Originally written February 26, 2022 | MS Game Production and Documentation Course
Assignment 7.2 — Weekly Journal | Reign and Rebellion
Introduction
This week focused on refining ways to present and position the team’s game, alongside developing an improved version of the game pitch that would be engaging and persuasive. A significant amount of time was dedicated to organizing and structuring the presentation content. This process served as a valuable learning experience, providing deeper insight into the team’s production methodology and workflow. Presenting clear information about how the group operates helped communicate the project’s structure and intent more effectively.
Project Doing
During this week, I worked on enhancing the video pitch presentation by improving the overall demonstration of the game. Preparing the video and ensuring that all essential details were included helped communicate the game’s value clearly and cohesively, supporting its presentation and positioning.
Project Learning
Scrum addresses communication challenges in larger teams not by adding management layers, but by dividing project staff into smaller, focused groups. One of the most critical responsibilities of a lead is mentoring developers to improve how they work. For example, lead programmers often pair with associate programmers to help refine coding and design practices.
Book Reading
Scrum creates opportunities for leads to remain actively involved in game development and to lead by example rather than through task-tracking tools alone. Instead of spending excessive time managing spreadsheets, leaders engage directly with team members through one-on-one interactions. Another important leadership responsibility is providing career support for developers within their discipline. In organizations that employ matrix management structures, this often takes the form of annual performance and salary reviews, which can reinforce discipline-centric evaluation over team-centric collaboration. Scrum also drives change across disciplines by encouraging teams to reflect on and improve their day-to-day working practices, enhancing communication and iteration speed.
Book Learning
Game development requires a high level of collaboration across multiple disciplines. A single character, for example, involves animation, physics, textures, models, sound, and behavior systems that must work together seamlessly. No single discipline can accomplish these functions independently; close collaboration is essential to create complete features. While feature teams are common, functional teams—composed of developers within the same discipline—also offer distinct advantages. Studios often distribute development work across teams to reduce costs and balance staffing demands.
Conclusion
There is no single formula for building effective teams in game development. The team structures and practices discussed here result from adapting Scrum roles and workflows to improve collaboration and align shared vision. Exploring roles and team structures is an ongoing process. Retrospective practices are essential for improving how teams work together and interact with stakeholders. When teams are given ownership and authority over aspects of their daily work, they are more likely to take responsibility for outcomes. This transformation often takes years and may create friction with existing studio leadership cultures, but the long-term results justify the effort.
References
Keith, C. (2021). Agile Game Development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
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Reflective Postmortem — Game Production Insights and Scrum Learnings From Reign and Rebellion
This post is part of my weekly journal series documenting my experience in the MS Game Production and Documentation course. Follow along as I learn what it really takes to produce a game.