Team leadership in the game industry

Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Team Leadership in the Game Industry arms you with the information you need to face and meet the challenges of finding, supporting, and retaining a talented team of employees. Specifically addressing the unique needs of managers in the game industry, this book recognizes a common issue: game development teams consisting of talented specialists who lack interpersonal and le Team Leadership in the Game Industry arms you with the information you need to face and meet the challenges of finding, supporting, and retaining a talented team of employees.

Specifically addressing the unique needs of managers in the game industry, this book recognizes a common issue: game development teams consisting of talented specialists who lack interpersonal and leadership skills. Filled with tips and advice from industry pros, you'll learn how to solve problems such as selecting your team, defining roles and identifying team leaders, meeting deadlines, and handling underperformers.

You'll examine classic leadership traits, and take a look at specific team roles and their daily responsibilities. Real-world case studies illustrate solutions to each problem and hands-on exercises will help you practice the techniques presented.

Team Leadership in the Game Industry provides you with a valuable set of best practices and advice to help you achieve efficient, cohesive teams. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. More Details Original Title.

Other Editions 2. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Team Leadership in the Game Industry , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Team Leadership in the Game Industry. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Team Leadership in the Game Industry. Mar 29, Steven Ramirez rated it really liked it.

Interviews were useful. Other stuff was more or less what I already knew. Here are some specifically defined roles in the Game Development. Game Designer is a team member which creates gameplay, rule, and structure of the game. It includes the User interface, documentation, narration, content and packing video game.

They are responsible to create the game character, their graphics, their roles, they voices, there visual and all graphics related work. There can be multiple people can be in the team which more specific roles and there will be one lead person which will coordinate with the game development team for the development process.

Artist is a team member or team who create game art. This art includes creating the jungle view, different viewport, and another related task. They are also graphic oriented team but mostly works on creating the scene and their visuals.

These may be 2d or 3d oriented. A programmer is a team which writes logics within the game and allows the user to make relatable to normal life. It drives them to actively listen to the words the other members say and insert them into the storyline. Did coming up with a story come naturally or did you find it to be a struggle? Goal: Complete a goal while team's hands are tied together. In this activity, divide groups up into teams of 2 to 4. Form members into circles facing each other and use rope or shoe strings to tie their wrists to their neighbours wrist.

Then, give them a task that they must complete together with their hands tied. Because everyone's hands are tied, it will require the effort of each person to complete the task. The constraints can increase their creativity and push them to think outside-of-the-box. This will also require good and constant communication. Number of Participants: 2. Items Needed: 1 smart phone for 2 people. Goal: Complete a dance with another person. Bounden is a mobile dance game designed to be played with partners with choreography by the Dutch National Ballet.

A pairs holds a smartphone or tablet while instructions appear on the screen. Holding opposite ends of the device, you tilt the phone around a virtual sphere following a path of rings, resulting in players swinging their arms and twisting their bodies. Sensors in the phone detect if the right moves are made.

This can be used as a great icebreaker for small groups. It also requires people to pay close attention and follow the instructions. As they continue, the moves can get more fast-paced or difficult, so they'll have to stay in sync and keep communicating to win. Was there anything you picked up on from your partner's non-verbal communication?

Items Needed: Various random objects, one per each participant. Goal: Come up with alternative uses for everyday objects and have team members guess said uses. Each participant is given an object and must demonstrate an alternative use for it.

You can use anything from a basketball or plastic bag to a hula hoop or stapler. Give the participant one-minute to silently act out their alternative use for the object; for example, a stapler could be used as a fork or a trumpet. While they're acting, others in the group try to guess what they're mimeing. Every person who correctly guesses the alternative use gets a point.

Once the minute is over, the next person will do the same and so on. The Game of Possibilities is a great way to bring out your team's creativity and quick thinking as well as a fun way to boost team creativity and innovation.

Time: 30 minutes. Goal: Closely mimic movements of dancers to get points. Although one of the most effective and quickest ways to bring someone out of their comfort zone is to get them to dance, dancing can be uncomfortable for people who shy away from attention. Dance Party solves this issue by having up to 4 participants dance at once. You can download the Dance Party app from the App Store and set it up in your office.

Players mimic the dance moves that the avatar performs on the screen. Encourage members to form teams and compete. Dancing as a group takes the pressure and embarrassment out of dancing.

