---
id: "quote-game-without-code"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ Content was King"]
tags: ["gaming", "software-development"]
related: ["entity-google-gamengen"]
quote: "The surreal translation of this: it’s possible to develop a sophisticated computer game without source code."
speaker: "Toby E. Stuart"
speakers: ["Toby E. Stuart"]
sources: ["futures"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-futures"
originDay: 2
articleStem: "hbr-nm-99-genai-end-incumbent-advantage"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2024/11/could-gen-ai-end-incumbent-firms-competitive-advantage"
sourceTitle: "Could Gen AI End Incumbent Firms’ Competitive Advantage?"
---
# Games Without Source Code

> "The surreal translation of this: it’s possible to develop a sophisticated computer game without source code."
> — [[entity-toby-e-stuart|Toby E. Stuart]]

The punchline of the [[entity-google-gamengen|Google GameNGen]] example and vivid evidence for [[concept-mass-customization-content|Mass Customization of Content]]. *(Best read as a metaphor for generative environments learned from data rather than literally code-free software.)*