Games, Game Studios and Clusters
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2017-08-31
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en
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In this thesis I aim to answer the question which institutional aspects of game development companies hinder or improve the sharing of information within the cluster Dutch Game Garden. In order to answer this question I used the method of grounded theory, conducting semi-structured interviews with the game development companies GainPlay Studio, Active Cues, Sneaky Mammoth, and Abbey Games. These interviews were based on the literature review and structured with the help of Linda Argote and Ella Miron-Spektor's framework for organizational learning, as well as concepts from the field of institutional theory. This has lead to the following findings. All companies use a flexible development process, generally don't work with sanction, and grant their employees open access to information within the company. This in combination with the openness and informal atmosphere present in all interviewees' companies, as well as the informal and friendly atmosphere within the clusters itself create a suitable environment for the exchange of information. Helping each other out in terms of sharing experiences and providing small services to one another seems to already happen on an informal level, usually in the form of impromptu, informal meetings. The only aspects which can potentially hinder the sharing of information within the cluster are the limitations to the specificity of information being shared, introduced by non-disclosure agreement (NdA) which companies have to sign for their clients, and the notion that sharing information can also be a hindrance. This hindrance is either perceived by the companies in the form of reduced short-term revenues as the result of time spend on interacting with other companies, or in the form of disrupting the creative process as the result of the informal and ad hoc nature of these interactions.
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