Top 7 Complaints About Game Producers
Feedback from devs with tips for producers to better support their teams.
Address common criticisms of game producers by focusing on efficiency, minimizing disruptions, and enhancing communication to improve team productivity and project outcomes.
Foster an environment that values asynchronous communication and respects developers' flow states, reducing unnecessary meetings and interruptions.
Emphasize the importance of clear, transparent communication and setting realistic goals to prevent burnout, encourage flexibility, and align leadership vision with team capabilities for successful project completion.
I dove deep into the r/gamedev SubReddit, curious about the gaming community’s views on producers. The opinions I found were mixed—some positive, others less flattering. In the spirit of continuous improvement, I took some of the less flattering feedback and came up with these seven recurring themes:
Over-production
Interruptions
Lack of tangible output
Ineffective communication
Unrealistic expectations
Inflexibility
Poor leadership alignment
Below, I’ll unpack these themes and offer guidance on how to avoid the pitfalls they present.
Over-production:
This refers to the tendency of some producers to over-engineer the production process, resulting in excessive meetings, too much paperwork, and overly complex procedures that don’t necessarily contribute to the project’s progress. For example, a producer might insist on daily stand-up meetings, weekly retrospectives, and multiple review meetings per week, leaving the development team with less time to focus on their actual work.
Think Lean:
Make sure every meeting has a clear purpose that lines up with the project's main goals. If a meeting isn't helping to move these goals forward, think twice about whether it's needed. This strategy cuts down on needless red tape and keeps everyone zeroed in on the priorities.
Use visuals to map out work processes, allowing for easier updates on progress without the need for back-to-back meetings.
Prioritise actions that add real value and do away with any steps that don't make a direct impact on the final outcome.
Combine all those regular update gatherings into one efficient Lean Coffee meeting, streamlining communication and saving precious time.
Interruptions:
Constant interruptions from producers can significantly disrupt a developer’s flow state, leading to decreased productivity and frustration. Imagine a producer scheduling impromptu meetings to discuss minor updates or sending frequent messages requiring immediate responses. This breaks concentration and shifts focus away from critical development tasks.
Trust you team to do their job:
Safeguard your team's time and output by acting as a shield against potential distractions. Put their needs and workflow first to craft a space where they can concentrate on their duties without ceaseless disruptions. This builds a climate of trust and esteem amongst the team, which is vital for achieving top-notch results.
Value the team's cognitive flow and opt for asynchronous communication methods, such as Slack, to maintain focus without breaking their concentration.
Arrange meetings for times that least disrupt the team's peak productive periods, ensuring their workflow remains as undisturbed as possible.
Promote a system that allows team members to signal when they're too engaged to handle interruptions, fostering a respectful and efficient working environment.
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Lack of tangible output:
Producers don’t directly contribute to the game’s code, art, or design, which can lead to misunderstandings about the value of their role. Suppose a producer pulls team members into long meetings or engages in activities that don’t directly push the project forward. In that case, it can seem like they’re detracting from the project rather than adding value. This perception becomes particularly pronounced in crunch times when every minute counts towards development.
Show your work:
Keep it simple: manage the number of tasks in progress, prevent a backlog in any stage of the workflow, make sure tasks don't become stale, and swiftly deal with any hold-ups.
Recognise and clearly express the distinct value you add to the team beyond just the tasks you complete. Your ability to facilitate smooth communication, remove hurdles, and cater to the team's requirements plays a pivotal role.
Communicate this perspective with your team, helping them understand and appreciate the significance of what you bring to the table.
Make your contributions visible. Even if you're not producing game assets or coding, you can still showcase your work in coordination, facilitation, and management. Demonstrating what you do can highlight the importance and impact of your role.
Ineffective communication:
Failing to address day-to-day issues quickly can result in minor problems snowballing into significant delays. For instance, if a developer raises a concern about a technical hurdle and the producer does not act swiftly to resolve it or fails to communicate it effectively up the chain of command, the issue can stall progress, affecting the project timeline and potentially compromising quality.
