Contrasting Proprietary and Free/Open Source Game Development

Abstract

Free/Libre Open Source Software (F/LOSS) development practices are gaining momentum in the computer game industry. This traditionally proprietary industry is becoming more interested in the F/LOSS paradigm for developing complex software projects. Software practitioners, both managers and developers, need to understand the potential in order to benefit properly from incorporating F/LOSS practices into their proprietary production cycle. Comparisons between proprietary and F/LOSS software development processes are usually characterized in terms of the relationship between property rights, revenue distribution and power within a network of actors. By contrast, coordination and control practices, mediating artifacts and development tools, and the interactions between the different actors involved in the development are often neglected. Proprietary and F/LOSS development differ in terms of the knowledge exchanges between the relevant actors and the different strategies employed to overcome information asymmetries. Recognizing this difference is an essential step for evaluating how proprietary, closed-source software houses can benefit by integrating various F/LOSS practices into their development agenda.