INDEXINDEX
A
AI engineer, 28
Alpha milestone, 245
Application programming interfaces (API), 28
Approval processes, 319–320
Archive plan, 15
Art assets, 346
Art documentation, 268
Art issues, 150–151
Art production cycle, 300–301
Art team, 24–26
Art director, 24
Lead artist, 24
Concept artist, 24
World builder or level designer, 24–25
Asset artist, 25
Animator, 25
Technical artist, 25
Marketing artist, 25
Background and training, 25–26
Asset deliverable checklist, 214–215
Asset integration, 351–352
Asset list, 10, 254
Asset overview form, 349–350
Assets, 393–394
Assigning and closing bugs, 369–370
Audio deliverables, 180
Audio elements, 232–233
Audio files, 159–160
Audio formats, 186
Audio overview, 233
Automated builds, 325–326
B
BBFC, 338
Beginning the game development process,
220–228
Brainstorming, 221–222
Initial concept, 223
Genre, 223
Platform, 224
SWOT analysis, 224–226
Competitive analysis, 226–227
Approval, 227–228
Benefits of an MBA, 99–100
Best Buy, 38
Beta milestone, 245
Bit rate, 161
Boosting team morale, 127–128
Box art, 210
Brainstorming, 30, 221–222, 242
Budgets, 278–283
Creating a budget, 278–281
Managing a budget, 281–283
Bug definitions, 366–367
Bug tracking database, 366
Bugzilla, 366
Build notes, 326–328
For the development team, 327
For management, 327
For marketing and PR, 327–328
Build process, 324–326
Build schedule, 324–325
Automated builds, 325–326
Build schedule, 324–325
Building a strong team, 115–116
Burn-down charts, 42
C
Casting actors, 169–177
Union versus non-union, 170–171
Celebrity voices, 171
Preparing character descriptions, 172
Auditions, 172–175
Selecting and booking actors, 176–177
CD keys, 328
Celebrity voices, 171
Cell phone games, 224
CERO, 340
Challenging personalities, 113
Change requests, 318–319
Character creation system, 31, 362
Character descriptions, 171, 178, 207
Cheats, 207
Checking TCRs, 370–371
Choosing a sound studio, 166–169
Bid packages, 167–169
Cinematic script format, 163
Closing kit checklist, 397–398
Closing kit, 14–15, 391–399
Code freeze milestone, 245
Code release candidates (CRC), 13, 245,
363, 376, 379
Code release checklist, 376–378
Code release process, 375–376
Coding standards, 255–256
Collision volumes, 25
Combat model, 31
Common development milestones, 246
Communication and game
development, 138
Communication challenges, 138–142
Resolving conflict, 138–140
Delivering bad news, 140–141
Giving effective feedback, 141–142
Comparisons, 310
Compatibility between languages, 348
Competitive analysis, 265
Compilers, 28
Composers, 186–188
Concatenation, 159
Concept approval, 265
Concept art, 232
Concept outline, 240
Conducting a postmortem, 385–388
Involve the entire team, 386
Prepare for the postmortem, 386–387
Maintain focus, 387–388
Conducting a project review, 310–311
Conducting beta tests, 299–300
Conducting play tests, 298
Console demos, 211–212
Console submission requirements, 35,
355, 378
Control scheme, 6, 207
Controller scheme, 31
Copyright act, 62
Copyright information, 63, 376
Copyright protection schemes, 328–329
Core gameplay rules, 207
Corporate, 37–38
Marketing and public relations, 37–38
Creative services, 38
Sales, 38
Crash bug, 366–367
Crash log files, 369
Creating a budget, 278–281
Creating a schedule, 265–277
Initial schedule, 266–268
Work breakdown structure, 268
Detailed schedule, 268–275
Tracking tasks, 275–277
Creating an art schedule, 265
Creating art documentation, 255
Creating closing kits, 392–396
Assets, 393–394
474 INDEX
INDEX 475
Tools, 394
Game code, 394–395
Documentation, 395
Technical guidelines, 395
General production information, 396
Creating international content, 344
Creating prototypes, 235–236
Creating technical documentation,
256–257
Creating the pipeline, 251–252
Creative services, 38
Critical bug, 367
Cross-pollination, 152
Custom soundtracks, 185–186
Customer support information, 377
Cutting features, 307–308
D
Dealing with feature creep, 319
Dealing with schedule slippage, 306
Debuggers, 28
Defining closing kits, 392
Defining game concept, 229–233
Mission statement, 229–230
Game setting, 230
Gameplay mechanics, 230–231
Story synopsis, 231
Concept art, 232
Audio elements, 232–233
Defining game features, 242–244
Defining milestones, 247–248
Defining milestones and deliverables,
244–248
Defining quality of life, 128
Defining tools and pipeline, 249–252
Delivering bad news, 140–141
Demos, 210–212, 377, 362
Planning for a demo, 210–211
Console demos, 211–212
Localized demos, 212
Departmental updates, 314
Dependencies, 262–263
Design constraints, 228
Design documentation, 8, 26, 268
Design issues, 149–150
Design production cycle, 297–300
Design team, 30–32
Creative director, 30–31
Lead designer, 31
Designer, 31–32
Writer, 32
Background and training, 32
Design schedules, 275
Detailed production schedule, 268–269,
274–275
Determining code release, 375–376
Developer and publisher responsibilities,
80–82
Developer diaries, 214
