Kanban: From zero to demo in three days
By Walt Yarbrough, producer, MassDiGI
For the past two years during the MassDiGI Summer Innovation Program, we used a heavily modified Agile as our production method of choice (which had strengths and weaknesses) as noted in this blog post last year. At the end of the 2013 program we went through our post mortem process. Every option was examined and discussed with our inexperienced student intern teams who gave us the following feedback:
Successes
- The interns learned to track their own work and report it on our burndown charts
- The managers had a good tool – the burndown charts – to track and monitor progress
- The interns learned the value of the standup and good team communication
Failures
- Failure to use any of the predictive and projection powers of Agile to help guide our projects
- Scrummaster and team are conflicting roles by design in Agile, and for many interns in their first real job – they were unable to easily handle this conflict and these roles
Looking back at what we had achieved with two summers of Agile – we had stripped it down so much that we were very close to the results of the Kanban process. Kanban requires much less in terms of overhead, at the cost of losing predictive and budgeting powers – features we were not able to implement in the process anyway.
Kanban is a production process focused on providing a ‘snapshot’ of the team’s work that is up to date and accurate. Kanban literally means signboard in Japanese, and the production process uses a board with a note for show each individual task, each worker, and columns to detail workflow.
Given our results in the past, we made the decision to switch to Kanban for this summer’s program and set about teaching Kanban to the interns at the beginning of the summer.
For the the 2014 Summer Innovation Program, we gave the interns the following guidelines to set-up, using the whiteboards in the collaborative studio workspace provided by Becker College.
- Each team member has one sticky note in one color to indicate themselves. They list their name and contact information (if they
- happen to be out)
- Each task has a sticky note clearly defining an individual component of the game. We color coded the tasks as follows: Yellow – Audio, Green – Art, Blue – Code
- We laid out the whiteboard with markers and a To-Do, Work in Progress, Feature Complete and ‘Final in Perforce’ columns
- These columns are to represent the quick and dirty workflow required for Demo/Prototype work
The Kanban process is flexible and we will adjust it for each different phase. To help the interns get used to working with and tracking their own tasks, each student was tasked with taking the sticky representing themselves, attaching to a task, and moving each task across the board as work was completed. At the end of the day, they take themselves off the board and place themselves in the ‘Out’ box, then when they come in in the morning, they go back on the board.
As each student has no experience with Perforce – we added the ‘Final in Perforce’ requirement to their Kanban boards to force them to learn Perforce early in the summer. At later stages in the summer, proper file control will be critical. One of Kanban’s strengths is that you can use it to identify workflow problems – a strength we used to our advantage by forcing ‘Perforce’ as a workflow step. No task can be considered complete until it is Perforce – so the students and managers saw this a problem immediately, and that workflow problem remained until the students solved it.
Another strength of Kanban is the flexibility of the production process. The interns rapidly made two modifications to our boards 1) They chose to use the unused pink sticky notes to represent Design and Documentation tasks and 2) Our most OCD student brought in colored tape and re-laid out the board to be geometrically precise – a process that we duplicated on each board.
The rapid ramp-up process for Kanban and low overhead let the students jump right into creating demos and proof of concepts of their projects.
After three days of work, two teams had already completed their demos and moved on to creating their Vertical Slice for the Alpha phase of the project. Now, after two weeks, most are nearing completion on their Alpha work, and are looking ahead towards the Production phase.
So far, we are pleased with the use of Kanban and very proud of the interns’ progress to date. As we move through this summer, we will adjust our production methods to match, and we’ll post mortem again for 2015.
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Jumping right in: Actually making games
By Pat Roughan, senior, WPI
Being a student of game design and being a game designer are two radically different things. In the classroom, time is spent explaining the terms and ways of the industry, explaining the successes and analyzing the failures. Sometimes, in one class of a term, students get to try their hand at making an actual game, but it’s usually only brought into the prototype stage when the class ends. Work on it is done at random hours, whenever the students can find time between meetings and other class assignments. The rough husk that’s made by then is either brushed up a bit for a portfolio piece or forgotten, and the student group breaks up and moves on.
