September 3, 2023 • 10 mins
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Do you ever wonder how your favorite indie game studios transition into massive AAA entities while maintaining their unique essence? Strap in for a captivating exploration of this complex evolution in the gaming industry. We dive deep into the challenges that come with expanding, like balancing creative freedom, fostering team spirit, negotiating bureaucracy, and staying loyal to their original fan base. We also shine a spotlight on successful studios that have made this transition, highlighting strategies they've employed like fostering studio culture, keeping a player-centric vision, flexible hierarchies, and risk diversification.
In this riveting second part of our discussion, we break down the tactical approach to transitioning from indie to AAA. We talk about everything from onboarding and communication protocols to feedback culture and community engagement, all key factors in ensuring the studio's original spirit remains intact. Wrapping up, we outline potential pitfalls to anticipate and strategies to avert them. Whether you're an indie developer dreaming of going AAA, or just have an interest in the gaming industry's inner workings, this episode is packed full of insights you won't want to miss!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hey there, press starters and welcome to the
press start leadership podcast,the podcast about game changing
leadership, teaching you how toget the most out of your product
and development team and becomethe leader you were meant to be
leadership coaching andtraining for the international
game industry professional.
(00:40):
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
the legend, christopher.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Mifsud.
Hey there, press starters andwelcome back to another awesome
edition of the press startleadership podcast.
On this week's episode we'll bediscussing scaling success from
indeed the triple a gameproduction, mastering the growth
transition without losing yourgame's authentic spirit.
In the world of video gamedevelopment, there's perhaps
(01:08):
nothing more enchanting than thetale of a small indie developer
blossoming into a major triplea studio.
We've seen it happen time andagain.
But with growth comeschallenges, particularly the
challenge of scaling up withoutlosing the original spirit or
soul that made the game orstudio special in the first
place.
Understanding the indie spirit,the indie game scene has always
(01:30):
been a hotbed for innovationand creativity.
With limited resources andoften working from a garage or
small office, indie developersrely on pure passion, unique
ideas and a ton of coffee tobring these visions to life.
There's a certain charm inplaying a game knowing it was
crafted by a small, dedicatedteam where every pixel, every
line of code and every note ofmusic was a labor of love.
(01:50):
Being indies not just about thesize of the team or the budget.
It's about the spirit ofinnovation, freedom of
expression and the audacity todream big even when the means
are modest.
The allure of going triple a.
On the other side of thespectrum, triple a studios, with
their enormous budgets andlarge teams, produce some of the
most polished, expensive andgraphically stunning games on
(02:11):
the market.
They have the means to investin top tier voice actors,
orchestral scores, advancedmotion capture technology and
more.
They can also afford to take onmore significant risks to a
certain degree, given theirfinancial cushion.
The transition from indie totriple a is alluring for many
reasons.
One resources triple a studioshave larger budgets, which means
(02:31):
better tech, more staff andmore room to experiment, iterate
, to reach.
With a bigger marketing budgetand brand recognition, triple a
games can potentially reach awider audience.
And three stability While theworld of triple a is competitive
, a successful triple a game canbring in revenue that ensures
studio stability for years.
However, recent days and weekshave shown that that may not
(02:52):
absolutely be true.
Balancing act maintaining soulwhile scaling.
The journey from indie totriple a is fraught with
challenges.
The very things that canempower studio more budget, more
people, more processes can alsodilute the unique culture and
vision that made it stand out inthe first place.
Number one retaining creativefreedom.
One of the biggest fears anydevelopers have when scaling is
(03:14):
losing creative control overtheir projects as teams grow and
stakeholders increase.
There's a risk of too manycooks in the kitchen.
Triple a games can sometimessuffer from design by committee,
where a game tries to be toomany things to please everyone
and ends up losing its uniqueidentity.
Number two keeping the teamspirit alive.
With growth, there's a dangerof the close knit, family
feeling of an indie studiogetting replaced by a more
(03:36):
corporate atmosphere.
It's essential to activelyfoster a studio culture that
values every team member'scontribution and encourages open
communication.
Number three navigatingbureaucracy.
Bigger studios means morelayers of management and
decision making.
While processes are essentialto handle large teams and
budgets, there's a fine linebetween necessary bureaucracy
(03:57):
and red tape that stiflesinnovation.
And number four staying true toyour audience.
Many indie games find adedicated niche audience who
value the uniqueness of thetitle.
Studios aim for a broadermarket appeal.
There's a risk of alienatingthe original fan base.
Lessons from successfultransitions.
Several studios havesuccessfully made the leap from
(04:17):
Indie to AAA withoutcompromising the original vision
.
