Top Three Ways to Get It Wrong


Hindsight is a great teacher. It is easy to point fingers and laugh after the event, but it is unfair to those who at least tried. They made the effort, and that takes a lot of courage. The following is a short list of common mistakes that bring down most businesses, and not just those in the games industry.

Item 1: Don't Do Any Research

It's amazing how often people will take this type of risk. Failing to prepare adequately kills your business' credibility if the people you deal with see through your bluffing. Sure, talent and luck might get you through the tough times, but you will regret the mistakes that could have easily been avoided, the wasted money, and the bridges you will have burned.

Item 2: Place All of Your Eggs in One Basket

This is actually more subtle than it first appears. For example, many developers have made the mistake of focusing all their efforts on just one project. The problems occur when your publisher—who is likely funding your project—suddenly pulls out, gets bought up, or simply collapses into a mess of suspect accounting practices. Without some type of insurance, such as a second concurrent project with another publisher, your company is in deep trouble.

However, the single-project risk isn't the only application of this clich . Many developers have been badly stung by the practice of placing great portions of a project in the hands of one or two people. Lose those key personnel and you lose your project.

A good rule of thumb for analyzing this problem is the "hit-by-a-bus" question: "If this person should be run over by a bus tomorrow, how will it affect the project?" If the answer is "We're doomed!" then you need to remedy the problem now. Remember, these people don't have to be run over; they could resign, join your competitors, or even change careers tomorrow if they're unhappy.

Item 3: Hire the Wrong People

"Manager" is a meaningless term without context. For example, a "project manager" and an "office manager" need very different skills. No one can possess all of the talents and abilities required to manage every possible mission.

A huge proportion of the games industry's managers come from non-management backgrounds—often they are either ex-programmers or ex-designers. Neither role is particularly good at preparing you for management, yet the number of developers who have left one game development company to set up their own with little preparation is surprising. Some are successful, but they are exceptions, not the rule.

Similarly, many companies make the mistake of hiring a manager proven in one industry and expect them to be able to pick up all the nuances and quirks of another with little or no training. Managing a chain of grocery stores is not the same as managing a chain of development teams. There are similarities, certainly, but without that key understanding of how the industry works, it is all too easy to miss something that would be obvious to an experienced hand.




Secrets of the Game Business
Secrets of the Game Business (Game Development Series)
ISBN: 1584502827
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 275

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net