Phronesis and creativity: Knowledge work in video game development

Journal article, 2006

This article presents a study of the knowledge work involved in the development of video games. The success of these games is based on the ability to create a sense of immersion for the gamers. In the case presented here, dedicated gamers were also preferred when hiring personnel to develop the games. Speaking about the know-how of this specific group in terms of phronesis, the detailed and practical understanding of a particular field, enables an understanding of the idiosyncratic competence of this group and its importance for the development process. The video game development process is also structured to enable an open-ended process under the continuous influence of the gamers. The article concludes that innovative and creative work needs to be able to exploit a variety of competencies and that the notion of phronesis has to date been relatively under-theorized and therefore deserves more detailed attention.