cooperative game publisher

Means Interactive

A cooperative game publishing and development division of Means Media focused on post-capitalist and leftist games. Means Interactive scores well because ownership is comparatively aligned and governance has stronger accountability than peers, though identity capture still limits the evaluation.

Why this matters: Means Interactive is a strong alternative because it explicitly puts game publishing inside a cooperative media structure rather than investor-owned entertainment.

Letter grade A Good Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Parent / owner: Means Media Last reviewed May 7, 2026

Means Interactive is listed separately as the game publishing and development division of Means Media.

Final Score 61* A - Good

AGOOD61 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material57

Bonus+5

Cap66No structure cap

After Cap62

Penalties-1

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Evaluation Overview

A - Good

The score turns mainly on Ownership, with the largest penalty coming from Identity Capture.

Strengths

Ownership10/10
Governance9/10
Extraction8/10

Penalties

Identity Capture-1

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims7
Direct axis claims7
Coverage7/13

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	10 / 10	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive high on Ownership: decisive control is held by workers, users, members, or another stakeholder class rather than outside capital. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	9 / 10	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive high on Governance: binding decisions are meaningfully answerable to people inside or affected by the institution. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	8 / 10	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive high on Extraction: surplus is structurally routed toward workers, producers, users, or public benefit instead of being primarily captured upward. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	7 / 7	Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. That places Means Interactive high on Labor Sovereignty: workers or participants have unusually strong formal power over work, conditions, or the institution itself. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	5 / 7	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive in the middle of Solidarity with the Unemployed: some access, severance, retraining, openness, or mutual-aid value is present, but it is not central or durable. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	6 / 7	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive high on Loss-Bearing Fidelity: the institution is structured to absorb real costs rather than shifting losses onto weaker parties. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	4 / 5	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive high on Market Conduct: pricing, access, switching, and bargaining practices show restraint compared with ordinary rent-seeking competitors. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	5 / 5	Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. That places Means Interactive high on Product Integrity: the core offering is genuinely useful and comparatively less dependent on traps, degradation, or harmful dependencies. A still-higher or maximum value requires stronger proof that this structure is durable, broad, and not merely discretionary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	3 / 5	Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. That places Means Interactive in the middle of Scale Integrity: scale brings useful reach but also weakens accountability, transparency, or local constraint. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence context Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher. [1] context Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value. [2] context Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment. [3]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Identity Capture ? Customer pressure, employee pressure, and pervasive identity saturation. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	Means Interactive has an explicit ideological and movement identity, which is mostly transparent and mission-aligned but still creates a small identity-capture risk compared with neutral game infrastructure. Means Interactive has an explicit ideological and movement identity, which is mostly transparent and mission-aligned but still creates a small identity-capture risk compared with neutral game infrastructure. That warrants a limited Identity Capture penalty because users, workers, customers, or publics are pressured into identity attachment that protects institutional power. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Means Interactive has an explicit ideological and movement identity, which is mostly transparent and mission-aligned but still creates a small identity-capture risk compared with neutral game infrastructure. [7]

Bonus Credits

Bonus	Credit	Why this credit
Openness to Dissent ? Credit for tolerating internal, user, customer, worker, and public dissent without retaliation, capture, or viewpoint laundering.	2 / 3	Means Interactive expands independent game production outside dominant shareholder-governed game publishing. Means Interactive expands independent game production outside dominant shareholder-governed game publishing. That supports partial Openness to Dissent credit because people can criticize, dissent, or challenge the institution without being managed into silence. The value remains partial because the linked record does not show the practice as comprehensive, durable, or central enough for full credit. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Means Interactive expands independent game production outside dominant shareholder-governed game publishing. [4]
Good Deal ? Credit for unusually fair value: durable quality, fair pricing, low lock-in, and clear customer surplus.	2 / 3	Means Interactive gives players and creators a better deal by pairing creative games with a less extractive production structure. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Means Interactive gives players and creators a better deal by pairing creative games with a less extractive production structure. [5]
Cost Transparency ? Credit for clear posted prices, all-in fees, unit costs, public rate cards, margin/cost visibility, or surplus-allocation transparency, especially in markets where opaque quotes, hidden fees, or individualized pricing are normal.	1 / 3	Means Interactive publishes enough organizational information to verify its cooperative or worker-owned structure. Means Interactive publishes enough organizational information to verify its cooperative or worker-owned structure. That supports partial Cost Transparency credit because pricing, margins, fees, funding, or surplus allocation are made meaningfully legible. The value remains partial because the linked record does not show the practice as comprehensive, durable, or central enough for full credit. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Toy, video-game, tabletop, and game-retail expansion; cooperative game-studio alternatives calibrated against major public publishers and platforms. Uncertainty Focused category expansion; later review should add more releases, finances, labor-policy, and player-community evidence. Linked evidence Means Interactive publishes enough organizational information to verify its cooperative or worker-owned structure. [6]

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 69/100

7 verified linked claims 7 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 7/13 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 15/20

7 verified linked claims

Source quality 10/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 9/18

7 direct claims across 13 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 5/10

7/13 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Means Interactive is documented as a worker-owned, employee-owned, or cooperative game institution rather than a shareholder-governed publisher.

Ownership Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

2Means Interactive makes, publishes, or supports video games through a smaller cooperative production model with real creative value.

Product Integrity Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

3Means Interactive shows a cooperative or worker-owned model that gives developers substantially more agency than ordinary game-industry employment.

Labor Sovereignty Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

4Means Interactive expands independent game production outside dominant shareholder-governed game publishing.

Openness To Dissent Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

5Means Interactive gives players and creators a better deal by pairing creative games with a less extractive production structure.

Good Deal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

6Means Interactive publishes enough organizational information to verify its cooperative or worker-owned structure.

Cost Transparency Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%
Means TV cooperativeGeneral web source · 58%

7Means Interactive has an explicit ideological and movement identity, which is mostly transparent and mission-aligned but still creates a small identity-capture risk compared with neutral game infrastructure.

Identity Capture Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 7, 2026

AI scaffold

Means InteractiveGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

Competitors

AGOOD63 Future Club employee-owned cooperative game studio · same market AGOOD63 KO_OP worker-owned game studio · same market AGOOD63 Motion Twin worker cooperative game studio · same market AGOOD56 Stocksy United artist cooperative platform · same market AGOOD52 itch.io independent game marketplace · same market AGOOD50 The Game Crafter independent tabletop game manufacturing marketplace · same market BQUALIFIED48 ConcernedApe independent game developer and publisher · same market BQUALIFIED48 Green Toys sustainable toy company · same market

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