Dance Party fosters healthy competition and energizes teams. Plus, the physical activity can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Items Needed: Smartphone. Goal: Guess the word displayed on participants phone. You may have seen "Heads Up!

It is a mobile app available for download on Android and iOS devices, in which one player puts the phone on their forehead, the rest of the players can see the word, celebrity, or other category on the card, but it is hidden from the person holding it.

He or she has to guess the item on the card based on clues from their team. Although it is a fun app usually associated with parties, it can be perfect for office team-building. The best part about the game is that you can use the preloaded decks or you can create your own decks. Make a deck that relates to your company or industry and test their knowledge while having some fun.

Items Needed: Blindfold, masking tape, random assortment of items for the mine field. Goal: Team members must guide a blindfolded person through a minefield with only their words. Minefield can be set up inside or outside, but make sure to clear the area to avoid any accidents.

Place "mines" or objects in an obstacle area and mark a finish line with masking tape. Mines can be anything from styrofoam cups to cones, as long as they are soft with no rough edges. The member that is going through the field, or obstacle area must be blindfolded. The other members of the team direct them through the minefield by giving them verbal instructions. If they hit an object, they must start over.

The first team with all members across the minefield wins. It can be difficult for some to trust their team members or to rely on someone else to help them reach a goal. Some may think they have to do it on their own. Minefield is an activity designed to foster trust in teams.

It can help members that are resistant to collaboration become more open. What was the most difficult part about giving instructions? What about receiving instructions? What style of communication was the most effective? What didn't work? Items Needed: Tarp, Balls. Goal: Guide a ball around tarp without letting it fall into a hole. Thought it may remind you of an activity you did in gym class, Hole Tarp can be a lot of fun, even for adults.

It can be done with a tarp or plastic sheet and a few tennis balls. First you must cut one or a few holes into the tarp. Once this is done, place your team evenly around the tarp. Have each member hold the edge with both their hands. Instruct your team to shake the tarp so it begins moves around like a wave. Once it is moving, throw in a ball.

Participants must navigate the ball around the tarp for the longest possible period without having the ball fall through one of the holes. If the ball falls through a hole or off the side of the tarp, your team must restart the game. Alternatively, you can have the team guide the ball, circling each hole.

The team wins the game when they successfully navigated the ball around the circumference of each tarp without having it fall into any of the holes. Everyone on your team has to keep moving to keep the ball rolling. If someone stops, the ball will drop. This game relies on constant communication to achieve its final goal. Was there any forms of communication that worked better than others? Did you assign a leader formally or informally?

Did that help or hinder your progress? Time: 25 Minutes. Items Needed: Items that can be used as platforms milk crates, fabric square, tires, baseball base , 2 ropes or 4 cones. Goal: Cross the floor or ground by maneuvering across different objects. If the phrase "the floor is lava! Lava Flow, also called River Crossing, is a game in which a group must cross the river of lava by jumping and maneuvering across different objects.

It's the team's task to figure out how to get the entire group from one side of the lava field to the other without touching the ground. The group should be given a limited number of objects, 2 or 3, that way they have to be moved and shared each time someone crosses. If someone touches the floor at any point, then they will get burnt and must start over. The first team to cross the river with all members intact are the winners.

Time: Hours. Items Needed: Scavenger hunt list, smartphones optional. Goal: Gather as many items on the list within a set period of time. Scavenger hunts are one of the oldest ways to get people to interact and collaborate. But, there are still one of the most effective and fun. Smartphones and apps have made it possible to do scavenger hunts anywhere.

You can even add in photo or video challenges and share an album within the organization. You can do a simple scavenger hunt and keep it in the office or take it outdoors, which can be much more exciting. Create a list of items that groups must collect or tasks that they have to complete.

They can be goofy, as long as it's possible to complete. Some examples are: "Take a selfie with someone wearing a cat shirt" or "Grab a take-out menu and a fortune cookie from a Chinese restaurant. Time: 40 Minutes. Goal: Get everyone through a web of rope without touching the rope. Do you remember all those spy movies with the intricate laser security systems people had to maneuver through? Spider Web is kind of like that.

Create a maze of lines and shapes by stringing twine between vertical 2 poles. The end result should resemble a spider's web with some larger, easier holes and some smaller more difficult gaps.

Teams must cross the spider web to reach the other side without touching the string or going in the same shapes as anyone before them. The challenge gets harder as more people cross to the other side and requires everyone to remember and communicate with each other. Goal: Submerge a ballon in a bucket of water using only the supplies given.

