The Game Production Handbook, 3rd Edition

Preface

Thirty years ago, game production was less complicated. Often, one person, in as little as six weeks, would design, write code, generate art assets, and test the functionality of a single game. Back then, a few blocky characters and great gameplay entertained people for hours, which made it easy for one person to perform all the game development tasks. These days, people expect games to deliver more than great gameplay; they want a totally immersive world with living, breathing characters, high-quality sound, compelling storylines, and a game that evokes emotions such as fear, surprise, happiness, and even sadness. For a game to live up to these expectations, many more people must be involved in the game’s production.

Managing the production ...