Creating video games as an amateur

There are numerous techniques for creating video games – creative software, ROM Hacking, modding, level editors, programming, creative video games – to which many amateur communities are dedicated. While academia has been slow to take an interest in amateur video games, the field itself has grown significantly. However, little research has studied in any depth the experiential dimension of amateur video game creation. This article affords an understanding of the amateur’s experience as part of a fundamental tension between a logic of creation and one of appreciation. Amateurs come up with original initiatives that allow them both to enjoy their hobby and, sometimes, to make a living from it – a position which places particular emphasis on improvization.