Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
is to keep this group of individuals functioning as a team. A good catchphrase
is "commitment over ego". The producer can't let personal pride cloud their
judgment or let a dispute with a team mate derail the project.
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Scheduling
: The producer writes and maintains the project schedule, so it is
very important he/she understands how successors work: task A is depend-
ent on task B which is dependent on task C. He/she must be able to arrange
a correct and effective working pipeline.
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Budgeting
: Along with making a schedule, the producer will write up a
budget. This is especially important when using outside parties or independ-
ent contractors to supply assets, such as graphics and sound. It will fall on
the producer's shoulders to negotiate bids with these suppliers. The produ-
cer must monitor costs to make sure the project stays in budget. A typical
problem is that a team requests numerous changes to an asset, such as the
graphic of a character. Sometimes, it is the producer's job to say "it's good
enough".
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Production Management
: After the schedule and budget are set, the pro-
ducer makes sure milestones are hit, and that the game's quality is as high
as the schedule and budget allow. A useful tool for this is regular team meet-
ings, where completed work can be reviewed by the team and milestones set
for the next meeting.
A word of warning on team meeting: have an agenda written up ahead of
time and circulate this to the team prior to the meeting. This will help keep
the meeting on track and as brief as possible. Remember, while in a meeting,
little or no actual work is getting done.
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Arbitrate
: As with any group effort, there will be disputes within the team.
The producer needs to be on top of any possible conflict and should find a
resolution as quickly as possible. Remember that you have a team of brilliant
people who may not have the best social skills. Be kind, but firm in your de-
cisions. The success of the project rests with your management skills.
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Negotiating
: The producer is responsible for any contract negotiations with
publishers, marketers, financiers, and the like. Learn how to read a contract;
lack of this skill alone can turn a great project into failure. When in doubt, do
research! Talk to a lawyer if you can afford one. An entire topic could be writ-
ten on this subject: look online for sample contracts. If you don't understand
something in the document, ask.
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Quality Assurance expert
: The producer will be responsible for finding com-
petent testers, as well as scheduling the testing around project milestones.