Actually making a game, a full game with intent to sell, is a whole different challenge. Do you have the required budget? Is the scope reasonable compared to your resources and allotted time to work? Is there a market for the game? If so, who is it? How much will they pay? These questions are either briefly touched upon or ignored in the classroom setting; after all, no one expects a profitable game to come out of such an environment. They are very real questions that game designers have to answer (that is, if they want to eat). On top of that, in a work environment of making games, there’s no other work interfering with the game creation process. Your job is to make the game and get it out to players, not write a ten-page essay on Paradise Lost and do a biology lab while maybe getting some coding done on the side.
Jumping right in
The first two weeks of MassDiGI’s 2014 Summer Innovation Program were the first time a group of students, including me, from colleges across the northeast got a taste of what being a working game designer is really like.
The goal of the program is to create then launch a product, and the student interns are given all the tools to succeed in a space where it’s okay to fail. We are tasked with making a game that will get an audience and, hopefully, a profit, and work eight hour weekdays with no other obligations. The space operates as a small studio, where the we have to openly keep track of tasks, create builds to show higher-ups, and work towards having a finished product by the end of the eleven-week program.
To help us learn and create better games, industry professionals come in once a week to talk about a section of the game-creating pipeline and offer advice to the us about their own games.
The program is currently beginning it’s third week, the first week being orientation. During that orientation, the staff explained the development pipeline to us, and showed us how to work out well-scoped ideas with a discernible market. We came up with a number of different ideas for games to make for the program, and voted on four games from that pool to work on. The first week of work had us jump right into creating, with a demo build deadline at the end of the week. During that week, four teams of students who had only meet the previous week and had only a brief design to start with created four working demo builds and full documents outlining the plans for the finished games and our target markets.
As one of the interns in the program, the experience has been great. Making games in the classroom is one thing, but making them for players, real paying people, is different, exciting, and nerve-wracking, all at once. Speaking with people in the industry about your game and having them give you great advice back, putting your demo in front of a player and watching them completely break it, making a quick draft of the art and having people respond exactly as you had intended, and everything else I’ve been through these past weeks has been this exhilarating roller coaster that makes me certain of my love for creating games in a way that learning definitions and working in hypotheticals never could.
And the best part is, it’s only just begun.
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The importance of community in games
By Malinda Statder, sophomore, Becker College
A little over a week ago, Ichiro Lambe from Dejobaan Games stood in front of a crowd of Worcester-area college students in the lecture hall at Becker College. He spoke animatedly, not about the secrets of creating a great game or the magic to becoming a big name indie, but about something few think about when the subject of game making comes up: community and collaboration.
Students already know the value of collaboration on a small scale; we have all taken part in game jams or, failing that, have worked with one another to complete a project. But, the idea of an entire community based around the creation of games is still a bit of a foreign, out-side-looking-in concept.
Ichiro discussed the growth of gaming communities in different places around the world – from Boston to Vancouver; beginning with, in some cities, a few interested people in a pub and then growing, as he described it, Katamari Damacy-style, into huge, vibrant communities. A community that collaborates provides anything a budding indie needs to make a name for him or herself, from industry connections to honest constructive criticism from programmers to artists and everyone in between.
He also stressed the importance of networking, talking about how simply knowing one person might mean the difference between success and failure in the industry, because it’s not always about what you know, but who you know as well. Ichiro ended his lecture by insisting that all students regularly attend the Boston game development community meet-ups to introduce ourselves to future peers and begin making the acquaintances which may one day be the catalysts for our success.
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Summer game camps for kids
By Tim Loew, executive director, MassDiGI
Each spring I receive questions from middle and high school parents about information on summer computer camps that offer game making. Given the interest, I thought a quick post on the subject might be helpful.
Locally, there are actually quite a few options for kids and I’ve listed several offerings below for parents to consider. If you know of any others, please let me know and I’ll add them. That said, poking around the internet, checking the summer programs scheduled at your local college or university and leafing through community papers might also turn you on to any number of others as well. Let the games begin!
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For all to play: Making a game, making a difference
By Elias Aoude, producer, For All To Play
The idea for our game, Grail to the Thief, came about when we were researching (the For All To Play team are all alumni or current students at WPI) game design for the blind. We conducted interviews at Perkins School for the Blind and performed extensive research which led us to discover that few games are available to the blind and visually impaired, and many of the games that are available are severely dated, lack the quality and polish of games for the sighted, and rely on synthesized computer voices such as screen readers in order to play. Grail to the Thief will address these problems, and the game will be just as accessible and exciting an experience for the blind and visually impaired as it will be for the sighted.
