Unlocking the research potential of version control logs created by commercial video game development studios

Abstract

To date, formal studies of the internal processes used by commercial video game developers are very rare. My research suggests that such studies would be aided by leveraging the logs created by version control software (VCS). These logs have unrealized research potential because unlike nearly all other types of software engineering, commercial video game development studios use Perforce – a centralised enterprise VCS system which encourages rigid use patterns, strong user authentication, and coherent file histories. The characteristics make commercial video game studios uniquely well-suited for VCS-based study. This thesis introduces a research method for accessing, exporting and cleaning Perforce data. The techniques of Trace Ethnography are then applied to make observations and descriptions from that data. To test this methodology, a 20-year VCS history from a mid-size studio was obtained and analysed. Interviews of current and former employees of the studio were conducted to provide context to those descriptions, and to explore how the VCS observations are related to the processes, tools, and work patterns of that studio. My research suggests that this method would be useful for any study examining commercial game development processes, and in particular can generate insights about a studio’s management and technology systems.

Date of Award	27 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Abertay University
Supervisor	Martin Zeilinger (Supervisor) & William Huber (Supervisor)