The Player Fantasy
It all starts with the Player Fantasy. It is the journey we take the player on. What we make them feel, how we make them feel it, defining the emotionally engaging experience the player will have. It is a critical key to the success of a game.
It is also the North Star that guides the team throughout development, as all things that go into the game should be in support of the Player Fantasy. It gives the project a focused direction, guiding the team in what it should be spending its time on.
By understanding what the Player Fantasy is, and how to properly define it, teams can use it save time and costs. Avoiding the unnecessary distractions and rabbit holes many projects fall into along the way.
Learning how to foster creative environments for creative projects that discourage siloing, and encourage ideas and ownership. Understanding how people get into creative states, what causes communication breakdowns, then using this information to our benefit.
The industry has acquired an over-reliance on classic production methodologies like Agile / SCRUM / Waterfall / etc…. These inadvertently create the roadblocks that lead to wasted effort as they were never designed for creative projects. They were designed to manage multiple, disparate teams in silos.
Creative teams need more connection, more understanding of the project as a whole. When a creative team silos is when communication breaks down, morale breaks down, and enthusiasm fizzles. Creative teams are at their best when they feed off each others enthusiasm.
Better Team Structure
Who Am I?
Benson Russell is a seasoned leader in video game development for console, PC, and VR games. Experienced with triple A franchises, major corporate studios, as well as new IP development and startup studios, he has one exit as a founder.
Critically acclaimed credits include the Uncharted Series, The Last of Us series, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Medal of Honor Series, and many small studio projects.
Benson brings a deep understanding of how to create and lead high-functioning teams to success. He advocates empowering teams to focus on crafting gameplay that is challenging and fun, to engage the player emotionally and elicit the strongest possible connection. He champions for work cultures where creative collaboration and teamwork are fostered and valued.