Continued exploration of a UAT Games Studio Producer

The continued journey . . . 

Another week has passed in my journey as a UAT Game studios producer. I have learned a lot of new skills that encompasses my abilities to motivate and discipline my team.  Early on, there were several new faces that I came acquainted with. I assumed these were the individuals that were here to get the job done. My assumption was correct, not only are they getting the job done, but I’ve learned that these new faces are very passionate about game development. The conversations I have with the developers are always about evolving. What can I do to make this game better? How can I improve on mechanics? What’s going to make this game fun? These are the type of conversations I have with my team and I have learned to build trust and respect for them as they have for me.

I came into this with realistic and reasonable goals; I tasked my team to produce at least 1 functioning level by the end of the production cycle. I underestimated them by a land slide, the team is on pace to produce 3 levels (functioning & polished) and is ready to start gravitating towards crowdfunding possibilities.

I’ve worn multiple hats in this process, with my experience in media arts, marketing education and development I’ve been able to help my team produce marketing content that makes their product (game) visible to the public. With their help and my lead, I’ve created several outlets to get this game “Market ready” such as building a website, developing social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) and now I’m currently researching crowdfunding websites that will be able to assist this game with licensing fees and  marketing.

Being a hands on producer has made me build stronger relationships with my team and I’ve learned a lot from them but I have also been learning a lot through external research.  Readings and industry outreach has prepared me for any obstacles that I may face. In the event of any issues, I can intervene and use my new found knowledge to help, motivate and lead them to success.

According to the textbook Team Leadership in the Game Industry it informs us that a great leader should possess a certain amount of soft skills. They include

Soft skill building allows for individuals to be people persons, an extrovert if you will and generally are very engaging to be around. These skills also create a friendly environment for the team. I know that development can be high-stress and lots of hours are put into a product but to be able to perform these soft skills and have my team feed off of them will make their intensive work day run a lot smoother.

As I approach next week, I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with them, build off my soft skills and most importantly reassure and motivate It them. If you want to learn more about UAT Game Studios and our project, feel free to visit the links below.

Onward.

Links to UAT GAME STUDIOS

https://www.facebook.com/uatgamestudios

http://www.uat.edu/?gclid=CjwKEAjw8qetBRCj6vKH8IC_kwoSJADGQ8dSurO814GimT7-YLfdbQEuFqK3G7pW5Nh-zeN5pZQkcxoCiU7w_wcB

Links to Mirrored: Reflection of Resolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3chYpdIphS4&feature=youtu.be

http://bpope011.wix.com/mirroredgame

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirrored-The-Reflective-Resolution/355975787924756

References

Spaulding, Seth. (2009) Team Leadership in the Game Industry. Cenegage Learning PTR