478 INDEX
Middleware resources, 287
Milestone deliverable list, 268
Minor bugs, 367
Mission statement, 6, 229–230
Motion capture, 196–203
Motion capture bids, 199–200
Motion capture checklist, 202
Motion capture requirements, 197–198
Motion capture schedule, 198–199
Motion capture shot list, 198
Multilingual builds, 326
Music bids, 188–189
Music deliverable schedule, 188
Music design, 184–185
Music files, 185
Negotiating salaries, 94
Next-generation graphics, 262
N
Nintendo, 90, 212, 224, 355, 376, 378
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs),
67, 208
Non-player characters, 32, 150
Nonverbal communication, 136–137
O
OFLC, 339–340
Oral communication, 134–136
Organization assets for translation,
350–351
Organizational skills, 22
Organizing assets for translation, 349
Organizing content, 396
Outsourcing, 284–286
P
Packaging, 208–210, 348
Manuals, 208–210
Box art, 210
Keyboard reference cards, 210
Packaging and manual localization, 348
PAL versus NTSC, 347
Partial localization, 348
Pass/fail test plan, 364–366
Patents, 65
PC configurations, 13
PC games, 13, 68, 209, 224, 378
PEGI, 337–338
People management training, 22
Personal software process (PSP), 41–47
Picking leads, 110–112
Pitch meeting, 239
Pitch presentation, 265
Pitching a game to a publisher, 7, 73–77,
74, 239, 265
Placeholder dialogue, 163–164
Placeholder music, 186
Placeholder voiceover, 163–164
Plan implementation, 10–11
Plan validation, 13
Planning for a demo, 210–211
Planning for motion capture, 196–199
Motion capture requirements, 197–198
Motion capture shot list, 198
Schedule, 198–199
Planning for music, 184–189
Music design, 184–185
Technical considerations, 185–186
Schedule and staffing, 186–188
Bid packages, 188–189
Planning for voiceover, 158–166
Voiceover design, 158–159
Technical considerations, 159–160
File formats, 160–161
Voiceover script, 162–163
Placeholder voiceover, 163–164
Schedule and staffing, 164–166
Play testing, 30, 298–300, 362
Playback, 161
Player versus environment (PVE)
game, 150
Player versus player (PVP) game, 150
PMI process groups and knowledge areas,
54–57
PMP certification, 52–53
Posting job openings, 94
Postmortems, 14–15, 383–390
INDEX 479
Post-production checklist, 15
Post-production phase, 14–15
Learning from experience, 14–15
Archive plan, 15
Post-production checklist, 15
Conduction a postmortem,
Preparing character descriptions, 172
Preparing for a recording session, 177–178
Preparing for motion capture shoots,
196–197, 200–202
Pre-production checklist, 9
Pre-production phase, 5–9, 147–153
Game concept, 6–7
Game requirements, 7–8
Game plan, 8–9
Pre-production checklist, 9
Technology issues, 147–149
Design issues, 149–150
Art issues, 150–151
Production team, 151–153
Press tours, 213–214
Preventing feature creep, 317–318
Preventing piracy, 328–329
Copyright protection schemes, 328–329
Preventing feature creep, 316–319
Prioritizing features, 318
Change requests, 318–319
Prioritizing features, 318
Producer-lead model, 35–36
Production and release schedule for
console game, 379
Production checklist, 12
Production cycle, 4–5, 43
Production phase, 9–12, 153–155
Plan implementation, 10–11
Tracking progress, 11
Task completion, 11–12
Production checklist, 12
Production pipeline, 8, 250, 395
Production team, 18–23, 151–153
Executive producer, 19
Producer, 19–21
Associate producer, 21
Background and training, 21–23
Profit-and-loss statement (P&L), 278
Progress tracking, 11
Project kick-off, 239, 265
Project leadership, 109–110
Project management body of knowledge
(PMBOK), 52
Project management institute (PMI),
42, 52–57
Project management training, 22
Project manager (PM), 88–89
Project plan, 10
Project reviews, 309–311
Conducting a project review, 310–311
Benefits, 311
Proprietary copy protection
schemes, 329
Prototypes, 6–7, 35
Prototyping, 30–31, 233–236, 300–301
Providing feedback, 100
PSP and TSP, 44–47
Public relations (PR), 37–38, 171
Publicity, 38
Publisher producer (PP), 20–21, 78, 88–89
Publisher-developer agreement, 12
Publisher-owned developer, 87–89, 220
Publishing contracts, 62
Publishing partner, 74
Purpose of a postmortem, 383–385
Q
QA department, 12–14
Quality assurance testing, 34–35
Lead QA tester, 34–35
QA tester, 35
Background and training, 35
Quality of life, 128–131
R
Real-time strategy, 223
Recording voiceover, 177–180
Preparing for a recording session,
177–178
Directing actors, 178–179
