Harnessing Creative Potential: A Qualitative Case Study on How Video Game Developers Perceive and Enact Creativity

Abstract

This paper examines how developers in the video game industry perceive and enact creativity. Throughout society, creativity is highly sought after for its ability to inspire innovation and original ideas, foster growth and increase financial performance. Meanwhile, the video game industry is characterised for rapid growth, high degrees of innovation and being at the forefront of technology. This industry therefore represents a useful and important case study to explore.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 developers at the studio Ghost Ship Games, gaining insight into the subjective nature of creativity by investigating the participants’ perspectives on how they understand and make use of creativity in their work and personal life. Our study demonstrates that when enacting creativity, an emphasis is put on collaboration and co-creation between different actors, a balance of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational drivers, and facilitating an environment where autonomy and freedom is anchored in clear goals and guidelines. Thus, it became evident that the ability to enact creativity is affected by factors both pertaining to the individual as well as its external environment. Furthermore, our study suggests that the ways in which creativity is perceived is hugely complex and varied, highly dependent on aspects related to the individual. However, patterns were found indicating that creativity can be understood as a source of innovation and creation, the ability to come up with and carry out novel (but not necessarily original) ideas, and being able to solve problems in unique and inventive ways. These findings suggest that in order to create environments and conditions where creativity can thrive, a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms is needed.