Directing Video Games: 101 Tips for Creative Leaders

by Brian Allgeier

What does a video game director actually do? What guiding principles do they follow while leading a team of game creators? Longtime Ratchet & Clank director, Brian Allgeier, boils down his decades of experience into 101 fully illustrated tips. Written for both aspiring and experienced creative leaders, this book covers the expansive and multi-faceted role of the director, from developing the initial vision to key methods on tackling design, story development, and production challenges. Tips cover the 5 essential qualities of a creative director who 1. Hold the Vision 2. Provide Structure 3. Keep a Creative Toolbox 4. Lead Effectively 5. Know Production For those who are curious about what it takes to be a video game director or want learn more about the art of creative collaboration, this book covers the basic principles for leading and inspiring a team to make great games. "Directing Video Games is a literal loot drop of knowledge, decades of experience concisely and expertly crafted into 101 densely packed tips. Even a page — with no exaggeration — can be transformative to a project’s success." —Brenda Romero, Award winning game designer "This book is one of a kind, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to lead the creation of a video game. It's full of great visuals and excellent advice, and belongs on every game director's bookshelf." —Richard Lemarchand, Associate Professor in the Interactive Media Division, USC "Born of expansive experience, this is a comprehensive book that both beginners and seasoned developers should keep at their side." —Michael John, Program Director of Games and Playable Media, UCSC "Brian has managed an incredible thing—to present a broadly complex, multi-faceted role in bite-sized, easy to digest nuggets of sage advice." —Marcus Smith, Creative Director of Resistance 3 and Sunset Overdrive

Genres: Game Design, Games

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2017

Reviews

[Mauro Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book, and after one time, i have read it another time! All contents are important and well explained, from what i did not know, to what i already knew but discover the importance of their context. Very helpful reading!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! Brian has created a thorough compilation of leadership and design best practices that readers of all experience levels will find useful.

It's important for Design Leaders to have a large “toolbox” full of different frameworks, lenses, processes and more. Directing Video Games is exactly that! An overview of different “tools” and how to best use them.

I’ve been a Designer in the industry for years and all of the tips in this book are extremely useful. Some of them brand new, some are tips that i’ve been relying on for years and a bunch are invaluable lessons that i’ve have learned the hard way over my career.

So, yeah.. If you’re interested in Design or Creative Leadership get this book!!

[Alessandro Gaudiosi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian has written such a great and accessible creative reference. What helped me the most is the insight into planning a creative approach when building a strong game foundation. The tips provided are written in a way that’s extremely easy to consume avoiding the overwhelming text book style approach. Lastly, I appreciate that leadership and team collaboration is emphasized here and Brian offers valuable advice on how to maximize this approach. I recommend this book highly and an essential read for game dev enthusiasts.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full of insights, easy to read and digest. It really clarifies a lot of the vagueness that can surround the role of a creative director in the games industry.

[Mee Doc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers efficient tips while being fun to read. I appreciate the variety of topics that are covered. The format is perfect to keep it close to you and open it quickly check a specific tips when needed.

I'll recommend it to students and friends, and personally refer to it from time to time.

[Anders · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title would suggest that this book is for aspiring game directors, but the content is a survey of student-level game design, and there are much better books for entry level or aspiring game designers. I was expecting a book about wielding a team and communicating vision. I got a book with such tips as, "A game should have a story!"

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian's book was fun and extremely informative! It can be applied and referenced to many different professional and creative fields. The illustrations are great and the information helped me carve out a game plan. It was an excellent read!

[Arpad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much info, no details. Better read a real book like The art of game design, a book of lenses.
I expected so much more from the director of Ratchet and Clank

[Corey Cudney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read with tons of useful tips and stories to keep in mind going through the phases of game development!

[Yury Popov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Неплохая и разумная методичка для креативных директоров в геймдеве. Ничего особенно нового, но чувствуется опыт автора в ААА индустрии.