Game Development Team Management: How-to Guide
Developing a game is no small feat — it takes a team of experts working together to produce a high-quality product. And getting the team to work effectively together can be a challenge. This is confirmed by 18% of team leads according to studies. Fortunately, with the right skills, tools, and resources, managing game developers can be trouble-free, exciting, and fulfilling.
In this guide, we’ll cover how to manage a game development team effectively. Also, we’ll look into the issues and challenges of game development in 2023 and beyond. Keep reading.
Features of Managing a Game Development Team
It’s important to know the features and components that work together to make a game development venture a success. Some of these key features are:
Collaboration
There are many different game development team roles including sound engineering, graphics, design, animation, and programming. To have a successful project, these experts need to work well together. Great collaboration will bring out the best in each team member and align everyone toward a single goal.
Agile development
The agile development process is iterative and focuses on continuous integration, continuous delivery, as well as collaboration. Agile development helps teams stay on track with their objectives and spot and resolve problems early in the development process.
Project management
Game development team management involves juggling many different people and activities. For example, a typical game development project will need the services of one or more coders, a QA team, designers, animators, and video and sound technicians. Activities include ideation budgeting, timeline, assigning tasks, QA, and support, Efficient project management will ensure everyone and everything is on the same page and working toward a common goal.
Team building
It’s important to ensure that team members are motivated and that team morale is kept high. Activities such as regular team-building events and outings, or even just a relaxed lunch, can help to bring the team together and encourage healthy collaboration in the team.
Communication
Effective communication is a key feature of any team. It helps make sure that everyone understands the project’s goals. Communication tools like Slack, Skype, Zoom, Google Chat, Google Workspace, and Workplace by Meta can help to keep everyone in the loop and expedite communication.
Tech stack
The right tech stack is also incredibly important for successful game development. Python, C#,.NET, and Java, are a few common game development stacks for gaming applications. Unity and Unreal Engine are game development software that also a play vital role.
It’s important to have the right tools and technologies available for the team in order to ensure things run smoothly and efficiently.
How to Build a Game Development Team that Can Be Managed Effectively
To build an effective game development team, you must plan and strategize. But most importantly, you must find the right people to work with. Here are some tips to get started.
Establish the project’s scope and requirements
What type of game are you building — video, online, or mobile app? Who are you targeting? How complex should the game be? What tech stack is needed? Fleshing all these out will lay the groundwork for the type of team you need.
Determine roles and skills needed
A typical game development project has many different roles. You’ll need a programmer, an artist, and a level designer. You will also likely need a sound engineer and a tester. The right mix of skills is crucial for your project’s success.
Find and recruit top talent
Recruit people with the appropriate skills, tech stack, experience, and expertise. You will need people with a solid understanding of C++, Java, and Python, as well as experience with engines like Unity. If you cannot find talent locally, you may want to consider web, console or mobile game outsourcing. You can access a wider pool of talent this way.
Structure the team
Think about the strengths and weaknesses of each person and assign roles that best suit their skills. Delegate tasks so everyone can work harmoniously and collaborate on ideas with ease.
Encourage collaboration
Building a collaborative environment is key to having a successful team. Create a strong team culture that fosters a healthy work atmosphere, and encourages open communication and criticism.
Newxel can help you build the right team for your project. We can help you recruit people with relevant tech skills. We can also set up an R&D center for them and provide ongoing support. All in the location of your choice.
What Tools are Best for Managing a Game Development Team
There are several tools that help to make managing game development easy. Listed below are a few.
Project management software
Project management makes it easy to keep track of tasks and keep a project on course. Some popular options are:
- Wrike
- Asana
- Basecamp
- Trello
- Jira
- Zoho Projects
These tools allow for the setting up of a project timeline, assigning tasks to team members, and ensuring that everything is in line towards a successful finish.
Communication and collaboration tools
Communication and collaboration tools are also a must for any game development team. These tools enable real-time collaboration, messaging, and file sharing.
Examples are:
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Asana
- Trello
- Google docs
- Zoom
The ability to quickly share thoughts and ideas allows for a much more efficient and productive work environment.
Version control tool
Version control software (VCS) allows you to access older versions of code, making it easier to fix problems. VCS also facilitates code sharing between team members and enables them to monitor each other’s code.
Examples of VCS are:
- Git
- SVN
- Gitlab
- Perforce
Bug tracking and testing tools
Bug tracking and testing are essential for making sure that it works as expected.
Examples of bug tracking and testing tools are:
- Jira
- Bugzilla
- Zoho bug tracker
- ClickUp
Without comprehensive testing and bug tracking, you can’t be sure that your game will be a success.
Monitoring and analytics
Finally, analytics and monitoring tools such as Google Analytics and Switchblade will give you a more detailed look into the progress of a project.
Popular options are:
- UGS analytics
- Google analytics
- Quantum metric
- Mixpanel
These tools help teams benefit from real-time data collection and analysis, allowing for more efficient decision-making and development tracking.
How to Manage a Game Development Team: Top Tips for AAA Studios and Publishers
Define a clear, concise vision
When starting any game project, it’s crucial to define a clear, concise vision for the project. Everyone needs to be aware of the ultimate objective and mission of the game and work together to achieve that same goal. This prevents confusion and ambiguity within the project.
Communicate expectations clearly
Establishing and communicating expectations early on is important as well. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding their individual responsibilities and the deadline for their deliverables.
Iterate and playtest
Going through the game and testing it using a variety of techniques is a very important part of managing a game dev team for success. Iteration and playtesting should be conducted early on and repeated regularly throughout the development cycle. This ensures a quality product in the end.
Effective backlog management
A backlog is a list of tasks or features to be included in the game. Get into the habit of prioritizing that list, while keeping deadlines in mind. This organizational approach will keep the team motivated and on track.
Remain adaptive
Don’t be afraid to make changes if something you thought would benefit the game doesn’t actually do so. In any case, you’ll recognize when ideas need to be adapted or amended.
Provide honest and helpful feedback
Feedback is essential to the development process and helps ensure that each team member remains motivated and on track. The feedback should be timely and constructive. It should focus on the individual’s performance rather than the work itself.
You need a team in place first before you can talk about managing it. Unfortunately, the current scarcity of tech talents may make it difficult to hire the people you need locally. But Newxel can help.
Newxel can help you get access to top talents from all over the world, recruit them, set up an efficient R&D center, and provide ongoing support for your project’s duration.
How Newxel Can Help Manage a Dedicated Game Development Team
When managing a game development team, you want to make sure you hire the best people, have the right work environment, and have the best tools and resources. That’s where Newxel comes in!
Our game development services will help you build the best team by hand-picking development experts on your behalf, offering custom solutions, and ongoing support like HR, legal, finance, and office management. We can also provide a fully equipped office space for your team in Poland, Romania, Ukraine, or any other county, giving them the best tools and resources so that they can hit the ground running.
We hire game software developers who are skilled in the most common game development stacks. This typically includes Python, C#, .NET, and Java. Other vital skills are Unity and Unreal engines, Photoshop, 3D Studio Max, and Sketchup 3D. You can rest assured that your product will have all the features you require. This project will be under your full control, and you will retain all rights to it.
Conclusion
Management in game development involves a lot of moving parts, and things can quickly get out of hand if you’re not careful. However, if you can get a good team together, you have won more than half the battle.
Newxel can work with you to hire top talent for your game development requirements. We can also set up a customized workspace for your team so that they can start on time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What roles does a game development team consist of?
What is the complexity of managing remote game development teams?
What increases the efficiency of game dev management?
