{
  "snapshot": "2026-09-05",
  "network": "offline",
  "identity": "Full developer credits; normalized credit NAME is the primary identity. Steam creator-page IDs can be shared by many different developers, so never merge names using those IDs. Main sample has exactly one distinct nonempty normalized developer name; names pointing to multiple creator pages are conservatively excluded. This splits unverified name changes and may conflate unrecognized homonyms.",
  "population": "Currently paid, non-explicit, valid dated released games. No genre exclusions. Titles explicitly identifying demos/prologues/playtests/previews excluded in main, retained in accounting. This is an observed paid catalog, not all work or a verified indie/solo census.",
  "portfolios": "At least 2 and at most 10 included games through 2025, first observed included release 2010-2023, latest 2020-2025. Main shape tables one developer one row. Single-game identities also counted separately. Strong catalogs defined explicitly by current peak >=1000 reviews; descriptive selection only.",
  "transitions": "Consecutive eligible paid games per developer; 30-3650 day gaps. Latest qualifying transition per developer per period. Predecessor strength is its review count NOW, not at follow-up launch. Distinct release dates required; simultaneous launches excluded.",
  "periods": [
    "2019_2022",
    "2023_2025",
    "2026_JanAug"
  ],
  "outcomes": "10/100/1000 filtered reviews, >=100 and >=80% positive, median reviews, release-quarter percentile. No sales or value judgment.",
  "controls": "Descriptive expected counts using current release quarter and current price, then predecessor current-review band for gap/similarity comparisons. Cells >=30, fallback by successively dropping price then quarter; report support. Reference is full transition pool. No causal interpretation.",
  "similarity": "Jaccard of top-10 tag names after excluding a fixed administrative set; <=.25 distant, >.25 to <.5 middle, >=.5 close. Store positioning, not verified mechanical similarity or artistic novelty.",
  "gap": "30-180d,181-365d,1-2y,2-4y,4-10y. Release intervals are not development times.",
  "sensitivity": "Unshared creator-page subset, prior/current recorded EA removed, one game per developer weighting, 2-5 vs 6-10 title catalogs, date-cohort review percentiles, shared-franchise removal, price adjustment. Repeat credits may still be studio groups or changes of staff.",
  "limitations": "Missing delisted/renamed/other-platform games; migration/EA dates; survivor selection for developers who returned; current tags/prices/text; regression to mean comparing with largest game; no causal audience carryover, follower counts, player overlap, or release-time reputation."
}