Two simple truths about producers and game designers October 30, 2007
- Free-lance game designer/producers
Most people think they can design games. Most people think they know what preproductions are for. Most people are wrong. As a consequence, I, as a free-lance game designer/producer, don’t get hired to do game design or manage preproduction. I get hired to fix productions that go wrong because the game design and preproduction suck*.
I am not bitter. This is how it is. - Producers at big companies
In big companies, competent producers are moved from good projects to bad projects, because the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Without a competent producer, good projects go bad.
Only producers with excellent political skills can stay on a good project.
Tell me I’m wrong.
*) Except for my current clients ;)
Hello, I am from the internet. You are wrong.
Hello, I am from the game industry. You are right.
I will split the difference and say you are “partially right”. I know what preproduction is and I have nothing to do with producing or game design. It’s just part and parcel of what I do for a living (animation). I think a lot of people in the industry know about preproduction but I think where you draw the distinction is that they don’t implement or execute it.
That is too much nuance for this kind of blog post :)
(I am not saying I disagree)
You, sir, are wrong.
Oh well in that case - Meh!
[…] Intelligent Artifice » Two simple truths about producers and game designers Disagree with point one, agree with point two. And like Mr Jones, I’m quite sure this also applies to web design. (tags: gamedesign gamedevelopment freelancing producing design politics companies) […]
Hello, I was formerly from freelance web design but am now from freelance game design. You are right.
As far as being a “fixer” goes, this has been true for me with web design, but not yet with game design. I think the reason for this is that most clients seem to know when a web production is in trouble, but have a harder time knowing when a game production is in trouble.
Not my clients of course, who are perfect in every way. God bless them, every one.