What is the gaming industry not telling us about the origins of video games? Jan Švelch has published a new book revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the video game industry

A new scholarly monograph by Jan Švelch from the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, titled Behind the Scenes of the Video Game Industry: Storytelling, Power Dynamics, and Myth, has been published by the prestigious publisher Routledge. The publisher has included the book in its Games and Play in Contemporary Culture and Society series. It focuses on stories about how video games are made and examines how the video game industry presents its own operations, working practices, and the people involved in game development to both the public and the academic community.

Making-of videos, developer diaries, art books, industry awards, and interviews with game creators may appear to offer an authentic glimpse behind the scenes. In his new book, however, Švelch shows that they often present a carefully constructed image shaped by commercial interests and power relations within the industry.

“The video game industry’s self-presentation reflects long-standing problems dating back to the 1970s, such as the suppression of authorship and poor working conditions, as well as a fascination with the cultural status of filmmaking. At first glance, self-reflexive materials may seem like an insignificant by-product, but they are also the site of an important struggle for the recognition of entire professions and individuals. That is precisely why I believe it is important to draw attention to this overlooked area, which is often presented as factual documentation even though it is where the interests of different parties – including company management, employees, and the public – come into conflict,” Švelch explains.

Professional Hierarchies 

In the case of The Game Awards, for example, Švelch points out that although the event presents itself as the “Oscars of gaming,” advertisements and trailers account for almost half of its airtime. The main categories are also dominated by high-budget mainstream titles associated with Hollywood celebrities, while independent productions and open discussions of problems within the gaming industry recede into the background. According to Švelch, such materials are therefore not merely impartial documentation of the development process. They also represent a selection of information that serves marketing purposes, shapes professional hierarchies, and may obscure problematic aspects of production.

These inequalities have a significant impact on whose voices are most clearly heard behind the scenes. Large corporate brands and the most visible creators – such as creative directors and well-known actors – generally have direct access to audiences and the media, making it easier for them to claim authorship. By contrast, rank-and-file developers, testers, and external contractors often remain in the background. 

In his monograph, Švelch also examines video game credits, which provide a record of who contributed to the development of a game. However, both in the past and today, video game companies have omitted certain workers from the credits, including interns and employees who left the studio before the game was released.

Professional Passion, Creative Magic

The video game industry’s distorted self-presentation has a direct impact on the everyday realities of development. Stories about how games are made often contribute to the normalization of problematic working conditions: development tends to be romanticized as the result of professional passion, extraordinary personal commitment, or inexplicable “creative magic.” According to Švelch, however, such narratives effectively obscure unpaid overtime, managerial failures, and the phenomenon known as crunch – the prolonged and extreme overworking of employees.

Portraying game development as a “dream job” weakens its perception as regular work that should come with adequate compensation and protection. In this context, Švelch also draws attention to the mechanisms of the so-called shadow academy: the video game industry adopts performative self-criticism and irony to demonstrate self-reflection outwardly, while in practice maintaining an unsustainable status quo and preventing genuine structural reform.

Švelch sees the development of “production literacy” among players, video game journalists, and aspiring developers as a key way forward. According to him, greater openness and honesty in how game development is discussed could help correct fans’ unrealistic expectations, protect developers’ rights, and lay the foundations for a healthier culture across the video game industry.