The Game Producer's Handbook

by Dan Irish

"The Game Producer's Handbook" offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in the game industry, answering the question "what does it take to be a successful video game producer?" It is for those who yearn to achieve excellence in their work--individuals whose desire for excellence will define their careers in the entertainment software industry. It is for students who view the video game industry from the outside and want the knowledge and skills to succeed inside this burgeoning future of entertainment. Whatever their current role in the game industry, readers will be fascinated by this insider's glimpse into the role of Game Producer. They'll discover the reasoning behind some of the most common mistakes made in video game development. The author offers tips on how financial aspects of a project govern a producer's decisions and shows readers how to negotiate a good development deal that ensures a win-win situation for everyone. Readers will even learn how to produce an excellent soundtrack and will learn why the music is as important as the graphics.

Genres: Games, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Beatrice Lapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book on my first day as a video game producer and I'm still using it when I teach video game production. Half of what's in this book are stuff I already learned in the industry both from great mentors (especially in Level Up, Inc.) and from experience as a project manager in the multimedia industry. It covers attitude, work habits, and a few details about risk assessment and management (which sadly, a lot of studios don't even practice), and cost estimates. It's nice to keep myself in check once in a while so this book is a great help. What it doesn't have, though, are the details about work breakdown structures and other operations management technicalities that you can get from attending master's classes (graduate school).

[Tony Trudeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book if you have no clue what a producer is. It's not as useful for an existing producer to better their skills. This takes too broad of an approach and also spends a lot of time describing different types of producers instead of tackling the best methodology to be a producer. So, in short, its good for entry level producers or those interested in the field.

[Naomi Patterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t think there is a good reason to read this book in 2023. Much of the information is outdated and it doesn’t contain useful information for anyone already in the industry.

[Alexey Gerasimovich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Слово «продюсер» вошло в наш обиход примерно в 1990-ые годы, причём у многих оно ассоциировалось одновременно с человеком, который может из любой идеи сделать продукт, а из любого человека — звезду, и в то же время с чем-то нечистоплотным. Видимо, потому что у многих в головах тогда застряло ощущение, что любой бизнес связан с каким-то криминалом и пошлостью.

Однако позже слово уже не воспринималось в языке чужеродным, оно заменило для кино должность «директора фильма», а во многих других индустриях эта роль стала наконец означать то, что и должна — того, кто помогает организовать производство в целом, а команде — создать продукт.

Далее: https://knari.by/2022/12/27/the-game-...