Balloon in water is a great way to see how your team solves problems together, particularly when faced with limited resources. Each group must immerse an inflated balloon in a bucket of water for a minimum of 5 seconds. They can only use the provided materials to complete the activity. The brick goes in the bottom of the bucket of water. Teams have a minute to strategize and flesh out their plan and only 5 minutes to do the activity. Only the provided materials can be used during the challenge.

The 3 binder clips and inflated balloon given to the team cannot be altered in any way. Before starting the activity, the team has one minute to plan and they have to plan without touching the materials.

After planning, the team is given 5 minutes to execute their plan. The balloon must be fully immersed in the water before the 5 minutes is over.

The balloon must remain immersed for at least 5 seconds, and the team must notify the trainer s when they are ready to be timed. Goal: Teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. This game can get a little messy, so it's recommended for outside. Leaky Pipe is a highly interactive activity that requires groups to work fast and efficiently together. You'll need water, buckets, several cups, 2 pipes with holes drilled in them, and 2 ping pong balls.

To win, teams must retrieve a ping pong ball from the pipe by filling it up with water and floating the ball to the top. Participants will need to work together using the cups to carry the water from the bucket to the pipe, relay race style with cups of water to fill it. The pipe has holes drilled in it, so they will have to plug the holes as the water gets higher. To complete the challenge, each team will receive a bucket of water which is placed 10 metres away from the pipe and several cups.

Remember to set a countdown, so they are racing against the clock. Items Needed: Ball Goal: Have every participant say their name. For new groups, check out an icebreaker and memory game called Group Juggle. Participants form a large circle facing each other. If you have a large group, break into groups so there are no more than 20 people in each. Throw a ball to one person. They will throw it to someone else, but must say that person's name first.

The ball goes around the group like that until a pattern starts. Once the group seems comfortable, throw in more balls to increase the difficulty. Time: 50 Minutes. Items Needed: Bags, Random objects. Goal: Create a 10 minute skit based on random items in a bag.

Acting and improv exercises can be a humorous and energizing way to bring your team together. Grab Bag Skits is a short activity in which teams will get out of their comfort zones by creating fun skits.

Split the group into teams of 3 to 8 and have each team choose a bag. They don't know what is inside, but it is stuffed with unrelated and random objects.

Each team is given 10 minutes to put together a 2 to 3 minutes skit that uses each of the items. Every person in the group must take on a speaking role.

Encourage groups to be as creative as possible. For example, they can use an apple as a meteor or a paintbrush as a witch's broom. Each team will preform their skit for the group. Although some individuals may be more introverted, Grab Bag Skits can encourage them to get out of their comfort zone and connect with colleagues.

Goal: Have the team correctly line up in order of a specific criteria. Ask the group to line themselves in order based on certain criteria. Make it more challenging by setting a rule that members can't speak to each other. You can do this as a get-to-know-you-better activity. Some examples are by:. As members move around the room to organize themselves in order, you'll notice how they communicate to complete the task and who takes on the role of organizers or leaders.

Follow Up Questions. Time: 25 minutes to an hour. Items Needed: Smart phone one per each participant. Goal: To make others laugh while collecting 7 cards to win the game. Evil Apples is a mobile app inspired by the party game, Cards Against Humanity. Other players submit cards anonymously to fill in the blank.

The person with the game card chooses the best, and often the funniest response. Players will bond over laughs and may appreciate the creativity of other group members. You will need to be cautious how you use it some cards can be considered inappropriate or offensive which for many is the fun of the game. However, you can download different decks that are more work-appropriate or use other card apps to create your own decks.

Number of Participants: Players. Items Needed: Smart phone or tablet, Jackbox games , video calling software. Goal: Every player will make a drawing based on a prompt. Players then submit a title for these drawings and try to pick out the real title from the fake ones. Drawful is the perfect solution for remote teams. It can easily be played over Zoom or other video calling software, as well as in person. In Drawful, each player receives an unusual prompt they need to try and draw on their phone in a limited amount time.

After someone finishes and submits their drawing, everyone else submits a title anonymously that could fit the other player's drawing. These titles can be humorous or serious, it's up to each player.

The goal is to find the correct drawing prompt while fooling others into selecting decoy answer. Bonus points are awarded to the decoys that are particularly clever or funny. Create a video meeting with team members and share your screen. Start the game! Every player uses their phone or tablet as a controller, so it's important that everyone has access to a device.