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Auteurs and authorities in Turkish video game industry
Abstract
The study investigates the functioning of creative processes in the video game industry, which has emerged as one of the most prominent sectors in contemporary entertainment. It explores the applicability of the classical auteur theory to the video game medium and aims to examine how creative authority operates within company structures. To this end, in-depth qualitative interviews with fifteen industry professionals from three Turkish video game companies of varying scales to collect insights from the participants regarding creativity and authority. The findings indicate that creative authority within the sector is largely exercised by institutional or managerial entities rather than by individual creators. Arguing that the classical individual-centric theory is insufficient, the study demonstrates an authority structure in the modern industry that prioritizes financial imperatives, such as market trends and budget concerns, over individual creativity, thereby constraining the latter. Accordingly, this study proposes a new conceptual framework, the auteur-ity theory, which merges “auteur” with “authority” to explain this tension and analyze how corporate hierarchies and market demands shape the creative processes. This study aims to contribute to game studies by providing a production-focused analysis.
Keywords
Etik Beyan
This article is based on the field research findings of the author’s master’s thesis entitled “Rethinking the Concepts of Auteur and Authority in Creative Actors in the Turkish Video Game Industry” prepared under the supervision of Assist. Prof. Selver Dikkol Akçay in the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema at Başkent University’s Institute of Social Sciences. This research has been conducted with the “informed consent” of the participants and “ethical committee approval” in accordance with the decision dated 10.03.2025 and numbered 17162298.600-89 of the Social and Human Sciences and Arts Field Research Board of the Başkent University Academic Evaluation Coordination Office.
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Medya Endüstrisi Çalışmaları , Bilgisayar Oyunları ve Animasyon
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Yayımlanma Tarihi
23 Aralık 2025
Gönderilme Tarihi
17 Ekim 2025
Kabul Tarihi
1 Aralık 2025
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2025 Sayı: 2
