Balancing Ethics, Art and Economics
A Qualitative Analysis of Game Designer Perspectives on Monetisation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18993151 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Faltin Karlsen (0000-0002-1287-2039, Høyskolen Kristiania, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 639-656 |
| Publication date | 2022-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Games and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1555-4120 • E-ISSN: 1555-4139 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15554120211049579 |
| OpenAlex | W4200097357 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 17 |
This article explores the relationship between monetisation models, game design and ethical considerations from the perspective of three different small-scale Norwegian game companies: an indie company, a freemium company and a premium company. The aim is to explore critically how small-scale game companies reason and act in the current economy. Interviews with game designers and CEOs form the empirical basis of the analysis. The motives and practices of the informants are categorised according to three ethical schools, namely, deontology, virtue ethics, and utilitarianism. The informants believe that freemium models and free games have made the computer game industry markedly more challenging to monetise. Their views on what is considered ethical monetisation varies between companies, most distinctly between the freemium company and the two others. Informants from the freemium company downplay ethical responsibilities, with reference to the huge number of existing free games and costumers unwilling to pay for games
Business · Commercialization · Game design · Game Developer · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Utilitarianism · Virtue · Virtue ethics · Art History and Market Analysis · Computer Science · Digital Games and Media · Gambling Behavior and Treatments · Marketing
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| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,67 |
| Citation span | 2023 - 2026 (4) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |