Finding the GaaP: Data, Dashboards, and Independent Games

This paper examines how platformisation and the shift from games as a product (GaaP) toward games as a service (GaaS) are reshaping independent game development, with a particular focus on a "middle" group of developers who navigate between these two models. Its central argument is that smaller studios, often lacking dedicated analysts and specialised data expertise, face real barriers in using analytics to inform strategy on platforms such as Steam, and that tools designed for this group can help address those gaps. The authors situate their work within scholarship on platform studies, game analytics, and business intelligence for independent publishing, noting that many small teams treat data analysis as a secondary responsibility.

The core contribution is the InGAME Market Intelligence Tools (IMAT), which were built from data on more than 54,000 games collected through the Steam API. The dataset covers attributes such as pricing, genre, tags, release dates, reviews, and DLC, and was used to develop heuristics for estimating unavailable figures like sales and income while accounting for changing market conditions, game success, and genre variation. The technical infrastructure combines Microsoft Azure cloud storage and SQL services with R for processing and Shiny for interactive dashboards.

The tools were evaluated with eleven games developers and publishers in the Dundee game development cluster, through user testing sessions followed by semi-structured interviews and through collaborative R&D projects assessed by observation and post-project surveys. Feedback from these sessions was used to iteratively refine the dashboards and accompanying playbooks. The authors present the work as relevant both to academic research on Steam market conditions and to industry practitioners seeking actionable insight across the development cycle. The project was funded by the InGAME initiative and the Arts and Humanities Research Council UK.