E67: The #1 Reason Game Dev Fails with Graham McAllister

Building Better Games

In this episode, Ben Carcich and Dr. Graham McAllister explore the concept of vision in game development, highlighting the common challenges and misalignments that teams face. They discuss the importance of a unified vision, how it impacts the final product, and the friction that arises when vision is unclear or miscommunicated. Join us as we delve into the intricacies of vision alignment and its crucial role in creating successful games.

Key Takeaways:

Vision in game development can be ambiguous and multifaceted.

• It is often used to refer to various aspects of the development process.
• This broad usage can lead to confusion and misalignment within teams.

Misalignment of vision among team members can lead to significant challenges and failures.

• Different interpretations of the vision can cause teams to work towards conflicting goals.
• Lack of a clear, shared vision can result in wasted effort and resources.

Stability in game studios is often undermined by conflicting visions and organizational flux.

• Constant changes and shifts in direction can destabilize development efforts.
• Without a unified vision, projects are at higher risk of being canceled or shuttered.

Shared mental models are crucial for aligning team vision and improving the development process.

• Teams need a common understanding of what they are creating.
• A unified vision helps ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.

Practical solutions exist to address vision misalignment and create more cohesive and successful games.

• Aligning both the creative and business aspects of the vision is essential.
• Implementing structured processes can help achieve better alignment and outcomes.

Thank you for joining us for Part 1 of our discussion on vision in game development with Dr. Graham McAllister. We hope you found the insights valuable and thought-provoking. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we will continue to explore solutions and strategies for achieving better vision alignment in game studios. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss any updates. Your feedback and support are greatly appreciated, and we look forward to bringing you more content that helps you succeed in your game development journey. See you in the next episode!

To learn more about Dr. McAllister:

https://grahammcallister.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamsync-ltd/

Graham’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahammcallister

Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

If you’re interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames