Reflecting on development processes in the video game industry

Summary form only given. In the past thirty years consumer video game hardware has progressed from simple 8-bit processors, some dedicated display logic and a few kilobytes of memory to high clock rate multi-core processors coupled with a programmable graphics unit, large memories, high capacity optical and fixed drives, network interfaces, high definition audio/video output, and sophisticated user input devices. With this tremendous increase in capability has come a corresponding increase in the sophistication of video games, broadening their market appeal from a niche into a business that rivals Hollywood. The need to create products of this complexity has driven project team sizes from a couple of hackers in a basement to multi-disciplinary teams often numbering well over a hundred. Allowing project teams of this size to function effectively and deliver products on a manageable schedule has driven the evolution of software and content authoring practices and processes within the games industry. This evolution has drawn on experiences, concepts and tools from the software development industry at large, integrating them into the unique environment of video game development. This talk will provide an overview of some of these processes and best practices, as well as the key challenges in the creation of hit titles such as Skate and Need For Speed.