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Centralized Content Creation

Centralized Content Creation. Dan Forden Director of Central Content Groups Midway Games, Inc. Centralized Content Creation. Agenda. Introduction. Brief History. Benefits/Challenges. Keys to Success. Case Study: NBA Ballers – The Chosen One. Future Vision. Centralized Content Creation.

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Centralized Content Creation

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  1. Centralized Content Creation Dan Forden Director of Central Content Groups Midway Games, Inc.

  2. Centralized Content Creation Agenda • Introduction. • Brief History. • Benefits/Challenges. • Keys to Success. • Case Study: NBA Ballers – The Chosen One. • Future Vision.

  3. Centralized Content Creation Introduction • Who am I? • What are the Central Content Groups? • What is the philosophy?

  4. Centralized Content Creation Introduction • Who am I? • Dan Forden. Director of Central Content Groups. Midway Games. • Audio background: Pinball and Arcade Video. • Mortal Kombat. NFL Blitz. • Toasty!

  5. Centralized Content Creation Introduction • What are the Central Content Groups? • Concept. • Animation. • Audio. • Visual FX. • 3D Art. • Cinematics. • User Interface.

  6. Centralized Content Creation Introduction • What is the philosophy? • Using common platform. Smaller core teams. • Maximize artists’ time and effectiveness using a task-based model. • Reduce crunch. • Concentration of expertise. • Motion Picture Industry Model. • Impractical to grow disciplines within each game team.

  7. Centralized Content Creation Brief History • Cinematics needs across sports titles. • Animation: Need for over-the-top animation for sports games. • UI: Common needs, senior expertise. • Visual FX group formed in Seattle. • Concept group - visual direction. • Character and Environment Groups formed out of Cinematics.

  8. Centralized Content Creation Benefits • Efficiency. • Identify sharing initiatives. • Concentration of expertise. • Artists work on a variety of titles.

  9. Centralized Content Creation Benefits • Reduce artist crunch and burn-out. • Training. • Variety of skills (content creation, outsourcing, project management). • Unify creative efforts across the company.

  10. Centralized Content Creation Challenges • Human Nature: Game developers are passionate and territorial. • Schedule slippage. • All-hands directives. • Staffing and headcount constraints.

  11. Centralized Content Creation Challenges • Last minute requests. • Aligning available resources with amount of work. • Poor communication. • Conflict and Chaos.

  12. Centralized Content Creation Keys to Success • Communication, communication... • Adopt service-oriented approach. • Engagement documents. • Try to work mostly on a task-based format. • Team makeup – senior and junior talent. • 6-month forecasts.

  13. Centralized Content Creation Case Study – NBA Ballers: Chosen One • Demo:

  14. Centralized Content Creation Case Study – NBA Ballers: Chosen One • First project to adopt Central-Groups-focused model. • Very lean core game team: 1 art director, 1 environment art lead. • Heavy reliance on outsourcing.

  15. Centralized Content Creation Case Study – NBA Ballers: Chosen One • Environment finishing and polishing in-engine. • Cinematics pre-viz, half of rendered FMVs. • Managed cinematics outsourcing. • UI art and integration of screens. • Audio. • All animation. • Character and C.A.P. pieces polish.

  16. Centralized Content Creation Future Vision • Near Term: Finish games in progress. • Roll onto upcoming titles. • Hire artists with production savvy. • Technical art group? • Create a design group? • Prototype new game concepts.

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