Game Design in Agile Development

Speakers: Rory McGuire

Track: Game Design

Format: Lecture

Experience Level: Intermediate

Description: Designers face a tough task in the sheer weight of demands and expectations in next-generation console games. Rory McGuire discusses how an Agile method called Scrum being used at High Moon Studios addresses next-gen complexities with an iterative approach to game development and how it eases the task of being a game designer in a bigger project.

Scrum breaks the development cycle into short sprints of two weeks to a month where developers focus on creating small slices of the larger project. For designers, the iterative approach allows for better evaluation of specific design elements. It also allows for the opportunity to get much more design polish in game play without tremendous amounts of overtime near the end of development.

Idea Takeaway: Attendees will learn fundamentals of Scrum methodology as a development technique. While focusing specifically on how it applies to game designers, the session will outline how the approach helps boost designer productivity, transparency and ease of work.

Intended Audience: This lecture is intended for game designers of all levels. Intimacy with Scrum or Agile is not necessary, a brief overview will cover pertinent information.