Review
“ If you’ve ever felt that gaps exist between ‘traditional’ software development using Scrum and video game development using Scrum, this book is for you. Clinton effectively bridges those gaps by covering the adjustments necessary for disciplines, individual roles, and processes and project phases unique to game development, thoroughly supporting it with explicit examples and practical advice. Simply put, a must-read for game developers that are currently using or plan to implement Scrum or other agile processes within their company.”
—Jeff Lindsey, Producer, Longtail Studios
“ I wish Clinton Keith could go back and write this book 15 years ago—it would have helped me see things a lot differently. Agile Game Development with SCRUM is a one stop shop for game teams interested in using scrum techniques.”
—CJ Connoy, Game Producer, Treyarch
“ By the time you wake up and realize that you really need this book, your project will probably be too far gone. Dive into agile before it’s too late and let Clinton be your guide. Tested under the fires of true game production, everyone involved in game development will gain from reading Clinton’s wisdom.”
—Jason Della Rocca, Founder, Perimeter Partners, and former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association
“ Clinton Keith has written an excellent book for both practitioners and students. He combines an in-depth analysis of the challenges of large scale game development with hands-on advice on the use of Scrum. His often funny anecdotes illustrate that this guy has really experienced the heat of large computer games projects.”
—Bendik Bygstad, Professor of Information Systems, The Norwegian School of IT
“ Clinton Keith combines his experience as both video game developer and agile practitioner to apply Scrum philosophy to the unique challenges of video game development. Clint clearly explains the philosophy behind Scrum, going beyond theory and sharing his experiences and stories about its successful application at living, breathing development studios.”
—Erik Theisz, Senior Producer, 38 Studios
“ Clinton has combined his extensive game and software development experiences with agile methodologies. The result is a thoughtful, clear, and, most importantly, realistic application of agile to game development.”
—Senta Jakobsen, Senior Development Director, DICE
From the Back Cover
Deliver Better Games Faster, On Budget—And Make Game Development Fun Again!
Game development is in crisis—facing bloated budgets, impossible schedules, unmanageable complexity, and death march overtime. It’s no wonder so many development studios are struggling to survive. Fortunately, there is a solution. Scrum and Agile methods are already revolutionizing development outside the game industry. Now, long-time game developer Clinton Keith shows exactly how to successfully apply these methods to the unique challenges of game development.
Keith has spent more than fifteen years developing games, seven of them with Scrum and agile methods. Drawing on this unparalleled expertise, he shows how teams can use Scrum to deliver games more efficiently, rapidly, and cost-effectively; craft games that offer more entertainment value; and make life more fulfilling for development teams at the same time.
You’ll learn to form successful agile teams that incorporate programmers, producers, artists, testers, and designers—and promote effective collaboration within and beyond those teams, throughout the entire process. From long-range planning to progress tracking and continuous integration, Keith offers dozens of tips, tricks, and solutions—all based firmly in reality and hard-won experience.
Coverage includes
- Understanding Scrum’s goals, roles, and practices in the context of game development
- Communicating and planning your game’s vision, features, and progress
- Using iterative techniques to put your game into a playable state every two to four weeks— even daily
- Helping all team participants succeed in their roles
- Restoring stability and predictability to the development process
- Managing ambiguous requirements in a fluid marketplace
- Scaling Scrum to large, geographically distributed development teams
- Getting started: overcoming inertia and integrating Scrum into your studio’s current processes
Increasingly, game developers and managers are recognizing that things can’t go on the way they have in the past. Game development organizations need a far better way to work.
Agile Game Development with Scrum gives them that—and brings the profitability, creativity, and fun back to game development.
