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This class explores the production aspects of video games. Paradigmatically, it draws from scholarly areas of production studies, critical political economy, and game studies. The goal of the class is to give students the ability to critically assess how production processes and infrastructures affect the commodities created by video game industries as well as video game cultures that emerge around them. Students will also learn about the working conditions of video game developers, highlighting the precariousness of video game employment, but also the vocational passion, which is common also to other creative and cultural industries. Other topics will include monetization, amateur game-making, distribution, platformization, or localization. Poslední úprava: Švelch Jan, Mgr., Ph.D. (15.01.2026)
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Grading scale: A: 91–100, B: 81–90, C: 71–80, D: 61–70, E: 51–60, Fail: <50 Fortnightly class assignments: 40% (see the exact percentage points for individual assignments below) Discord participation: 10% (2% per comment or post on top of the fortnightly assignments, capped at 10%) Final oral exam: 60% To successfully complete the class, students have to submit 4 fortnightly assignments (out of the total 5) and pass the final oral exam. The (approximately) fortnightly assignments are relatively small in their scope (usually within the range of 300–700 words) and connected to major themes of the class. Students can also improve their percentage score by actively participating in Discord. In total, it is technically possible to earn 110% if students submit all the assignments, participate in Discord, pass the final oral exam, and score the maximum points from all these activities.
Use of Generative AI: For all the written assignments, students must explicitly disclose any use of generative AI and language models (such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude) and in what capacity they were used to complete the assignment according to the guidelines set by FSV UK, and they must adhere to the broader ethical recommendations provided by Charles University. Students should carefully evaluate the information provided by AI tools and ensure that their final work reflects their own contribution and analysis. It is encouraged that students use generative AI only as tools for improving their assignments (such as in proofreading), but do not rely on them in terms of the original analytical or creative ideas and contributions. The lecturer will not use any AI tools for grading of the assignments or for preparation of teaching materials. Poslední úprava: Švelch Jan, Mgr., Ph.D. (15.01.2026)
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Sotamaa, Olli, and Jan Švelch, eds. 2021. Game Production Studies. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Available in open access: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1hp5hqw (selected references) Bulut, Ergin. 2020. A Precarious Game: The Illusion of Dream Jobs in the Video Game Industry. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, an imprint of Cornell University Press. Chang, Alenda Y. 2019. “Between Plants and Polygons: SpeedTrees and an Even Speedier History of Digital Morphogenesis.” Electronic Book Review, December. https://doi.org/10.7273/WTDF-7W30. Chia, Aleena. 2019. “The Moral Calculus of Vocational Passion in Digital Gaming.” Television & New Media 20 (8): 767–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851079. Consalvo, Mia. 2013. “Dubbing the Noise: Square Enix and Corporate Creation of Videogames.” In A Companion to Media Authorship, edited by Jonathan Gray and Derek Johnson, 324–45. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell. Garda, Maria B., and Paweł Grabarczyk. 2016. “Is Every Indie Game Independent? Towards the Concept of Independent Game.” Game Studies 16 (1). http://gamestudies.org/1601/articles/gardagrabarczyk. Kerr, Aphra. 2017. Global Games: Production, Circulation and Policy in the Networked Era. New York, NY: Routledge. Nicoll, Benjamin, and Brendan Keogh. 2019. The Unity Game Engine and the Circuits of Cultural Software. Cham: Palgrave Pivot. Nieborg, David B. 2014. “Prolonging the Magic: The Political Economy of the 7th Generation Console Game.” Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture 8 (1): 47–63. O’Donnell, Casey. 2014. Developer’s Dilemma: The Secret World of Videogame Creators. Inside Technology. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Ozimek, Anna M. 2019. “Outsourcing Digital Game Production: The Case of Polish Testers.” Television & New Media 20 (8): 824–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851088. Srauy, Sam. 2019. “Professional Norms and Race in the North American Video Game Industry.” Games and Culture 14 (5): 478–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412017708936. Weststar, Johanna, and Marie-Josée Legault. 2019. “Building Momentum for Collectivity in the Digital Game Community.” Television & New Media 20 (8): 848–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851087. Whitson, Jennifer R. 2019. “The New Spirit of Capitalism in the Game Industry.” Television & New Media 20 (8): 789–801. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851086. Whitson, Jennifer R. 2020. “What Can We Learn From Studio Studies Ethnographies?: A ‘Messy’ Account of Game Development Materiality, Learning, and Expertise.” Games and Culture 15 (3): 266–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412018783320.
(non-academic sources) Akiaten, Brandon. 2019. Raising Kratos. Documentary. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Chartier, Jean-Simon. 2019. Playing Hard. Documentary. MC2 Communication Média. D’Anastasio, Cecilia. 2018. “Inside the Culture of Sexism at Riot Games.” Kotaku. August 7, 2018. https://kotaku.com/inside-the-culture-of-sexism-at-riot-games-1828165483. ———. 2019. “Riot Employees Say Company Has Made Real Progress Fixing Its Sexism Issues.” Kotaku. August 7, 2019. https://kotaku.com/riot-games-and-sexism-one-year-later-1837041215. Pajot, Lisanne, and James Swirsky. 2012. Indie Game: The Movie. Documentary. BlinkWorks Media. Schreier, Jason. 2017. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories behind How Video Games Are Made. First edition. New York, NY: Harper Paperbacks. Poslední úprava: Švelch Jan, Mgr., Ph.D. (07.01.2022)
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Link to the up-to-date syllabus for 2025/2026: syllabus JKM193 Game Production Studies 2026.docx
Preliminary Schedule 16. 2. Course Introduction 23. 2. Video Game Industries 2. 3. Video Game Industries (part 2) 9. 3. Publishing and Independence 16. 3. Distribution and Platforms 23. 3. Industrial Storytelling and Reflexivity 30. 3. Monetization 6. 4. Easter Monday (no class) 13. 4. Monetization (part 2) & Tools and Practices 20. 4. Tools and Practices (part 2) 27. 4. Game Development Roles 4. 5. Developer Demographics & Labor Issues 11. 5. Local Game Development and Localization + Course Wrap-Up 18. 5. First oral exam dates Poslední úprava: Švelch Jan, Mgr., Ph.D. (15.01.2026)
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