Selecting takes, 179–180
480 INDEX
Audio deliverables, 180
Request for proposals, 75
Resolving conflict, 138–140
Resource allocation, 316
Retaining talent, 101–103
Risk analysis, 6, 236–238, 257,
265, 310, 314
Risk classification grid, 237
Roadblocks, 310
Role of project manager, 88–89
Role-playing game, 223
Role-playing, 159
Rooting, 150
Running meetings, 314
S
Sales, 38
Sample rate, 161
Schedule slippage, 306
Schedules, 264–277
Creating a schedule, 265–275
Initial schedule, 266–268
Work breakdown structure, 268
Detailed schedule, 268–275
Tracking tasks, 275–277
Scheduling for cinematics, 187
Scheduling for multiple platforms, 277
Scheduling software, 264
Scoring system, 31
Screening resumes, 95–97
Screenshots, 25, 209, 212–213, 369
Scripting missions, 30
Scripting tools, 26
Scrum, 41–52
Scrum and game development, 48–50
Scrum shortcomings, 50–51
SecuROM, 328
Selecting voiceover takes, 179–180
Small team structure, 36
Software age ratings, 332–334
Software development kit (SDK), 288
Software engineering institute, 44
Software engineering processes, 42–43
Software fingerprinting, 213
Software ratings, 378
Software requirements, 395
Sony, 90, 212, 355, 376, 378
Sound file specifications, 161
Sound studios, 166–169
Source code, 394–395
Staffing, 283–287
Outsourcing, 284–286
Communication, 286–287
Staffing plan, 283–284
StarForce, 328
Steaming audio, 185
Stems, 188
Story elements, 32
Story synopsis, 231
Strategy guides, 38
Studio management, 18, 21, 94
Style guide, 254
Subtitles, 348
Supporting documentation, 310
T
Task completion, 11–12
Task forces, 320–321
Team building, 112–121
Getting to know each other, 114–116
Role definition, 116–117
Cross-training, 117–118
Seating arrangements, 118–119
Team meetings, 119–120
Team website, 120–121
Team buy-in and motivation, 121–128
Warning signs, 122–124
Addressing the warning signs, 124–125
Showing appreciation, 125
Sharing vision, 125–126
Team survey, 126–128
Team hierarchy, 35
Team morale, 123–124
Team motivation, 124–125
Team organization, 35–37
Team software process (TSP), 44–45
Team with executive producer
structure, 37
INDEX 481
Technical design document (TDD), 87,
255–257
Technical documentation, 268
Technical guidelines, 395
Technology issues, 147–149
Test plans, 363–366
Testing checklist, 14
Testing schedule, 362–363
Testing, 349, 353–355
Functionality testing, 353
Linguistic testing, 353–355
Testing cycle, 367–371
Writing bugs, 368–369
Assigning and closing bugs, 369–370
Checking TCRs, 370–371
Testing phase, 12–14
Plan validation, 13
Code release, 13–14
Testing checklist, 14
Testing pipeline, 366–367
Bug tracking database, 366
Bug definitions, 366–367
TestTrack, 366
Text assets, 346
The Essential Drucker, 108
Third-party game approvals, 90
Third-party protection, 328
Tiered master feature list, 269
Time to market game, 242
Time-boxing, 270
Tools, 394
Tools instructions, 254–256
Tools source code, 395
Tracking progress, 11
Trade secrets, 64–65
Trademarks, 63–64
Tradeshows, 214
Training, 103–106
Game development resources, 105
Organizations, 105
Conferences and trade shows, 105
General game industry information, 106
Translation kit, 392
Translations, 348
Translators, 351
U
UI elements, 209, 346–347
UNREAL, 26, 287
Useful feedback, 303
User interface (UI) shell, 184
Using middleware, 288–290
USK, 339
V
Vetting contractors, 287
Vetting developers, 83–84
VO auditions, 172–173
VO bids, 167–170
Voiceover assets, 346
Voiceover checklist, 180
Voiceover design, 158–159
Voiceover scheduling and staffing, 164–166
Voiceover script, 162–163
VSC, 338
W
Walkthroughs, 207
Wal–Mart, 38
Weekly status reports, 312–314
For the development team, 313
For management, 313–314
Work breakdown structure (WBS),
268–269, 274
Work for hire, 66–67
Working with a composer, 189–192
Working with a licensor, 70
Working with a motion capture studio,
199–200
Bid packages, 199–200
Working with celebrity voices, 171
Working with ESRB, 334–337
Working with marketing, 206–208
Development milestone schedule, 206
Game documentation, 206–207
Focus groups, 207–208
Working with motion capture talent,
201–202
482 INDEX
Working with multiple production
cycles, 5–6
Working with publishers, 85
Working with recruiters, 101
Working with small teams, 263
Writing bugs, 368–369
Writing design documents, 254
Writing dialogue, 30
Written communication, 134
X
Xbox360, 224
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