Managing Risk in Computer Game Production

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Managing Risk in Computer Game Production

• Tony Oakden
• AGDC 2004

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• What is risk management?
• How does it work in computer game development?
• Do I need it?
• What are the benefits?

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IGA and risk management

• Improve productivity
• Developing publisher/developer relationship
• Personal/professional development

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Perceived benefits

• Increased productivity - efficiencies
• Improved quality of product
• Reduction in costs through increased efficiency
• Greater confidence in project viability for
  developer and publisher

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Unexpected benefits

• Team cohesiveness
• Confidence in project viability
• Structured approach to production management
• Development of culture of risk awareness

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Project goals and scope

• Cost

Time
Quality
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Risk identification

• All team members encouraged to identify risks
• No risks were dismissed until they had been
  analysed and given a risk rating
• Gibs Law
• Anything you need to quantify can be measured in
  some way that is superior to doing nothing at
  all

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Analysing risks

• Combination of consequence and likelihood to
  produce a level of risk
• Perceptions of risk vary depending on who is
  driving the process
• Essential to make the risk management plan
  flexible and adaptable to changing demands

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Risk Matrix
AS/NZS 43601999 Risk Management Standard
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Treatment of Risks

• Avoid
• Avert/contingency
• Transfer
• Accept

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Avoid risks

• Alter the scope of the project to remove the risk
  altogether
• Avoidance and transfer are typically employed
  during the early planning stages of the project
• Eg
• Risk of producing a FPS engine from scratch
  extreme treatment was to use Unreal engine

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Avert/Contingency

• Maintain a reasonable contingency throughout
  project
• Build a model of accumulated risk
• Contingency can be found in time, budget or
  quality and is commonly used to handle scheduling
  risks

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Transfer risks

• Insurance
• Contractors and third parties
• Distribution of risk to various stakeholders

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Accept risks

• Some risks have to be accepted despite their risk
  level
• Meteorite strike - high consequence but very low
  likelihood
• Employee illness - low consequence but high
  likelihood

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Monitor and review

• Essential to monitor and review the
  implementation of treatment actions
• This highlights any areas that require closer
  scrutiny, deployment of resources or alteration
  of risk level

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Communication

• Essential to ensure open lines of communication
  between all stakeholders throughout the life of
  the project
• Involve whole team ownership of the project and
  its associated risks

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• Beware of the temptation to
• build the best there is

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TV examples of successful risk management

• Volumetric shadows
• Contingency planning of art assets
• Scheduling of critical technology

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TV opportunities for improvement

• Contingency allowance when integrating technology
• Management of external resources
• Acting on identified risks

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Lessons learnt

• Engagement and ownership
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Contingency
• Risk management takes time but it is worth it

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Summary

• Risk management takes time and resources but
  results in
• Reduced risk of project deviation
• Increased efficiency
• Increased quality
• Increased cost effectiveness
• Increased job satisfaction

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References

• AS/NZS 43601999 Risk Management Standard
• Standards Australia (update 2004)
• Project Management (G. R. Heerkens)
• ISBN 0-07-137952-5
• Project Managers Toolbox (D. Z. Milosevic)
• ISBN0-471-20822-1
• Project Program Risk Management (PMI)
• ISBN 1-880410-06-0
• Peopleware (De Marco Lister) ISBN
  0-932633-43-9