Digital indie games licensing for libraries
TAG Research Center, Concordia University
Our main goal is to disseminate independent games and to empower a broad community to access, preserve
and create independent games.
Our vision is to tap into existing social institutions to curate and make independent games broadly available.
Our mission is to devise technological, legal, market and normative solutions to foster a thriving
independent games environment where citizens consume and create games.
Our proposed approach is an independent games aggregator or publisher which would offer:
(1) an open access archive of intellectual assets (sprite files, code libraries, game scenarios, etc.) under
open licensing terms such as creative commons; and
(2) flexible licensing solutions for curated independent games to libraries in municipalities, school
boards, educational institutions and research centers. These games could be digital or 3D printable
as the distribution will happen over networks as well as through licensing.
With regards to the problem statement, the roles of libraries in markets of purely digital copyrighted works
are not well understood. Libraries are a public distribution system for copyrighted works that rivals
commercial ones. They fix negative externalities in economic markets of copyrighted works (ignorance &
forgetfulness) through access and preservation services. Each individual local branch acts as a node in an
extensive network of institutions. In addition to fixing negative externalities, they provide for a stable market
for works beyond the straight commercial, popular appeal. Libraries have what you want, and they have
what you may need.
Digital licensing through Libraries offers the potential to establish a stable revenue stream for local
producers of digital games, while tying them to their communities. Libraries may not easily / legally collect
digital games published on iTunes, Google Play, Steam or other digital licensing systems. Yet, this falls within
their traditional mandate. Digital indie games in libraries means people making and playing together ...
micro effects networked for change.
A key barrier to entry for established players will be the protocol we can setup to select games and create
meaningful metadata about them (Collections protocol: select/acquire & describe). In addition, we will need
to quickly build and maintain relationships with key games publisher to curate our collection (Community
protocol: outreach & build). We will need to hammer out the business plan (Administrative protocol:
resources & staff) and technology strategy (host & serve). Our strength will be in spanning the academic,
community and commercial worlds in deploying our protocols, including an open access/user generated
content loop. Success would be driven by generating a strong positive network feedback by being an early
mover in this market.
In the spirit of academic research, here is a suggested theoretical framework to inscribe this initiative within
a research protocol:
a) Context: Institutional (market) structures with regards to intellectual property in (licensing)
independent games (software and artistic creations) for libraries
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b) Research question: How can we devise a response or strategy to issues linked to governance
(institution & agents & process), ownership (intellectual property law and policies) and curation
(preservation and access to digital objects) with regards to independent games?
c) Hypothesis: The coordination between agents in the system will center on contracts and policies in
favor of open access to works all the while allowing for monetization in an equitable manner.
d) Objective: determine the optimal approach based on each stakeholder's perceived needs and
context (wealth maximization in a market for quasi-public goods).
The governance structure could be a private corporation owned by a not-for profit entity. This bicephalous
structure allows reaping the benefits of both the commercial and social enterprise. The former could offer
market solutions and training to libraries while the latter could focus on education projects, maximizing cash
and passion for independent games.
A project timeline is provided on the next page.
Selective Bibliography
Benkler, Yochai, 2006, The Wealth of Networks, Yale University Press,
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/wealth_of_networks/Download_PDFs_of_the_book
Bomsel, Olivier, 2010, L'Economie immatérielle, Industries et marchés d'expériences, Gallimard, "NRF Essais"
Hutter, 2011, "Experience Goods" in The Handbook of Cultural Economics, Ruth Towse ed., Edward Elgar
Publishing, pp. 211-215
Lessig, Lawrence, 2006, Code v2, Basic Books, http://codev2.cc/download+remix/Lessig-Codev2.pdf
OCLC, 2003, Libraries: How They Stack Up, available from:
https://oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/librariesstackup.pdf
Wardrip-Fruin, Noah and Michael Mateas, 2014, Envisioning the Future of Computational Media The Final
Report of the Media Systems Project, available from
http://mediasystems.soe.ucsc.edu/sites/default/files/Media%20Systems-Full%20Report.pdf
Yoo, C.S., 2007, "Copyright and Public Good Economics: A Misunderstood Relation", 155 U. Pa. L. Rev. 635
Prepared by Olivier Charbonneau, 2014-04-17, revised 2014-09-26
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Project Phases – A Race Against the Sands of Time
Grain of sand
Deadline:
Objectives:
Resources:
Hourglass
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Resources:
Sandbox
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Sand quarry
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Beach
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Fall 2014
 Apply for the Knight Foundation News Challenge, supply necessary details
 Project Leader
Winter 2015
 Prepare additional grant requests from research or institutional venues
 Reach out to additional research centers or corporations
 Convene a Games in Libraries Advisory Panel
 Register the corporate entity and finalize institutional ownership structure
 Project Leader, research assistant
Fall 2016
 Create initial proof of concept: offer 12 games to pilot libraries
 Devise curation protocol
 Explore open access solutions to host various intellectual assets
 Formalize relationships with research institutions and other corporations
 Draft a training program for librarians with regards to digital games
 Research and institutional funding
 Indie Games Publishers; Programmer/integrator
 Research assistants; Project leader
2017 +
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Augment capacity to achieve full commercial operation
Invite multiple games publishers to contribute
Launch the open access archive of intellectual assets
Expand the Advisory Panel
Develop training and educational programs
Licensing revenue
Advertising revenue
2018 +
 Full production launch of the undertaking
 Should be self-sustained through library licensing
 IPO?
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