Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
divisions in the production to get behind in their work; it can trigger further
missed deadlines, and could lead to the cancellation or failure of a project.
The flowchart or production chart is usually created and managed by the
producer and the production staff. Some discipline leaders, such as the art or
audio director, may create additional flowcharts that show the details of tasks
that are specifically related to their departments. Producers use these charts to
track and predict the game's progress through production. Missed deadlines can
be spotted quickly and then acted on. Failure at this level could lead to the dis-
missal of the producer.
Not only do these charts set milestones or deadlines for delivery of specific
parts of a game project, but they also track progress. For people working on a
team, this chart provides a quick view of where the production is, what pieces
need to be completed, what is on schedule and budget or behind, and who is
handling what phase of the production.
Gone are the days of one person associated with a project carrying all this
information in their head: that “go-to” person who could put their hand on any
file or tell you who was doing what. This isn't to say that such a person isn't
around; however, given the cost and time involved in making games these days,
any time wasted trying to track down a file or locate who is doing what is need-
less and completely unprofessional.
After you create the pipeline and the project goes into production, there are a
variety of ways to anticipate milestones and subsequently track progress:
Microsoft Project is specifically designed to create very detailed pro-
duction charts that list milestones and content dependencies.
Flowcharts can be easily created using Excel docs (part of the
Microsoft Word Office Suite or OpenSource.
Google Docs provides an online version. Simply go to
www.docs
the team who needs to view or edit this chart online. The chart
can be updated constantly to reflect changes in the production or
exported as an Excel doc for backup.
Most medium to large teams use Project or equivalent software. Small indie
teams are more likely to use Excel or Google Docs.
Several companies create flowchart systems that gaming companies license or
purchase to use as a tracking system for their games. A lot of these are kept in
house; team members can access them using a local area network (LAN), or the
company may opt to use an online system. Online systems are widely accepted
