Free/Open Source Software Development Practices in the Computer Game Community

Introduction This study presents findings from empirical studies of software development practices, social processes, technical system configurations, organizational contexts, and interrelationships that give rise to free or open source software (F/OSS) systems in different communities. F/OSS represents an approach for communities of like-minded participants to develop software systems and related artifacts that are intended to be shared freely, rather than offered as closed commercial products. While there is a growing popular literature attesting to F/OSS [2,11], there are a small but growing number of systematic empirical studies that informs how these communities produce software (see Sidebar at the end of this document for a study sample). Similarly, little is known about how people in these communities coordinate software development across different settings, or about what software processes, work practices, and organizational contexts are necessary to their success. To the extent that academic communities, commercial enterprises, or government agencies seek the supposed efficacy of F/OSS, they will need grounded models of the processes and practices of F/OSS development to allow effective investment of their limited resources. Therefore this article investigates processes and practices that arise in F/OSS projects in different communities, and specifically focuses on F/OSS computer game community to provide examples of these common practices.