"After All the Time I Put Into This": Co-Creation and the End-of-life of Social Network Games
Authors: 
Alexandra Samper-Martinez, Kathrin Gerling, Ercilia Garcia-Alvarez, 
Ben Kirman, 
Shaun LawsonAuthors Info & Claims
Alexandra Samper-Martinez, Kathrin Gerling, Ercilia Garcia-Alvarez, Ben Kirman, Shaun LawsonAuthors Info & ClaimsPages 135 - 140
Abstract
User engagement in processes of co-design and co-creation are common practices in Social Network Games (SNGs). Though the interdependency between producer and user is of mutual benefit throughout much of the lifetime of an SNG, there are critical moments where this relationship becomes problematic. We adopt an ethnographic approach, covering the entire three year lifespan of a well-known SNG, with a focus on the 'end of life' experience from players' perspectives. Our results show that, at the game's discontinuation announcement, players reflect strongly on the value that they associate with their gameplay and its involvement. We suggest that the notion of players as co-creators may be undervalued by companies during strategic decision-making especially since at discontinuation players are left without ownership of their co-created product. This deeper understanding of players as co-creators serves as case study for developers building social games both on and off social networking platforms.
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Index Terms
- "After All the Time I Put Into This": Co-Creation and the End-of-life of Social Network Games
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October 2015
852 pages
ISBN:9781450334662
DOI:10.1145/2793107
- General Chairs:
- Anna L. Cox,
- Paul Cairns,
- Program Chairs:
- Regina Bernhaupt,
- Lennart Nacke
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Published: 05 October 2015
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