I have been doing design and development tests for over a decade now (I even did some art tests early in my career) and I have come to the conclusion that most tests are bad. The idea of testing people isn’t bad, in fact, it’s imperative in the games industry.
One of the weaknesses of the game industry is that we are fairly slow to adopt new processes. A great framework that has come out in the last few years is GIST. It allows teams to eliminate the use of road-maps and stay Agile in their planning as well as their implementation.
When talking to teams that are early in the development process, they often tell us they want to make either a vertical slice or an MVP (minimum viable product) of their game. We find these two terms get used interchangeably when in fact, they are very different. To clear up any confusion, let’s take a look at what the two terms mean, and better yet, how to use the concepts behind them to make a great game.
A Technical Designer is a facilitator, helping to move concepts from ideation to implementation. They serve as a practical bridge between disciplines (design and engineering), and as a professional “unblocker” for the design team.
Podcasts are my personal favorite way to learn new things and absorb information. Much to my girlfriend’s chagrin, I have them playing all the time. Including whenever I do chores around the house like washing the dishes or hanging the laundry. I find the long-form conversations podcasting encourages are the perfect venue to explore the…
A good quality education in game design has become more accessible than ever given the burgeoning array of physical courses as well as the emergence of many reputable online courses. The growing interest in game design has also facilitated the growth of informal educational channels on YouTube. Many of these channels can help you learn more…
Reddit is a great place for game designers and developers to find a community with which they can share ideas, get inspiration, and even ask for help when they hit a roadblock. We decided to go looking for subreddits that we thought would be helpful with some aspect of game development, and it turns out…