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What can the everyday worlds of video game developers teach us about the “new” economy? How do these worlds differ across national and cultural boundaries? It is my contention that game developers and game development can shed new light on our understandings of work, the organization of work, and the market forces that shape and are shaped by industries in the new economy. This study examines the diverse forces and activities – laws, technologies, collaboration, and workplace cultures, for example – that shape console video game development, and make it tenable in today’s globalized economy. This study uses video game developers and video game development in the United States and India as a window into understanding these complex issues. The ways in which game companies work both literally and figuratively, organize work, and the market forces surrounding them offers an opportunity to rethink ideas about the new economy. Participant observation is at the core of this study, supplemented by interviews, internal documentation, practices, and protocols. The second data set is based on patent documents and legal cases, which will serve to further illuminate the technological practices and those developments, which are valued or perceived unique enough to pursue a patent. The final data sources are press releases and SEC filings, which offer information about the corporate actions of companies and the kinds of events that are publicized. Cross cultural analysis between the United States and India provides an opportunity to see these forces and activities unfolding between one of the most well established game industries, and another newly emerging. The hypothesis that will be tested by this research is: the idea that there are distinguishing elements of work in the new economy, from post-industrial work, and that “play” has emerged as a useful distinguishing core category. The intellectual merit of this research is the contribution of the notion of “play” at three differing levels of analysis, work, work organization, and market and cultural dynamics of the new economy. The broad impact of this research stems from insights for policy makers regarding issues of work outsourcing, immigration of workers, patent law, business regulation, and the regulation of media ratings systems.