GAME PRODUCTION

This course kicks off with an overview of what game production looks like today. You’ll go past the hype to look at how the role has evolved, the soft and hard skills needed, and what these mean when mapped against producer job descriptions.

• Game production tracks
• The game producer role: Differences by companies

Assignment #1: What kind of producer are you?

Production isn’t a one-player game. In this class, you’ll learn the architecture of a development team. Then, Andy will map out what goes into creating a game proposal that studios can’t wait to develop.

• Team composition
• Touch-points at each development stage
• Working with a development team

Assignment #2: Create team plan for a game proposal

Mapping your course well is an essential part of the game producer’s role. In this class, you'll investigate how to build a roadmap to hit your release date.

• What is a project roadmap
• Gathering project requirements
• Assessing needs and timelines

Will your game idea be a hit? A lot of that depends on how well you keep it on track. You'll learn about what should go into your budget, how to manage adaptive challenges and schedule requirements, and when to iterate.

• Budget and the cost of game development
• Developing against a roadmap in a Scrum environment
• Balancing iteration against schedule and budget

Assignment #3: Build a project roadmap for your game

Today, you'll hear from another seasoned game producer on the defining moments in his career and how you can clarify your own path. Ken earned his chops at Sony and Atari before moving on to executive production roles at Rainbow and THQ for the past 20 years.

About the Speaker

• Business Development Manager at THQ Nordic
• Executive Producer of Disney Pixar’s Cars game, managing internal and external development for 12 platforms, 17 languages and 135 SKUs
• Resurrected Rainbow Studios and the MX vs ATV franchise with THQ Nordic
• Started his video game career in 1989 as a game tester, then moved to video game production
• Produced games at Sony’s 989 Studios during the launch and early years of the PlayStation
• Serves as President of the Arizona Film and Digital Media Coalition, a non-profit film and video game advocacy group

Josh began his career in music, providing technology and event production for the GRAMMYs, before eventually moving to gaming with a focus on mobile games. You'll hear from him live on potential routes into the field and some of the challenges he's faced in his roles over the years.

About the Speaker

• CEO at Perfect Day Productions
• Focus on new media and software production
• Managed technology and event production for the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs)
• Produced live games including Battle Nations and Paradise Bay as Executive Producer at Z2/King
• Founding member and board president of Seattle-based not-for-profits The Vera Project and The Service Board

Assignment #4: Outline 1 point from each Fireside Chat that were discussed this week with Josh Ayala and Ken George, and how it’s going to impact your decision making and/or thought process.

This week, you'll get up close and personal with Agile and Scrum development. In the first lesson of our two-part class, Andy will map out the core elements of Agile game development.

• Scrum distilled
• The essence of Agile development
• Why Agile and Scrum for gaming?

You’ll uncover real-world secrets of Agile and Scrum usage, and understand what’s useful and what isn’t in current game development.

• Scrum: What to keep and what to ditch
• Scrum in real-world development
• What is Scrum-but?

Assignment #5: Build out backlog items for your project

Gaming is a business and, like any other, it comes with risk. This class is about the common risks and red flags to look out for in your planning. You'll get a pragmatic framework for identifying them.

• Most common areas of risk
• Understanding the Cone of Uncertainty
• Requirements gathering

When curve balls hit your project, how can you pivot a team to stay on track? In this class, you'll learn how to assess and mitigate risk throughout a project.

• Risk assessment
• Pivoting your team
• What is mitigation planning?

Assignment #6: Secret assignment

Throughout your project, you’ll need to consume and translate data from multiple sources to keep your project on track — enter Data and Reporting! This class teaches you how to consume data and translate that into actionable next steps. You'll also learn about setting KPIs, knowing when to pivot, and how to relay your findings to the top decision makers.

• Tips for quickly digesting information
• How to understand the state of the game
• Reporting project status
• Understanding the need for KPIs

This class is all about getting through to the finish line. Andy will share from his experiences working with QA and external groups and avoiding "crunch and burnout".

• Managing communication channels
• Working with external launch teams
• Sustainable QA and the importance of bug triage
• The real reasons behind "crunch and burnout"

Assignment #7: Create materials for your project release and a post-release plan.