2022
Hammar, Emil Lundedal
International Solidarity Between Game Workers in the Global North and Global South: Reflections on The Challenges Posed by Labor Aristocracy Journal Article
In: gamenvironments, vol. 17, 2022, ISSN: 2364-382X.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Game developer, Game development, Games, Games industry, Gamevironments, Imperialism, Labor, Labor aristocracy, Labor conditions, Political economy, Production studies, Unionization, Unions, Workers
@article{Hammar2022,
title = {International Solidarity Between Game Workers in the Global North and Global South: Reflections on The Challenges Posed by Labor Aristocracy},
author = {Emil Lundedal Hammar},
url = {https://doi.org/10.48783/gameviron.v17i17.195
https://journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/index.php/gamevironments/article/view/195},
doi = {10.48783/gameviron.v17i17.195},
issn = {2364-382X},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-12-22},
urldate = {2022-12-22},
issuetitle = {Social justice},
journal = {gamenvironments},
volume = {17},
abstract = {This article advances the research on unionization and collective organizing in the games industry by highlighting potential future challenges of international solidarity as identified by the Marxist concept of labor aristocracy. While much of organizing and unionization in the games industry are in their nascent stages by focusing primarily on the national question and the nature of work in the games industry, the nature of global supply chains, and free flow of capital emphasizes the importance of global perspectives on how game workers can organize. Primarily, this article is concerned with the material effects of 21st century imperialism on collective organization, where the Marxist concept of labor aristocracy identifies the privileged strata of game workers in imperialist countries who benefit from exploitative international relations between core and periphery economies through higher wages, positions of power, and affordable access to commodities. As a result, these groups of game workers should, according to the implications of labor aristocracy, hold a material investment into maintaining the exploitation of game workers in the periphery. This means that the current social movements to organize and unionize in the games industry potentially encounters the challenge of international solidarity with workers whose exploitation those in the imperialist countries benefit from. This article identifies such challenges through interviews and an online survey with game workers, organizers, union representatives, and leaders of international organizations. The findings reveal the international character of game work and the challenges of national legislation; the importance and challenge of building solidarity between game workers in the core and periphery; and finally, the potential strategies for unions and organizers to cultivate international solidarity. Thus, the article clears a forward path for both production research in game studies and labor organizing in the Western games industry through a global perspective on international material relations and historical materialism.},
keywords = {Game developer, Game development, Games, Games industry, Gamevironments, Imperialism, Labor, Labor aristocracy, Labor conditions, Political economy, Production studies, Unionization, Unions, Workers},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
This article advances the research on unionization and collective organizing in the games industry by highlighting potential future challenges of international solidarity as identified by the Marxist concept of labor aristocracy. While much of organizing and unionization in the games industry are in their nascent stages by focusing primarily on the national question and the nature of work in the games industry, the nature of global supply chains, and free flow of capital emphasizes the importance of global perspectives on how game workers can organize. Primarily, this article is concerned with the material effects of 21st century imperialism on collective organization, where the Marxist concept of labor aristocracy identifies the privileged strata of game workers in imperialist countries who benefit from exploitative international relations between core and periphery economies through higher wages, positions of power, and affordable access to commodities. As a result, these groups of game workers should, according to the implications of labor aristocracy, hold a material investment into maintaining the exploitation of game workers in the periphery. This means that the current social movements to organize and unionize in the games industry potentially encounters the challenge of international solidarity with workers whose exploitation those in the imperialist countries benefit from. This article identifies such challenges through interviews and an online survey with game workers, organizers, union representatives, and leaders of international organizations. The findings reveal the international character of game work and the challenges of national legislation; the importance and challenge of building solidarity between game workers in the core and periphery; and finally, the potential strategies for unions and organizers to cultivate international solidarity. Thus, the article clears a forward path for both production research in game studies and labor organizing in the Western games industry through a global perspective on international material relations and historical materialism.
2021
Sotamaa, Olli; Švelch, Jan
Introduction: Why Game Production Matters? Book Section
In: Sotamaa, Olli; Švelch, Jan (Ed.): Game Production Studies, pp. 7-28, Amsterdam University Press, 2021, ISBN: 978-9463725439.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Game industry, Game production, Game production studies, Indie, Platform studies, Production studies, Sociology of work
@incollection{Sotamaa2021e,
title = {Introduction: Why Game Production Matters?},
author = {Olli Sotamaa and Jan Švelch},
editor = {Olli Sotamaa and Jan Švelch},
url = {https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/47043},
doi = {10.5117/9789463725439_intro},
isbn = {978-9463725439},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-03-18},
booktitle = {Game Production Studies},
pages = {7-28},
publisher = {Amsterdam University Press},
abstract = {In the introduction, the editors of this collection argue for the importance of game production studies at a point when the public awareness about the production context of video games has, arguably, never been higher. With so many accounts of video game development permeating player and developer communities, the task of game production studies is to uncover the economic, cultural, and political structures that influence the final form of games by applying rigorous research methods. While the field of game studies has developed quickly in the past two decades, the study of the video game industry and different modes of video game production have been mostly dismissed by game studies scholars and requires more attention.},
keywords = {Game industry, Game production, Game production studies, Indie, Platform studies, Production studies, Sociology of work},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
In the introduction, the editors of this collection argue for the importance of game production studies at a point when the public awareness about the production context of video games has, arguably, never been higher. With so many accounts of video game development permeating player and developer communities, the task of game production studies is to uncover the economic, cultural, and political structures that influence the final form of games by applying rigorous research methods. While the field of game studies has developed quickly in the past two decades, the study of the video game industry and different modes of video game production have been mostly dismissed by game studies scholars and requires more attention.