What is open source and how can games benefit from it? This twofold question can be cryptic to answer. Usability is a huge issue in gaming. Games are different from other media because they can be too user-friendly. What does this have to do with anything? Everything. Open source software is built on the premise that everyone should play an active role in advancing the world of design and programming. Open source simply means you can have full access to the source code and engage in collaboration with its developers. The way games can benefit from this is clear: With access to the source code, and collaboration with developers, the world of game programming can advance into new vistas.

Here is how these two aspects work together:
1. Source code- if you happen to be a good programmer who has a special interest in game design and you think you could improve or add to a game, you can do it. You don't have to worry about going through corporations and executives to alter the source code. This makes it easier to advance the game's design.
2. Collaboration- if there is something you want to see improve, but you are not a programmer, you can make suggestions for improvements to the programmer(s) of the game. As you can see, this creates a cycle of development that gives more people a voice. Rather than give the power to businesspeople, open source gives the power to developers and that is the difference between open and closed sources.