GAME PLAN 291
FIGURE 16.14 Outline of game requirements phase.
The schedule, budget, and staffing plan are the key components, and all of these
factors will fluctuate during production. However, if you spend time in pre-pro-
duction creating an in-depth game plan, you have a better idea of what factors
can be adjusted when changes happen during the development process. This
chapter discussed the basics of determining the schedule, budget, and staffing
plan and ways you can define these for your game plan. After the game plan is
completed, you have a clear idea of what to expect during production.
Step Resources General Timeline Tasks
Create master
schedule Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Creat project schedule with main milestones and
break down each milestone into major art, design,
engineering, and QA tasks. Add in sections for any
localization, voiceover, or other outsource work.
Include sections for third party approvals.
Create
detailed
schedules for
core features Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
As design, art, and engineering determine
requirements, create schedules for major features
to determine scope, cost, and resources for desired
features.
Determine
budget Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Make educated assumptions about estimated costs
and create an initial budget.
Determine
staffing needs Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Make educated assumptions about estimated
staffing needs and create an initial staffing plan.
Determing
outsourcing
needs Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Based on staffing needs, team expertise, and
budget, make an educated guess about which
areas of the game will need to be outsourced.
Research and
select
vendors Producer
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Research potential vendors to get an idea of cost,
quality, and dependability.
Approval
Studio
management,
publisher
Happens in parallel
with requirements
phase
Present budget, schedule, and staffing plan to
management for approval.
292 THE GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK, 2/E
The next section begins the discussion of what happens during the produc-
tion phase, such as asset creation, making builds, and testing. If you put together
a solid plan during pre-production, hopefully there will be no unexpected sur-
prises during production.
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