could grow in the future, and the possible impact of this growth on the current culture of work and community.

KEYWORDS:

• Video game development
• precarious work
• independent gaming
• creative industry
• South Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Crystal Farmer

Crystal Farmer is completing her Masters in Social Anthropology at Stellenbosch University. She spent three years researching the socio-spatial entanglements of the Cape Town independent video game development scene. She works as a Learning Technologist at an eLearning agency.