Developer producer (DP), 20–21, 78, 88
Developer-publisher relationship, 79
Development contracts, 67–68, 286
Development milestone schedule, 206
Development milestones, 86–87, 207
Development team, 18
Directing actors, 178–179
Disney, 69
Documentation, 252–257, 395
Design, 253
Art, 254–255
Technical, 255–257
Dongles, 329
E
EB Games, 38
Effective leads, 112
Electronic manuals, 209
Email communication, 134
Employee/consultant agreements, 65–66
End user agreements (EULA), 68, 377
Engineering production cycle, 301–302
Engineering team, 26–28
Technical director, 27
Lead engineer, 27
Engineer, 27–28
Background and training, 28
ESRB, 334–337
Establishing approval processes, 319–320
476 INDEX
Keep it simple, 320
Define and publish, 320
Centralize and tracking, 320
Establishing communication norms,
137–138
Evaluate technology, 249
Executive producer model, 36–37
Exit criteria, 11–12, 265–266, 268
Experimental prototype, 233
Exploratory prototype, 233
External developers, 20
External testing, 371–373
External vendors, 285–287
F
Feature creep, 10, 244, 264
Feature list, 207
Feature ranking, 243
Feature requests, 367
Fighting game, 223
File naming convention, 160
Finalizing closing kits, 397
Fingerprinting builds, 213
First playable milestone, 244–245
First-person shooters (FPS), 223
Focus groups, 207–208
Focus testing, 207–208
Full localization, 348
Functionality testing, 353
G
Game builds, 213–214
Working with public relations, 213
Press tours, 213–214
Interviews, 214
Developer diaries, 214
Tradeshows, 214
Game concept, 6–7
Game design document (GDD), 87,
256–257
Game development schedules, 264–277
Game documentation, 395, 206–207
Game engineering, 26–27
Game genre, 6, 159, 223
Game plan outline, 290
Game plan, 8–9
Game requirements outline, 258
Game requirements phase, 7–8, 259, 291
Game setting, 230
Game theories, 32
Gameplay elements, 6, 75, 242
Gameplay footage, 212–213
Gameplay mechanics, 230–231
Gameplay videos, 25
Game-related merchandise, 38
Getting a project back on track, 306–309
Giving effective feedback, 141–142, 302
Glass masters, 379
Gold masters, 378–380, 392, 394
Graphics engineer, 28
Grouping, 152
Groups, 112
H
Hardware requirements, 395
Harry Potter, 68
Heads-up display (HUD), 367
High-resolution art, 25, 212–213
Hiring talent, 94–100
Screening resumes, 95–97
Interviewing talent, 98–100
Providing feedback, 100
How the producer builds a team, 108
How to get a project back on track,
308–309
How to pitch a game, 76–77
Human resources (HR), 56, 94
I
Identifying risks, 257
Independent developer, 12, 63, 67, 74,
76, 82–87
In-game audio assets, 164
In-game music, 184
Initial production schedule, 266–267
Integrating translated assets, 349, 351–353
INDEX 477
Intellectual property rights, 62–65, 80–83
Copyrights, 63
Trademarks, 63–64
Trade secrets, 64–65
Patents, 65
International characters and fonts, 346
International game developers association
(IGDA), 129
Interviewing talent, 94, 97, 98–100, 214
K
Keeping the project on track, 296–297
Keeping the team happy, 103
Keyboard input, 347
Keyboard reference cards, 210
KMRB, 340
L
Language assets, 344–345, 353
Large team structure, 36
Lead QA tester, 34–35
Learning from experience, 14–15
Learning to work on a team, 104
Legal agreements, 65–68
Employee/consultant agreements, 65–66
Work for hire, 66–67
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), 67
Development contracts, 67–68
End user agreements (EULA), 68
Legal issues and production, 62
Lessons learned document, 388–389
Level layouts, 31
Level of details (LOD), 151
Level of localization, 348
Level production schedule, 271–274
Licenses, 68–70
Licensing music, 184, 190–192
Licensor approval, 377
Linguistic testing, 353–355
Lip-syncing, 348, 351
Localization checklist, 355–358
Localization kit, 392
Localization schedule, 350
Localization test plan, 354
Localization vendor, 392
Localization, 21, 209, 343–358
Localization plan, 349–350
Schedule, budget, and staffing, 349–350
Localization-friendly code, 344–348
Language assets, 345
Text assets, 346
Art assets, 346
Voiceover assets, 346
International characters and fonts, 346
User interface, 346–347
Keyboard input, 347
PAL versus NTSC, 347
Other technical considerations, 348
Localized assets, 377
Localized demos, 212
M
Making builds, 323–329, 395
Managing a budget, 281–283
Managing assets, 159
Managing the developer-publisher
relationship, 77–89, 85–86
Independent developer, 82–87
Publisher-owned developer, 87–89
Manuals, 208–210
Marketing and public relations, 37–38
Marketing assets, 212–213
Marketing builds, 362–363
Master feature list, 243
Massively multiplayer online game
(MMO), 145–155, 159, 225
Preproduction, 147–149
Design issues, 149–150
Art issues, 150–151
Production team, 151–153
Production, 154–155
Post-production, 155
Microsoft Excel, 11
Microsoft Project, 11, 264, 275
Microsoft, 90, 212, 224, 355, 376, 378
Middleware, 8, 148–149, 152, 256,
287–290
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