Radically communicate:
Put effective communication at the heart of your role as a producer; it ought to be your main priority.
See communication as a continuous, long-term effort.
Create an open, trust-filled atmosphere where team members are at ease discussing their hurdles and feedback.
Cultivate a culture of ongoing enhancement by promoting frank discussions about issues and possible advancements.
Rethink your daily standups' structure to concentrate on spotting and tackling potential work disruptions.
Unrealistic expectations:
Setting goals without considering the team’s capacity or external constraints can lead to burnout. An example of this would be a producer pushing for an aggressive release date without accounting for the complexity of the game’s features, leading to mandatory overtime and a toxic work environment. This strains the team and can result in a subpar product.
Base yourself in reality:
Champion sustainable methods and realistic objectives that prioritise your team's long-term health.
Motivate leaders to embrace a mindset geared towards enduring success, rather than pursuing immediate wins that could undermine the team's well-being.
Map out the project's trajectory, enabling adjustments in work allocations and priorities to avert burnout and keep the pace sustainable.
Establish achievable deadlines with Flow and Probiblistic Forecasting to improve delivery predictions.
Inflexibility:
A producer not open to adapting plans based on new insights or feedback can stifle a project’s growth. For example, sticking rigidly to an initial roadmap without considering the evolving nature of game development, such as new technological advancements or feedback from user testing, can lead to missed opportunities for innovation or necessary pivots.
Be a reed in the wind:
Stay nimble and versatile in your methods, always anchoring your actions in the team's core mission or 'just cause'. This might mean revising processes, schedules, or objectives to make sure they're in harmony with the project's ultimate aims and the team's welfare.
Welcome progressive change with open arms.
Be ready to tweak processes and workflows in response to feedback and the requirements of the project.
Make it a routine to re-evaluate and refine your systems to ensure they're optimally matched with the present stage of the project and the needs of your team.
Poor leadership alignment:
A producer’s effectiveness can be undermined without a cohesive vision or support from the top leadership. This misalignment can manifest in various ways, such as a CEO who insists on adding new features late in the development cycle without extending timelines or budgets, putting unreasonable pressure on the team. Successful producers need the backing of their leadership to enforce healthy work practices and ensure that the project’s scope is manageable.
Be a bridge builder:
Strive to construct a solid foundation of trust between your team and the leadership. Make it your mission to transparently convey the team's requirements, obstacles, and the logic guiding your production tactics.
Stand up for your team by illustrating that nurturing their welfare and acknowledging their issues is pivotal to the project's collective triumph.
Commit to attentive listening, nurture an environment of respect and ongoing enhancement, and articulate the effects of leadership's choices on the project's progression and the team's spirit.
Closing thoughts:
As we conclude this critical look into the perceived role of a game producer, it’s clear that the path to excellence is paved with continuous improvement, transparency, and empathy. Each theme we’ve explored underscores the need for producers to act not just as managers or overseers but as visionary leaders who foster an environment where creativity thrives, challenges are met with collective resolve, and every team member feels valued and heard.
In embracing the lessons learned from the gaming community, remember that the essence of effective production lies in your ability to adapt, communicate, and lead with intention. It’s about building bridges—between your team and leadership, between today’s challenges and tomorrow’s achievements, and between the work that needs to be done and the people doing it. Your role is crucial in guiding projects to completion and nurturing the spirit of innovation and collaboration that drives the gaming industry forward.
Let this exploration be a beacon for all producers seeking to elevate their practice. By prioritising strategic improvements, fostering open dialogue, and advocating for the well-being of your team, you contribute not only to the success of your projects but to the vibrant future of game development. Here’s to the journey ahead, filled with learning, growth, and the endless pursuit of excellence.
Do you have any complaints about producers? Comment below, and let’s chat about it.