The developer seems to spend all of their time troubleshooting, debugging, and fixing other people’s code instead of writing new code themselves. The artist who can’t seem to get their artwork to look the way that you want it to look. The producer feels like they are constantly repeating the same conversations over and over again with various members of the team.
No matter who you are or what kind of games you create, having a team full of people that work efficiently together is essential in getting your project done on time and on budget.
In this article, we will discuss some best practices for creating an effective development team that can maximize productivity and ultimately impact your company revenue while minimizing waste, as well as operational challenges that every game development team encounters.
What is a Game Dev Team?
A game design team is a team of individuals who work together to create a video game. This team can include developers, artists, and other professionals.
The goal of the game design team is to create a cohesive experience for players. They must consider the mechanics of the game, as well as the aesthetics and story.
Here are seven effective tips for managing your remote dev team
1. Create A Vision For Your Game Dev Team
Your team needs a goal or vision of what your game is going to look like. This will help keep everyone focused on the end goal rather than the minutiae of everyday tasks. Your team should also know what resources and time they have allotted for this project.
Also read: Top 10 Largest & Biggest Game Development Company in World
2. Set Objectives For Each Member of the Game Dev Team
While it can be easy to say that the most important thing for a game dev team is having a clear goal and staying focused on that, it’s just not true. In order to maximize productivity, the team must establish individual goals that aren’t necessarily related to just the project as a whole.
For example, one member of the team might have their own personal goal of getting more experience in their discipline so they can move up in the company hierarchy quickly.
Another member of the team might have an individual goal of writing more code themselves as they feel they are currently being overlooked by others on their team. These goals will ensure that each member of the dev team is working towards something different, which will help keep them motivated and productive.
By giving each member tangible goals to achieve, you’ll give your entire team a greater sense of purpose and accomplishment.
3. Ensure Proper Training Is Provided for the Game Dev Team
When you hire people for a job, you should be working with them to help them develop the necessary skills needed to perform their role.
This means that you will also need to take care of the training and development of your team. This can be done through technical documentation, user testing, and even providing tools for the developers to use.
Many people start on a project without any type of training or support from their company.
This often results in confusion and frustration for both the developer and those who work around them. It can also result in slower development times and inefficiencies within your team that could have otherwise been avoided.
If you want your team members to do their jobs efficiently and with diligence, it is important that they are properly trained with all the necessary skills they need as well as any additional skills they might need along the way.
4. Provide Feedback and Encouragement to Members of The Game Dev Team
One of the best ways to increase productivity is to provide feedback and encouragement to members of the game development team. Encouragement inspires people and builds morale, which can lead to more productivity. If a developer feels that their work is constantly being critiqued, they may not feel motivated or appreciate their work as much.
It’s important that everyone on the team feels like they’re contributing and that their effort is valued. On top of providing feedback, it’s also important that you give praise when appropriate so people know when they are doing a good job.
This will make them feel appreciated and encourage them to continue looking for ways to improve themselves or improve their own work. It’s also just nice (and polite) to let someone know when they have done something well!
5. Communicate With Your Game Dev Team Frequently
One of the best ways to get your team to be as productive as possible is by communicating regularly. Developers are constantly thinking about new methods and techniques that they can use to optimize their workflow.
The more efficient your team members are, the faster the project will go. Most teams want to create a culture where developers can speak freely without fear of being reprimanded or reprimanding anyone else on the team.
So team leaders or supervisors should ensure they make sure they create an open environment for discussion and don’t put any restrictions on what kind of feedback developers can give each other.
Dev teams can use tools like CoffeePals to enhance their internal communications. CoffeePals support game dev teams to form bonds over coffee by randomly pairing them up. Each person receives a card with their match’s information, and they set up a time to chat.
However, it’s important not to over-communicate with your team. You should limit communication so that it doesn’t interfere with getting work done, but you also don’t want to ignore it entirely either.
It’s important for everyone involved in the process to be aware of what progress is being made and what is going well so that they can stay motivated and keep working towards a common goal.
Also read: 9 Reasons to Avoid When Hiring A Developer for A Product Team
6. Lead By Example
The first thing to do is to lead by example. By doing this, you are setting the tone for how your team should work. One of the best ways to start this process is by being an active team member yourself.
Make sure that you are willing to put in the same amount of time and effort as everyone else on your development team. Be honest with your teammates about what it takes for your game development process to be successful, and share the tasks you have completed so far with them. Your developers will respect and trust you more if you are making yourself accountable for your own work as well as theirs.
7. Be Present And Involved In All Teams Activities
As the leader of your team, you should be present and involved in all team activities. You should be able to answer questions about anything that someone might need help with. In addition to being present, you should also be fully informed of any project-related events.
For example, if the team wants to buy a new game server (such as hostari) all the teams should be available to discuss it in great detail before purchasing.
As everyone is working towards the same goal, it’s important that everyone is communicating effectively with each other so that they can make effective decisions together.
A big mistake that many teams commit when managing their development process is not being completely honest with each other about how long it will take to finish a project and how much it will cost. If you say that a game will take four months to develop and then it actually takes six months to complete, your team may start feeling discouraged instead of excited because they think that the game might not make enough money for them to recoup their investment.
When someone asks for your opinion about their project ideas, give them your honest opinion–even if you think it won’t work out well or if you think the idea isn’t strong enough.
It can be difficult at times to tell people what they don’t want to hear but sometimes those are the best opinions because if they had heard them earlier, they would have been able to make different choices with an improved chance of success. As a developer or as a company, communication is key–be honest and transparent with everyone on your team while making sure all logistics are covered before tackling any new project ideas or goals.
Conclusion
A company that is able to optimize its game development team for maximum productivity and efficiency will have a game with significantly more success in the market.
There are many factors that contribute to the success of a game, but the key component is the game development team. Not only are they responsible for creating the game, but they are also responsible for managing the team. They must be able to manage everything from project deadlines to team morale.
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