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Technology, Game Production, Game Developers: Understanding Gameswork in South Korea

테크놀로지, 생산 환경, 생산자의 관계 짓기 : 국내 게임 생산의 장의 이해

  • Jin, Yae-Won (Yonsei University, Graduate School of Arts and Communication)
  • 진예원 (연세대학교 커뮤니케이션대학원 미디어문화연구학과)
  • Received : 2018.10.19
  • Accepted : 2019.01.30
  • Published : 2019.02.20

Abstract

This article examines technological innovation's impact on the game production field and on the developers' subjectivity and labor. It focuses on the appearance of the new stage of digitalization via mobile devices during the period when the leading sector of game industry rapidly shifted to Mobile games. Though the in-depth interview with the game developers, this article explores the changes in organizational and management approaches and in the developers' experience and perception of their labor. Given the serious shortage of the related literature, I believe this analysis could provide a new perspective in understanding the gameswork of specific time and location.

이 글은 테크놀로지적 혁신이 게임 생산의 장, 생산자들의 경험 및 주체 인식과 맺는 관계에 주목한다. 모바일 테크놀로지의 출현과 함께, 국내 게임 시장의 중심은 온라인 게임에서 모바일 게임으로 이동하였으나, 관련해 게임 노동의 변화에 대한 학술적 논의는 매우 부족한 상황이다. 따라서, 본 고에서는 질적 연구방법론의 하나인 심층인터뷰를 통해 수집된 자료를 기반으로, 생산환경과 생산자 개인의 경험이 변화해온 양상을 기존 게임 노동과 관련한 다양한 논의를 기반으로 해석을 시도하였다.

Keywords

KGOHCL_2019_v19n1_121_f0001.png 이미지

[Fig. 1] Market share change of domestic game industry (2011~2015) (unit: %)[27]

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[Fig. 2] Revenue Scale of Game Platforms (2015) (unit: %)[27]

[Table 1] Characteristics of Interviewees

KGOHCL_2019_v19n1_121_t0001.png 이미지

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