About GPCS

The Standard & Its Author

D

Devon Stanton

Creator, GPCS v0.5

Devon Stanton created the Game Project Classification Standard to address the lack of structured, verifiable, and fair terminology in the game industry. GPCS draws on the bond-rating model used in financial markets to bring the same clarity and structural rigour to game project classification.

Current Status

Version

v0.5.0

Comprehensive proposal under testing

Pilot Phase

Awards

Primary testing via Unity Awards programme (6–12 months)

Target v1.0

2026

≥200 classified projects, ≥2 implementation cycles

Important context

GPCS is:

  • ✓A proposal under active testing
  • ✓Voluntary — no one is required to participate
  • ✓Transparent — all criteria are publicly documented
  • ✓Project-centric — not a studio ranking system
  • ✓Open to feedback and revision

GPCS is not:

  • ✕A ratified industry standard (yet)
  • ✕A quality assessment
  • ✕A commercial viability prediction
  • ✕Officially endorsed by any body
  • ✕Mandatory for any purpose

Governance

Current (v0.5)

Maintained by the author (Devon Stanton). Community proposals via GitHub Issues. Quarterly review cycles, annual major releases. All changes documented in the changelog.

Future (when critical mass reached)

Advisory board with representation from studios, publishers, platforms, awards bodies, and academic researchers. Major changes require supermajority vote (7/9). Backward compatibility maintained — old ratings grandfathered with version label.

License & Citation

CC BY 4.0Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

You are free to share and adapt this framework for any purpose, provided you give appropriate credit.

APA Citation

Stanton, D. (2025). Game Project Classification Standard (GPCS): A Bond-Style Rating System for Game Projects (Version 0.5). CC BY 4.0.

Implementation Attribution

Classification system based on Devon Stanton's Game Project Classification Standard (GPCS v0.5)

GitHub Repository

Issues, proposals, changelog

G

Full Specification

Read the complete white paper

Feedback & Contributions

GPCS is in active development. If you represent an awards body, grant programme, or platform and want to explore implementation, or if you have critique and suggestions, the author welcomes engagement.

Get in touch