Achieving a Unified Game Vision from Concept to Reality

A major hurdle in game development is defining and communicating a clear vision. Graham McAllister, founder of Team Sync, has been studying this issue, inspired by Jason Schreier's article on the troubled development of Anthem. McAllister notes that the problem is not unique to Anthem, citing Creative Assembly's cancelled Hyenas as another example, which had a budget of around $100 million but struggled with a unclear vision during its seven-year development. McAllister explains that aligning on a vision can be immensely challenging due to incomplete communication, differing interpretations, and the use of ambiguous language. He emphasizes that teams must ensure they have a clear vision from the start of production, as decisions made at the concept stage impact 70% of the total cost. McAllister has developed the 'Vision Alignment Check' to help teams ensure everyone is on the same page. He also identifies potential signs of misalignment, including taking longer than expected to find the vision, repeating discussions with minimal progress, and a lack of understanding of the game's vision among team members and stakeholders. McAllister stresses the importance of challenging leadership if team members feel unclear about the vision and encourages a culture where it's okay to speak up. He cites the development of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as an example, where staff played the game together to ensure everyone knew what they were working on, resulting in increased efficiency. McAllister advocates for 'horizontal information sharing' and 'team mental models' to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members.