So, with that in mind and a build in-hand, we started up an indie studio in Worcester and are at the halfway point of a crowdfunding campaign for Grail to the Thief on Kickstarter.
You can play a browser-based prototype of the game. It requires Google Chrome or Opera and can be found here: foralltoplay.com/prototype. If you have some time, please check it out.
The game, when launched, will be an interactive audio adventure for Windows, Mac, and Linux (a standalone executable will not require a web browser) that can be played using only sound, without the need for visuals. Grail to the Thief has been designed with the needs of the blind and visually impaired in mind but can be enjoyed by everyone. The game will deliver an exciting, immersive experience in which the player will always be fully aware of what is happening through the use of voice-overs, sound effects, ambient sound and music.
Game players will make choices through a conversation tree from which they can select commands, eliminating the confusion and frustration that comes with traditional text adventure games which require players to type in commands to progress. It is a nostalgic throwback to childhood favorites such as Zork, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Day of the Tentacle, and Grim Fandango, and draws inspiration from old BBC radio dramas and the movie Time Bandits.
If our Kickstarter campaign is successfully funded, Grail to the Thief will be available as a DRM-free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux in August 2014.
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SIP14 students selected
By Tim Loew, executive director, MassDiGI
Each year applications to our annual Summer Innovation Program (SIP) have grown in terms of quality, quantity and diversity. This year we received applications from 157 undergraduate and graduate students representing 31 colleges and universities from across the country – making it our most competitive year ever.
Needless to say, selecting only 22 was a challenge. After much discussion, the committee chose a great group. This year’s SIP teams will be made up of students from 11 institutions including Becker College, Berklee College of Music, Hampshire College, MIT, Mt. Holyoke College, Northeastern University, Rhode Island School of Design, Smith College, Tufts University, UMass Lowell and WPI.
SIP begins on May 20 and concludes on August 8. Over those 11 weeks or so, with guidance from professional staff and industry mentors, SIP teams will be responsible for all the work required to successfully launch their games in the market. There is no internship program like it in the country.
As in past years, SIP students will receive housing courtesy of Becker College as well as a modest stipend. More importantly they will all receive the greatest game development experience of their lives. Sure, it may be a lot of work – but it’s also a ton of fun. We can’t wait to get started.
Revised on 5/3/14.
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The real video game high school
By Michael Morley and Duncan Elliott, students, Millbury Memorial Jr./Sr. High School
One word to describe the 2014 MassDiGI Game Challenge would be “phenomenal.” That “phenomenal” feeling was experienced by about 20 Millbury Memorial Jr./Sr. High School students during their participation in this year’s Game Challenge competition. With limited game programming or design experience, all the Millbury students, including us, jumped into the Game Challenge with both feet. In addition to fielding six different teams for the competition, the Wasteland Trials team from Millbury took home the first place trophy in the high school category.
Millbury winners
The impetus for the participation of Millbury students in the Game Challenge was created by a school visit from MassDiGI’s Monty Sharma. After learning a bit about game designing and careers in the game design industry, the Millbury students enthusiastically took on the Game Challenge. Millbury teacher Mark Sutphen allocated classrooms and set-up meetings that allowed students to gather and formulate ideas and join teams. As an after-school activity, students were left to form groups on their own, usually dividing teams up into specific tasks. One student played the role of “Creative Director”, and another as the “Lead Sound Manager”. Other students filled vital roles such as, level design, character artists, code-programmers and business manager. These high school teams met weekly, every Wednesday, in Mr. Sutphen’s classroom. Additional time spent on the project had to be found outside of the school setting where meetings were run through social media, e-mail and social gatherings.
On the first day of the two-day competition, the Millbury students boarded a school bus headed down to the Microsoft New England Research and Development building, located near the campus of MIT in Cambridge. Though initially somewhat intimidated by the surroundings, the students quickly adapted and fully participated in a fantastic fun-filled day. From the vendors, food and eventually the competition, the students thoroughly seemed to enjoy what the Game Challenge had to offer.
On day one, each group attended lectures from Monty Sharma, Jason Della Rocca and industry professionals who talked about how to improve game quality, how to market games more effectively, and how to make contacts in the gaming industry. Feedback from professionals and peers was a key to the students’ learning experience. This feedback would then be used by the students to make final adjustments before the day two of the Game Challenge.
