Changing Software Development: Learning to Become Agile

5.2. The Infinite and the Finite Game

According to writer James Carse,^[] there are two types of games: those that are finite and those that are infinite.

^[] See Carse (1986).

Finite games have a defined start and end; at the end of the game, one of the players is (usually) declared the winner. All players share the same objective, namely to win. We can play the game again, in which case there may be a different winner, and we might play the game in rounds. Cricket, football, tennis and chess are all finite games.

Infinite games, on the other hand, don't have a start or an end. The game continues with new players joining and existing players retiring. There's no winner, because the only objective is to continue playing the game. Nor are there any losers; only those who no longer play. Within the game, players seek to survive and they may have additional individual objectives. Examples of such games are life, careers and sports such as rock-climbing.

Software development and business are infinite games that are sometimes played in rounds. Within each round there may be winners and losers, and it is possible to lose and play again in another round. In these cases we need to balance the need to win a round with the need to position ourselves for the start of the next round. Good players not only pay attention to the immediate game, but also position themselves for future play.

For example, the Microsoft XBox games console was introduced in 2001 to compete against the Sony PlayStation ...