Software development typically comes in two flavors. First, the classic style of development is to have a dedicated team of developers slave over the code until it congeals into your product. Second, the open source approach, in which anyone and everyone can scrutinize the code and provide fixes or new functionality. Businesses tend to prefer the first approach because it keeps their code hidden and therefore users must pay for the code in order to use it. The second approach, on the other hand, allows for quick debugging on a wide range of platforms and usage situations. Can a business have the best of both worlds?
Game development in particular must have a closed source, or the game will quickly be distributed and its value to the developer lost. In such a situation, I think a modular approach would be ideal. Certain key pieces of the code can be open sourced to users who can help with blackbox testing. In fact, almost all code could be open sourced, but the artwork withheld. The engine of the game could be supplied, but with a very simple level, and filler artwork. Testers can help debug the engine code, but the same testers would still be interested in buying the game, essentially paying for content. The license for the code could contain a non-compete agreement for anyone who wishes to use the code. This same model could be extrapolated to other types of software, providing the basic engine for testing, but withholding key content.
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