While Producers will want to pay special attention to the lecture material on budgets, I'm going to try to make this subject as interesting as possible with a bit of "forensic accounting" so you'll know where the money goes. This is an important aspect of the "business" side of the game business, and you'll need to know enough about the figures to give any budget you review the "smell test."
Also this week you'll be taking the Game Project Survival Test (don't worry; it's not graded, just eye-opening). If your Team has a Jack-of-all-Trades (JOAT), that person will receive their Peer Evaluation this week.
The link below is the homework assignment due at the beginning of the next class session.
Homework: Week 5
These links feature the supplemental material that you are responsible for knowing before the first exam (that takes place at the end of Week 6). Be sure to click on every link in this section!
Article: Controlling Chaos in the Development Process by Tim Ryan
This is a brilliant article and a highly recommended read: The chaos of game development is a roller coaster of ups and downs, stimulating passions and causing agony on an almost regular basis. But there are common-sense solutions to the prevailing sources of chaos, and it is possible to be successful in this competitive market while managing an evolving game design.
Article: Budgeting and Scheduling Your Games by Luke Ahearn
Now that we've defined our project and scheduled it, budgeting should be an easy task, right? Well, actually you still have several decisions to make regarding a few factors, and you still have a good deal of research to do. This material should look familiar, as this article was the source for several points made during the class lecture.
Sample Budget: Small Project Sample Budget by Alan Emrich
Based on the article (above) from Luke Ahearn, here is a ready-made Excel file that you can tweak to create your own graded course project budgets (both internal and external).
These supplemental links are worth pursuing only if you are seriously interested in working in the game business and want to know about it in the broadest possible sense. This material will not be directly included in the exams, but if you're serious about delving deeply into the subject of game production, here's some more lessons from others who have also "been there."
Article: Killing Feature Creep Without Ever Saying No by Scott Crabtree
Producers take note! Everyone is going to want to add their ("brilliant") ideas to your game proposal. Before long, the design is suffering from kitchen-sink-itus (see glossary for definition) and turns into and overweight, unfocused mess. This article will help you deal with this persistent situation with some skill and tact.
Article: Milestones and Glass Houses: Protecting your Development Schedule from Shattering by David Mullich
As a producer and former programmer, I hate having to reject a milestone. I have too many painful memories of living the hand-to-mouth existence of a poor developer, having to beg a publisher for speedy processing of an advance check. So, as penance for all the milestones I've rejected in more recent times, I've written this paper.
Article: Why Johnny Can't Ship by Bill Volk
Maybe it's a little late for the holiday crunch, but this little gem is required reading for all project managers.
Article: Recovery Mode: Taking Control of an Out-of-Control Project by Evan Robinson
How to wrestle a schedule and budget eating monster project back into its cage. Methods for reining in the project that threatens to go on forever, cost everything you've got, suck every resource you have, and still not get done on time. How to recognize it early, how to control it before it gets out of control, how to know if you should kill it, and how to get a wildly out-of-control project back under control.
Web Site: Torque Game Engine by Garage Games
Producers should note, if you're shopping for a game engine in your budget, here is one that is truly budget-priced.
Article: Retail and Internet Strategies by Jessee Allread
If you're new to the industry and looking for a means to develop, publish, or distribute a game, you may be faced with the prospect of using your first release a loss leader. If this is your situation, here are some words of warning: you will probably get little more for your efforts than experience, recognition, notoriety, and the opportunity to do it again.
Article: It's All in Your Mind: Visual Psychology and Perception in Game Design by Hayden Duvall
Although it's a bit esoteric, this is an interesting look at game design that might help mold parts of your game's vision.
Article: A Primer on Industry Analysts by Ben Calica
For most of us, the analysts are kept safely behind a curtain by overly-protective PR agencies. This primer is designed to rip that curtain aside and give a peek at who these people really are, what they care about, how they can influence our lives, and hopefully with all that knowledge in our pockets, how we can successfully influence them.
