Independent Study Update #8

Happy Halloween!

I have delved into the Game Producer's Handbook this week to see what it has to offer. I have been trying to find elements from the book that apply to an ETC producer, as this title was designed to help people who are doing this in the real world. The first thing that must be noted when reading this text is what it calls the "Diverse Role of a Video Game Producer".

Actively Contribute - Participate in all of the meetings, discussions, problem solving, design ideas, and make decisions when needed.

Apply Good Decision-Making Skills - Acquire as much feedback as possible from as many stakeholders as you can, make a deadline for the decision, and then follow through.

Be Foward Thinking - Be able to plan into the future reasonably well. Anticipate possible problems so that you'll be able handle them when they happen.

Build Consensus - Have as many people on board with a decision as possible to maintain harmony in the team so that everyone feels that they are being heard and respected.

Develop a Pre-Production Plan - Work with other members of the team to come up with a high-level understanding of the project so everyone can see what is needed when.

Develop a Production Plan - Come up with detailed design documents with teammates to get best estimates for different parts of the project, as well as an estimate for the completion of the entire project.

Generate Game-Design Documentation - Work with game designers to see what is feasible for the game's timeframe. Scale down overscoped ideas.

Handle QA - Make sure the game is working properly and there is nothing that can exploited by the player.

Manage Resources - This means working with the art, programming, and audio departments to make sure that everyone is working on time.

Provide Clarity and Focus - Ensure that everyone on the team knows what needs to be done when by having a great understanding of the production schedule.

Schedule - Develop a plan for the team so they know what needs to be done when, when meetings and outside events occurs, as well as setting milestones for the team to meet.

Sow Discipline - By having goals, making everyone make commitments, tracking progress, and holding people accountable, the team will function better and produce more.

Take Ownership - Have a sense of pride in what you are working on, and others will adopt this sense of ownership in the project as well.

There are so many other elements that the author put into this section, but the rest relate to areas that are not touched upon in ETC projects, so I have decided to leave them out of my independent study. I would, however, highly encourage future producers to take a look at these other qualities, as they will help you in your understanding of your role in the real world. This book is no trick, but it is certainly a treat.