Introduction: Video Game Industries

Video Games – Industries

In this course, Dr Paolo Ruffino introduces us to the video game industry, with a particular focus on video game production cultures. In the first module, we explore the size, scope and profitability of the video game industry, as well as its global economic context, before moving on in the second module to discuss working conditions, such as “crunch” and other exploitative practices, in video game production cultures. In the third module we dive into the independent (“indie”) game production industry, before in the fourth module exploring how independent game producers develop and distribute their games. In the fifth module, we conclude our exploration of video game production cultures with a thorough recap.

Introduction: Video Game Industries

In this module Dr Paolo Ruffino introduces us to the video game industry, focusing in particular on: (i) video game production cultures; (ii) the size, scope and profitability of the video game industry; (iii) the status of video games as an art form; (iii) the global distribution of video games; (iv) the distribution of video games across mediums, e.g. PC, console and mobile gaming; (v) the importance of the global economic context for the video game industry.