ok, I have no idea why I used that title. I'm a Tyler Perry fan...so shoot me.
Anyway...
Out in Utah for full time meetings as these pics can attest:
These meetings focus mainly on scope of the game, budget, feature set, etc. It's basically us meeting with Sony to review where the project is at, not so much game design or production wise, but more from a financial standpoint.
It's so odd/funny/wrong to say 'us meeting with Sony'....we've know these people- and worked with them- for like 13 years. And for many of those years, Scott and/or myself were Sony employees. So it's more just kind of like old times, like nothing has really changed.
Good meetings, got alot done.
Then we went out and smoke and drank a bit:
There's me (with the cee-gar smoke), Scott Campbell, Allan Becker (head of Sony Santa Monica), and Tina Kowlaldekdkwkjdweidjwiejdijsosidski. She is the new head of external development for Sony Santa Monica. And she knows like EVERYONE in the freaking biz. I mean EVERYONE. Most connected person I know. She rocks.
She's actually got this amazing book she's been working on for years that has little sketches/drawings from all of the most successful and well know game designers in the biz...West AND East! It's pretty amazing to see little drawings from Kojima and Miyamoto in there, right next to each other! She should really publish that thing one day....anyway....
Good times.
Ok, still out in the Utah, gotta get in for a design meeting. Chat with you guys/gals later.
David
ps. took a pic of this cartoon from a book on the Disney World theme park ride builders that my brother had. It reminds me very much of the process of making a game and the process of scoping out a game, which we are going through right now (hell, that process never ends, you are always adjusting design, adding, cutting,etc). It's kinda blurry but here ya go:
Panel #1 says: Concept Phase
Panel #2 says: Feasibility
Panel #3 says: Reality
Panel #4 says: Descoping (which basically means, the reality of money and time has gotten in the way so go back to your 'amazing, brilliant' concepts and chop them up!)....hardest- but often times the most important and best- part of making a game. My experience says that 30-70% of what you are forced to cut for money ends up being stuff you needed to cut anyway, so you can get to the heart of your product. And we've cut on this game, but there's alot of meat left on the bone and we're working hard to make sure we don't cut anymore cause I think where we have it right now is the sweet spot. But as always, I know ya'll will let us know if we hit the bullseye when the game hits.
Ok, running late. See ya!