Virtual Communities as Platforms for Product Development: An Interpretive Case Study of Customer Involvement in Online Game Development

Information technology has changed not only the way in which we do business, but also the way in which many products and services are developed. As a structure for communication and interaction, information technology makes it possible to interweave actors such as vendors and customers in organizational processes. This paper explores how interaction in virtual communities can transform the process of product development. It does so on the basis of an interpretive case study conducted at the Swedish computer game developer Daydream Software AB. The focus of the paper is the process in which Daydream involved their customers in the development process of the online game Clusterball™. By using a virtual community as a means to reach the expertise of experienced gamers, Daydream was able to get valuable input in the product development process. In illustrating the way in which the virtual community contributed to the development process of Clusterball™, this study provides empirical support of information technology as a means to transform the process of product development.