It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Time!Seeing as we’re moving into the later stages of development, we thought it would be a good idea to let you know what happens in the final stages of a project. My name is Brian Woodhouse, and as Bizarre’s Development Director, I’ve been assigned (or should that be press-ganged?) into telling you all about it. So wait a second whilst I drain another cup of high-strength coffee and I’ll let you know what we’re up against in the next few months…
Approaching the Big PushIt starts to get really madly busy as you get to the final six to eight months of a game. Everyone is madly battling to get their work finished and into the game. But of course this comes with its own problems. Someone triumphantly checking in a big chunk of new code could completely break someone else’s work. Adding in all the street furniture in a city could push the polygon count to critical. A new fix for one problem could highlight a bug in another area which wasn’t apparent until then. At this stage, the Producers are running around like maniacs trying to make sure everyone gets their work finished for the dreaded code complete and content complete deadlines. So after that, we can relax, right? Wrong!
The Final StagesNow we have to fix all the bugs! And believe me, there can be hundreds or even thousands of them in a big project – from trivial ‘this wall is the wrong colour’ issues through to major crashes, they all have to be ironed out and solved before the game ships! In theory, when the bug fix rate is outstripping the bug find rate, you know that you are in the final straight. A neat little poem, eh?
But this is not always true. This is the point in the project when things become a little frightening. Tempers get frayed, people are tired and the game needs to get finished without comprising quality. Heated debates ensue as to who did what to break which bit of code. Luckily not every area of the game hits the crunch period at the same time – the art generally is done earlier, apart from the odd problem or two, whereas design and balancing and code generally are being honed right to the end. It’s a strange time but can be fun depending on the day and how mad you are feeling.
SupportHere at Bizarre we pride ourselves on trying to provide the best support to our team that is possible. We are aware that our guys are giving up large tracts of their personal time and we try to do our bit to make life a little easier. We provide healthy breakfasts and dinners for those who are in early or staying late – after all we need to keep our guys in good condition as this is a trying time! Balance is also key here, we try to keep our days as productive as possible and that means that you can take some personal time plus 8 hours sleep. Without that you either smell, function badly—or in extreme cases—both.
Spit and PolishGames need love. It’s not as simple as fixing all the bugs, sending the master out and locking up and waiting for the game to be released. The more time that is spent on a functionally finished game, honing the player feedback and balance, the more natural the game progression will feel, and the player will enjoy it more. It’s not obvious when a game is well balanced, but it’s really obvious when it’s unbalanced. Love, care, and attention is the name of the game here. And it’s not just the gameplay—every little bit has to look and feel right. Menus must animate smoothly, fades must be the right length, colours must look just right (and with the bunch perfectionists we have here, this is the most painstaking part of the process).
When Will it Ever End?Pillow, breakfast, screen, dinner, screen, pillow. It feels like it will never end. But it will and it does. Closing stages require a focussed, smart team – it’s easy to become upset, get really tired, get distracted by the minor issues, focus on the wrong stuff. In the past it’s felt like sleep deprivation – ask the military – tired people make bad decisions. So for me, it’s keeping the guys alert and focussed on the challenge that’s important here. It’s not always easy or successful, but the Gotham team is remarkably committed, focused and robust – so it makes our job easier.
Exercise Time!Move yo ass! Sports provide good mental breaks, and a bit of physical exercise is enormously beneficial when we are under the cosh. A quick game of football or cricket can recharge the mental batteries much more that expected – well, dependent on the British weather! It’s also good for morale and reminds us what we do should be fun, after all, the vast majority of people don’t get to work in such an exciting industry.
The Team Wins!The team vibe is crucial to the quality of the game – so if team morale is in good shape we stand a better chance of success. Positivity lends itself to success in the same way that negativity only results in failure, so it’s critical that the team believe in the game and in each other. When people are working in a creative environment for long periods of time, teamwork and atmosphere are the singularly most important element. No person can finish the game alone and it’s at this stage when teamwork is the difference between sinking and swimming.
Can it be fun?Of course, who else in the world gets to work on a huge launch title? Everything has a cost right? Hard work and focus is the price for the prestige of a big title. I know people who would give their right arm for our jobs – and they would probably have to.
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