During downtime at the competition, students were able to test out some awesome games and game technology from several indie game companies who were displaying their latest design prototypes and ideas. A friendly atmosphere allowed the students to feel comfortable in hobnobbing with college students and professional designers. Students felt right at home exploring the playground known as floor one of the Microsoft N.E.R.D.
Win or lose, every student left the competition with a smile on their face and a full belly. It was obvious that MassDiGI spared no expense to provide a generous banquet of pizza, club sandwiches, salads and desserts. Soda and chips were laid out by the table, and a hot chocolate/coffee machine was left out for almost every Millbury student to indulge upon.
To top it all off, each and every student had the opportunity to learn something new. Not a barrage of dates from history but instead on a topic that draws the attention of teenagers with the same intensity as iron to a magnet: video game design. More importantly, the Game Challenge left students with a lesson on the marketplace – how to create a successful game in terms of generating revenue – making a profit! While it can be seen as beautiful for designers to view their game as a work of art, it is no doubt also important that their game possesses relatable, feasible business concepts that allow for the prospect that the game will actually make it in the market.
As students of Millbury Jr./Sr. High school and Game Challenge competitors ourselves, we can say that Millbury High is already looking forward to competing in the next year’s Game Challenge.
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Quick post. Winners!
3/10/14 update: Read the press release here.
Grand prize
People’s choice
College entertainment categories
– College concept
- Spaghetti Flavored Cake – String Theory – winner – (Becker College)
- Double Trouble – Duo – runner-up – (Becker College)
– College prototype
- 80HD Games – Bümbardia – winner – (Becker College)
- Mustachio Games – Red Survivor – runner-up – (Binghamton University and Northeastern University)
– Honorable mention
- Supergeneric – SunBots – (Champlain College)
- K^2 – Mythitarium – (Becker College)
- Subconscious Games – Synaptattack – (Becker College)
Indie entertainment categories
– Indie concept
– Indie prototype
College/indie serious categories
– Serious concept
– Serious prototype
- Little Worlds Interactive – The Counting Kingdom -winner
- PBn’ Games – Zeebi Zoo – runner-up
– Honorable mention
High school category
- Wasteland Trials – Millbury Memorial High School – winner
- Wonderful Nightmares – Newton South High School – runner-up
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Quick post noting Game Challenge finalists (and honorable mentions). Please forgive any spelling errors…
college entertainment
college concept
- spaghetti flavored cake – string theory
- double trouble – duo
college prototype
- 80hd – bumbardia
- mustachio – red survivor
honorable mention
- k^2
- subconscious
- super generic
indie entertainment
indie concept
- renfroe/stimpaq – virtuoso vengeance
indie prototype
- chris chung – catlateral damage
- golden hammer – big mountain snowboarding 2
- now and zen – big bat baseball
college/indie serious
serious concept
- spherical cow games – stickman
- giant otter – bread and roses
serious prototype
- little world interactive- counting kingdom
- pbn games – zeebi zoo
honorable mention
- gone – wpi
- sub altern – no pineapple left behind
high school
- wasteland trials – mmhs
- wonderful nightmares – nshs
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SIP14 now accepting applications
By Tim Loew, executive director, MassDiGI
Looking for an internship? Well, you are in luck – again. MassDiGI is now accepting applications to our annual Summer Innovation Program. SIP is one of the largest game development internship programs in the region. Last year, of the 84 applicants from 24 different colleges and universities, 21 students from 9 were accepted. The students spent 11 weeks working on 5 great games.
The experience gives students a unique opportunity to build games with the support of professionals and mentors, live for free and earn a stipend. SIP also allows students a level of autonomy – and responsibility – that is hard to find anywhere else.
You can find more details about SIP here as well as the program application. Click here for information about SIP ’12 and SIP ’13. Students with additional questions are welcome to drop us a line. May the force be with you.
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The Kanban process is flexible and we will adjust it for each different phase. To help the interns get used to working with and tracking their own tasks, each student was tasked with taking the sticky representing themselves, attaching to a task, and moving each task across the board as work was completed. At the end of the day, they take themselves off the board and place themselves in the ‘Out’ box, then when they come in in the morning, they go back on the board.
