Centralized Content Creation

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Centralized Content Creation

• Dan Forden
• Director of Central Content Groups
• Midway Games, Inc.

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Centralized Content Creation
Agenda

• Introduction.
• Brief History.
• Benefits/Challenges.
• Keys to Success.
• Case Study NBA Ballers The Chosen One.
• Future Vision.

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Centralized Content Creation
Introduction

• Who am I?
• What are the Central Content Groups?
• What is the philosophy?

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Centralized Content Creation
Introduction

• Who am I?
• Dan Forden. Director of Central Content Groups.
  Midway Games.
• Audio background Pinball and Arcade Video.
• Mortal Kombat. NFL Blitz.
• Toasty!

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Centralized Content Creation
Introduction

• What are the Central Content Groups?
• Concept.
• Animation.
• Audio.
• Visual FX.
• 3D Art.
• Cinematics.
• User Interface.

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Centralized Content Creation
Introduction

• What is the philosophy?
• Using common platform. Smaller core teams.
• Maximize artists time and effectiveness using a
  task-based model.
• Reduce crunch.
• Concentration of expertise.
• Motion Picture Industry Model.
• Impractical to grow disciplines within each game
  team.

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Centralized Content Creation
Brief History

• Cinematics needs across sports titles.
• Animation Need for over-the-top animation for
  sports games.
• UI Common needs, senior expertise.
• Visual FX group formed in Seattle.
• Concept group - visual direction.
• Character and Environment Groups formed out of
  Cinematics.

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Centralized Content Creation
Benefits

• Efficiency.
• Identify sharing initiatives.
• Concentration of expertise.
• Artists work on a variety of titles.

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Centralized Content Creation
Benefits

• Reduce artist crunch and burn-out.
• Training.
• Variety of skills (content creation, outsourcing,
  project management).
• Unify creative efforts across the company.

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Centralized Content Creation
Challenges

• Human Nature Game developers are passionate and
  territorial.
• Schedule slippage.
• All-hands directives.
• Staffing and headcount constraints.

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Centralized Content Creation
Challenges

• Last minute requests.
• Aligning available resources with amount of work.
• Poor communication.
• Conflict and Chaos.

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Centralized Content Creation
Keys to Success

• Communication, communication...
• Adopt service-oriented approach.
• Engagement documents.
• Try to work mostly on a task-based format.
• Team makeup senior and junior talent.
• 6-month forecasts.

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Centralized Content Creation
Case Study NBA Ballers Chosen One

• Demo

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Centralized Content Creation
Case Study NBA Ballers Chosen One

• First project to adopt Central-Groups-focused
  model.
• Very lean core game team 1 art director, 1
  environment art lead.
• Heavy reliance on outsourcing.

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Centralized Content Creation
Case Study NBA Ballers Chosen One

• Environment finishing and polishing in-engine.
• Cinematics pre-viz, half of rendered FMVs.
• Managed cinematics outsourcing.
• UI art and integration of screens.
• Audio.
• All animation.
• Character and C.A.P. pieces polish.

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Centralized Content Creation
Future Vision

• Near Term Finish games in progress.
• Roll onto upcoming titles.
• Hire artists with production savvy.
• Technical art group?
• Create a design group?
• Prototype new game concepts.