The organization
Starting a video game company is an arduous task. It requires a very precise planning and organization, which is why we will tackle some of the experience we had as an Indie company.
One of the biggest problems I have encountered when starting an independent company is the lack of organization. I’ve seen countless people wanting to make their own video game because they have a “great idea” and try to recruit people in social networks and video game development groups, without first properly planning that idea. How is it possible for a potential employee to become interested in being part of your team? How to maintain interest if earnings are not yet being generated?
Game Design Document
The first step is to generate a Game Design Document. The GDD serves as the guide to start the video game, this is where you will have in writing the style of game that you are going to develop. There are several ways to do a GDD, according to Game Design: Theory & Practice by Richard Rouse there is no specific format to make the GDD, unlike the cinema or television where a technical and literary script is handled. However, in the book you share the following agenda that the author handles in order to start your GDD.
- Table of Contents
- Introduction / Summary
- Game Mechanics
- Artificial intelligence
- Game Elements
- Summary of the story
- Progression of the Game
- System Menus
If you want to see more detail each point the book is in the following link in Chapter 19 page 355:
https://gamifique.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/5-game-design-theory-and-practice.pdf
Schedule
In order to follow up on the development of the project and to know the next step, a schedule is necessary. The schedule can be used to determine the dates on which each task must be completed. Trying to be the most specific and realistic in them, such as not only saying “End the characters in a week” But say “Create the Concept Art design for the characters X and Y in the first half of the week, and 3D modeling in the second half. “This will help the team know when to deliver and what to do after that task ends. Here is a simple example of a schedule.
Home office
When starting an Indie company that doesn’t have funds is very common that all of the staff will work from home, this is where communication is extremely important. That is why, there must be a platform that allows them to upload the content instead of passing it through Facebook or mail, in my experience I can recommend Trello, a free page to organize the departments, be it Design, Art, Audio, etc. As well as distribute the tasks according to the Kanban method, ie with cards: To Do, In Process and Finished. Which will be used to select your task by member, upload PNG files, Videos, JPG, ZIP, etc. Below is a sample of how the cards look in Trello.
It is important to consider that even with excellent platforms like Trello the best communication will always be face to face. That is why, if possible, I consider it advisable to meet at least once a week, whether in a house, a public place, or in the worst case by Skype, so that the communication and feedback flows throughout the team.
Social networks
Least but not last, one way to always be in contact with your team is through social networks, so it is convenient to create a group with team members as well as a group conversation in the chat. It is also advisable to have a list with all members, their whatsapp, mail and in the long run a website to give more formality to the company. If you would like to know more about how to start an independent company, do not hesitate to write us on our social networks:
https://www.facebook.com/SeashellStudiomx/
https://twitter.com/Seashell_Studio
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