Pre-Production: The Issue with Timelines

At face value, production timelines seem relatively simple. You start with an idea and create a proof of concept or vertical slice. Once an investor greenlights your prototype, you have funding to flesh out a complete alpha. Then, with lots of testing, bug fixing, and polishing, you complete a beta. There’s only one problem with … More Pre-Production: The Issue with Timelines

Brainstorming

Blue Sky Thinking “Blue sky thinking” refers to activities we can use to come up with ideas, seemingly from nowhere and without limits. Blue sky thinking can involve spontaneous and improvisational thought or speech, or it can be more structured and methodical. It’s about getting away from the known, and the familiar and into a … More Brainstorming

Focus: How To Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

I mentioned in a previous article that I believe work is the opposite of depression. But what about people who are depressed because of their work? It’s not uncommon for people burned out from their work over long periods to suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Because we strain ourselves so hard over … More Focus: How To Burn Brightly Without Burning Out

Ambiguity is the Enemy, Constraints are the Ally

Game Design and Development is naturally ambiguous work. We use vision to innovate new ideas and learn new things. However, vision requires a lot of ambiguity to work and maybe difficult with constraints. To complete your game, you have to turn your vision into executable tasks. These tasks are impossible with ambiguity and require a … More Ambiguity is the Enemy, Constraints are the Ally