Here are some strategies theyemployed Emphasizing studio
culture.
Even as they grow, successfulstudios often emphasize
maintaining a strong andinclusive studio culture.
They recognize that it's thepeople developers, artists,
writers, testers that are themost significant assets.
They invest in team building,training and ensuring open lines
(04:40):
of communication.
Playing player-centric Studiosthat stay connected with their
player base, valuing theirfeedback and engaging with them
through beta tests, forums,social media, tend to navigate
the transition better.
They recognize that theiroriginal fans are their
ambassadors and ensure theyremain a part of the studio's
journey.
(05:00):
Flexible hierarchies Whileprocesses and hierarchies are
necessary, successfultransitioning studios ensure
they remain flexible.
They encourage innovation,allow teams autonomy and promote
a culture of constructivefeedback, diversifying risk.
Instead of putting all theireggs in one basket, these
studios often diversify theirportfolio.
They might have one or twoflagship AAA titles, but
(05:22):
continue to support and producesmaller indie projects.
As the gaming industrycontinues to evolve, the lines
between indie and AAA arebecoming more blurred.
There's a recognition that theheart and soul of a game is not
determined by its budget, but byits vision, passion and the
people behind it.
Scaling from indie to AAA isnot about abandoning those roots
, but about finding ways to helpthem flourish on a larger scale
(05:45):
, ensuring smooth transition.
Tactical approaches.
Transitioning from indie to AAAis not just about expanding the
team size or securing moresubstantial financial backing.
It requires a well thought outstrategy and some tactical
approaches to ensure thetransition is smooth and the
essence of the studio remainsintact.
(06:06):
Mentoring and training as yourteam grows.
It's vital to onboard newmembers effectively.
This isn't just about teachingthem the tools of the workflow.
It's about teaching thestudio's values, ethos and
vision.
Pairing new hires withexperienced team members for
mentoring that can help it, andseamless knowledge and culture
transfer.
Revisiting communicationprotocols what worked for a team
(06:28):
of 10 may not work for a teamof 100.
As teams grow, communicationcan become a challenge.
It's essential to have clearcommunication channels, regular
team check-ins and transparentproject management tools in
place.
Back loops, couraging a culturewhere feedback is valued and
acted upon, can be a gamechanger.
It's not just about top-downcommunication.
(06:49):
Team members should feelempowered to voice their
opinions and contribute to thegame's direction.
Regular feedback sessions,anonymous suggestion boxes or
open forums can help inachieving this.
Maintaining an R&D wing One wayto ensure you continue to
innovate and stay true to theindie spirit is by having a
dedicated R&D department.
This team can work onexperimental projects, support
(07:10):
new technologies or even developprototypes for potential new
games Keeps the spirit ofinnovation alive and ensures the
studio doesn't become toocomplacent.
Engage with the community.
Your original fans were theones who believed in your indie
project when it was just aprototype or a Kickstarter
campaign.
As you grow, engage with them,provide them with exclusive
updates, involve them in betatesting or even host community
(07:33):
events.
This not only keeps theminvested, but also gives you
valuable insights into how yourgames are received.
Significant change that oftenaccompanies the transition is
the financial stakes involved.
Teams should be made aware ofbudget, where money is coming
from and where it's beingallocated.
This transparency can preventpotential misunderstandings and
(07:54):
ensure everyone's on the samepage.
Potential pitfalls and how toavoid them.
Scaling from indie to triple Acan come with its set of
pitfalls.
Recognizing them early, beingproactive in addressing them,
can be the key to a successfultransition.
Losing touch with the originalvision this is perhaps the most
significant pitfall.
As teams grow and externalstakeholders like investors or
(08:16):
publishers come on board,there's a risk of the game's
original vision getting diluted.
Regular vision alignmentsessions, maintaining a strong
creative director role andalways referring back to the
game's core design document, canhelp in staying true to the
original idea.
Burnout With bigger projectscome bigger pressures.
Crunch times, tight deadlinesand long hours can lead the team
(08:38):
burnout.
It's crucial to recognize thisearly and address it.
This might mean bringing inadditional help, reevaluating
timelines or even setting asidededicated downtime for teams.
Overcomplicating processesProcesses are essential, but
there's a risk ofovercomplicating them.
If a process seems to beslowing things down rather than
aiding productivity, it might betime to revisit it.
(08:59):
Always have the mindset ofprocess serving the team rather
than team serving the process.
Overpromise and underdeliver.
As you scale, there's atemptation to promise more to
your audience, be it in terms ofgame features, graphics or
gameplay hours.
It's essential to manageexpectations and to ensure you
can deliver on what you promise.
