Feature: 'So You Want To Be A Game Producer?'

Being a game producer is not for the faint of heart - the job takes dedication, persistence, the organization skills of a military leader, and even a little psychology, and Marc Mencher guides us through the basics in this exclusive Gamasutra feature. In this extract, Mencher discusses the foundations of a producer's role: "It is important that your project begin with a solid foundation. In the case of a creative effort such as a development project, a solid foundation is the essential heart-felt vision or high concept that will serve as the "spirit" of the project. This vision will be the driving, motivating force that will spur you and your team on to its manifestation through the sleepless nights and the real world constraints. As a producer, your initial job is twofold: (1) Conceptualizing or recognizing a concept that you believe in, and (2) Selling the ideas as a sound business opportunity to the executive staff at your company. Undoubtedly, you will be asked to present your concept as a business opportunity to management. This may be necessary, for example, to secure funding for prototype development of the concept. The next step is evaluating the development team. Whether you are looking for a team to develop your concept, or a team has come to you with an intriguing idea, it is essential that the developer and team are thoroughly evaluated. Think of this as an interview. The company and team are, of course, just as important as the vision since they will bring the vision to life. Find out how the developer is financed. Is it going to be living paycheck to paycheck, or does it have some reserve cash?" You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject, including more good introductory information on the topic (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).