(09:20):
Transitioning from an IndeedAAA is an exciting journey,
fraught with challenges, butalso immense opportunities.
The right strategies, clearvision and an unwavering
commitment to the game's soulGames could not only make this
transition successfully, butalso set new industry standards.
The world of gaming is vast anddiverse.
There's always room at the topfor those who innovate, inspire
(09:43):
and engage.
Alright, and that's this week'sepisode of Press Start
Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
.
Hey there, press starters and welcome to the
press start leadership podcast,the podcast about game changing
leadership, teaching you how toget the most out of your product
and development team and becomethe leader you were meant to be
leadership coaching andtraining for the international
game industry professional.
(00:40):
Now let me introduce you toyour host, the man, the myth,
the legend, christopher.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Mifsud.
Hey there, press starters andwelcome back to another awesome
edition of the press startleadership podcast.
On this week's episode we'll bediscussing scaling success from
indeed the triple a gameproduction, mastering the growth
transition without losing yourgame's authentic spirit.
In the world of video gamedevelopment, there's perhaps
(01:08):
nothing more enchanting than thetale of a small indie developer
blossoming into a major triplea studio.
We've seen it happen time andagain.
But with growth comeschallenges, particularly the
challenge of scaling up withoutlosing the original spirit or
soul that made the game orstudio special in the first
place.
Understanding the indie spirit,the indie game scene has always
(01:30):
been a hotbed for innovationand creativity.
With limited resources andoften working from a garage or
small office, indie developersrely on pure passion, unique
ideas and a ton of coffee tobring these visions to life.
There's a certain charm inplaying a game knowing it was
crafted by a small, dedicatedteam where every pixel, every
line of code and every note ofmusic was a labor of love.
(01:50):
Being indies not just about thesize of the team or the budget.
It's about the spirit ofinnovation, freedom of
expression and the audacity todream big even when the means
are modest.
The allure of going triple a.
On the other side of thespectrum, triple a studios, with
their enormous budgets andlarge teams, produce some of the
most polished, expensive andgraphically stunning games on
(02:11):
the market.
They have the means to investin top tier voice actors,
orchestral scores, advancedmotion capture technology and
more.
They can also afford to take onmore significant risks to a
certain degree, given theirfinancial cushion.
The transition from indie totriple a is alluring for many
reasons.
One resources triple a studioshave larger budgets, which means
(02:31):
better tech, more staff andmore room to experiment, iterate
, to reach.
With a bigger marketing budgetand brand recognition, triple a
games can potentially reach awider audience.
And three stability While theworld of triple a is competitive
, a successful triple a game canbring in revenue that ensures
studio stability for years.
However, recent days and weekshave shown that that may not
(02:52):
absolutely be true.
Balancing act maintaining soulwhile scaling.
The journey from indie totriple a is fraught with
challenges.
The very things that canempower studio more budget, more
people, more processes can alsodilute the unique culture and
vision that made it stand out inthe first place.
Number one retaining creativefreedom.
One of the biggest fears anydevelopers have when scaling is
(03:14):
losing creative control overtheir projects as teams grow and
stakeholders increase.
There's a risk of too manycooks in the kitchen.
Triple a games can sometimessuffer from design by committee,
where a game tries to be toomany things to please everyone
and ends up losing its uniqueidentity.
Number two keeping the teamspirit alive.
With growth, there's a dangerof the close knit, family
feeling of an indie studiogetting replaced by a more
(03:36):
corporate atmosphere.
It's essential to activelyfoster a studio culture that
values every team member'scontribution and encourages open
communication.
Number three navigatingbureaucracy.
Bigger studios means morelayers of management and
decision making.
While processes are essentialto handle large teams and
budgets, there's a fine linebetween necessary bureaucracy
(03:57):
and red tape that stiflesinnovation.
And number four staying true toyour audience.
Many indie games find adedicated niche audience who
value the uniqueness of thetitle.
Studios aim for a broadermarket appeal.
There's a risk of alienatingthe original fan base.
Lessons from successfultransitions.
Several studios havesuccessfully made the leap from
(04:17):
Indie to AAA withoutcompromising the original vision
.
Here are some strategies theyemployed Emphasizing studio
culture.
Even as they grow, successfulstudios often emphasize
maintaining a strong andinclusive studio culture.
They recognize that it's thepeople developers, artists,
writers, testers that are themost significant assets.
They invest in team building,training and ensuring open lines
(04:40):
of communication.
Playing player-centric Studiosthat stay connected with their
player base, valuing theirfeedback and engaging with them
through beta tests, forums,social media, tend to navigate
the transition better.
They recognize that theiroriginal fans are their
ambassadors and ensure theyremain a part of the studio's
journey.
(05:00):
Flexible hierarchies Whileprocesses and hierarchies are
necessary, successfultransitioning studios ensure
they remain flexible.
They encourage innovation,allow teams autonomy and promote
a culture of constructivefeedback, diversifying risk.
Instead of putting all theireggs in one basket, these
studios often diversify theirportfolio.
They might have one or twoflagship AAA titles, but
(05:22):
continue to support and producesmaller indie projects.
As the gaming industrycontinues to evolve, the lines
between indie and AAA arebecoming more blurred.
There's a recognition that theheart and soul of a game is not
determined by its budget, but byits vision, passion and the
people behind it.
Scaling from indie to AAA isnot about abandoning those roots
, but about finding ways to helpthem flourish on a larger scale
(05:45):
, ensuring smooth transition.
Tactical approaches.
Transitioning from indie to AAAis not just about expanding the
team size or securing moresubstantial financial backing.
It requires a well thought outstrategy and some tactical
approaches to ensure thetransition is smooth and the
essence of the studio remainsintact.
(06:06):
Mentoring and training as yourteam grows.
It's vital to onboard newmembers effectively.
This isn't just about teachingthem the tools of the workflow.
It's about teaching thestudio's values, ethos and
vision.
Pairing new hires withexperienced team members for
mentoring that can help it, andseamless knowledge and culture
transfer.
Revisiting communicationprotocols what worked for a team
(06:28):
of 10 may not work for a teamof 100.
As teams grow, communicationcan become a challenge.
It's essential to have clearcommunication channels, regular
team check-ins and transparentproject management tools in
place.
Back loops, couraging a culturewhere feedback is valued and
acted upon, can be a gamechanger.
It's not just about top-downcommunication.
(06:49):
Team members should feelempowered to voice their
opinions and contribute to thegame's direction.
Regular feedback sessions,anonymous suggestion boxes or
open forums can help inachieving this.
Maintaining an R&D wing One wayto ensure you continue to
innovate and stay true to theindie spirit is by having a
dedicated R&D department.
This team can work onexperimental projects, support
(07:10):
new technologies or even developprototypes for potential new
games Keeps the spirit ofinnovation alive and ensures the
studio doesn't become toocomplacent.
Engage with the community.
Your original fans were theones who believed in your indie
project when it was just aprototype or a Kickstarter
campaign.
As you grow, engage with them,provide them with exclusive
updates, involve them in betatesting or even host community
(07:33):
events.
This not only keeps theminvested, but also gives you
valuable insights into how yourgames are received.
Significant change that oftenaccompanies the transition is
the financial stakes involved.
Teams should be made aware ofbudget, where money is coming
from and where it's beingallocated.
This transparency can preventpotential misunderstandings and
(07:54):
ensure everyone's on the samepage.
Potential pitfalls and how toavoid them.
Scaling from indie to triple Acan come with its set of
pitfalls.
Recognizing them early, beingproactive in addressing them,
can be the key to a successfultransition.
Losing touch with the originalvision this is perhaps the most
significant pitfall.
As teams grow and externalstakeholders like investors or
(08:16):
publishers come on board,there's a risk of the game's
original vision getting diluted.
Regular vision alignmentsessions, maintaining a strong
creative director role andalways referring back to the
game's core design document, canhelp in staying true to the
original idea.
Burnout With bigger projectscome bigger pressures.
Crunch times, tight deadlinesand long hours can lead the team
(08:38):
burnout.
It's crucial to recognize thisearly and address it.
This might mean bringing inadditional help, reevaluating
timelines or even setting asidededicated downtime for teams.
Overcomplicating processesProcesses are essential, but
there's a risk ofovercomplicating them.
If a process seems to beslowing things down rather than
aiding productivity, it might betime to revisit it.
(08:59):
Always have the mindset ofprocess serving the team rather
than team serving the process.
Overpromise and underdeliver.
As you scale, there's atemptation to promise more to
your audience, be it in terms ofgame features, graphics or
gameplay hours.
It's essential to manageexpectations and to ensure you
can deliver on what you promise.
(09:20):
Transitioning from an IndeedAAA is an exciting journey,
fraught with challenges, butalso immense opportunities.
The right strategies, clearvision and an unwavering
commitment to the game's soulGames could not only make this
transition successfully, butalso set new industry standards.
The world of gaming is vast anddiverse.
There's always room at the topfor those who innovate, inspire
(09:43):
and engage.
Alright, and that's this week'sepisode of Press Start
Leadership Podcast.
Thanks for listening and, asalways, thanks for being awesome
.
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