Quick Jump Daily Digest

Thank you for your interest in the Quick Jump Daily Digest. Get notified of all new content on QJ in our free Daily Digest. To subscribe, enter your email address below and click the subscribe button.

Cancel and Return to page

Phil Harrison: game projects fail because of rushing

Posted Oct 22, 2008 at 9:03AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 Tags: Atari, Mac OS X, Phil Harrison, Sony

Phil Harrison: It's time for a change in games development - Image 1

Phil Harrison, former Sony exec and current Atari president, said in a keynote speech that most games that fail in development do so because studios rush it through the development process.

The keynote speech was delivered during the Unite Conference 2008, an event that introduces attendees to the Unity game engine. In his keynote, Harrison states:

All of the mistakes I have made in software development have been based around one problem and one problem alone, which is accelerating through this pipeline without successfully and properly satisfying the requirements of each of the stages - and typically it involves going from concept to production in one jump.

That's pretty much the definition of why projects fail - because you don't know what you're building, you don't know how you're going to build it, you don't know who you're building it for, but you've got 60 people working on it and they've all running in different directions - that's how most games fail.

[...] This is the mantra - you want to fail early, to kill those poor ideas, but you also want to do it repeatedly and quickly so that you will eventually find those great ideas, but you want to do it as cheaply as you can so you save money.

He goes on to say that developers should involve gamers early on in the development process:

I believe that a true 21st century business model is to do all of that [production] in the glare of the game-playing public, so you can expose that innovation to your consumers.

You may not charge them for it at this point - but why not deliver your innovations and experimentations directly to your players, and let them be part of the process of deciding which games to make?

And the lesson to gamers is: if you pressure devs to come out with a product too fast, they may end up giving you a sub-standard game. And if you're in a beta, give constructive comments so devs can improve the game. That's what betas are for.

In his keynote, Harrison praised the Unity platform for giving devs the ability to "de-risk" the development pipeline, allowing them to be more coordinated with their projects. We should see more of the Unity platform in the future. It currently supports the Mac OS X, Windows, the Wii, and the iPhone.

Via GamesIndustry.biz

This story sucks? This story rocks!

Vote Now!

(0)

(0)

1) got into game then it tells you you need to install the game install. Ok go back and do the install

2) 30min later, go into game... oops you must update to 1.10.. ok fine

3) 20min later got a data corruption message .. WTF?! Ignore that.. everything seems fine. Screw that I am game

4) Menu itself is a lag fest... I wonder why

5) Fine a channel..... join.. lag... kick me out (may be they are full?)

6) Finally found one called Canada West.. woohoo joined.. lobby seem ok... laggy but ok

7) 5 min later.. game started.... wow lag fest again.. I can barely move... then bang someone shot me

3 min later game restarted.... seems better this time. Got killed as usual then I was afk ... got back notice why the game lasted way longer than 3 min...

9) Hey, the clock stopped ticking .. WTF?

10) press sony button on controller... nothing.. ok is this the freezing everything talking about?

11) yes confirmed frozen.. reach out to the back of the PS3 reboot.

then step 8 to 11 repeat about 5 more times.

.... 1.10 update is not helping alot....

# @ lavino — chessboxer 2008-10-23 01:00

You shouldn't reboot your PS3 using the power button at the back. Hold the button on the front of the PS3 until it beeps. The green light will flash for around 10s, beep some more and go into standby. Flicking the switch on the back when the PS3 is on can screw up your HDD.

As for SOCOM, I had a go on the beta earlier this week and after a 250+MB update, I found it to be nearly as bad as when the beta first started in August/September, although the menu system is a bit quicker now.

MGO is better than SOCOM.

# Phil Harrison: game projects fail because of rushing — Onimushaclan 2008-10-23 02:14

maybe just realised that this morning?

# lol I see what he's trying to say. — jobei 2008-10-23 03:33

This guy is talking about The Conduit from "HVS" lol they are the only company that really reach out to there gamers, and got a lot of info back. So if The Conduit really does well I can see a lot of companies following everything they did.

# yes it is — Binary 2008-10-24 16:30

QJ loves to gives us top natch lame news.

Refresh comments list

Add comment

JComments

HOT GAMING NEWS | LATEST GAMING SEARCHES | FORUMS

QUICK JUMP DAILY DIGEST

Welcome to QJ.Net!

If you want your comments to go live without waiting for moderation, you need to be logged in. Being logged in has its benefits:

Logged in members do not wait for their comments to be approved.
Logged in members can create Profiles to be seen by other users.

So why wait? Create an account or login now! It's easy, quick, and free.

To get started, use the LOGIN boxes, or the REGISTER link below!

Want to learn more about the team who brings you the QJ news?

Read about them now!

HOT FLASH GAMES

QJ.NET Categories
• Apple • E3 • Featured Articles • Gadgets • Games for Windows • iPad • iPhone • MMORPG • Mobile • News • Nintendo 3DS • Nintendo DS • Opinions & Analysis	• Photography • PlayStation 3 • PoV • PS Vita • PSP • Rumors • Science • Site News • Tabula Rasa • Wii • Wii U • World of Warcraft • Xbox 360

Sitemap

Newest Downloads

05/22/2012 - 05/31/2012

WiiFlow Mod 3.0 r431	05/31/2012
XeBuild GUI 2.061	05/30/2012
edicpopDS v0.3.01	05/29/2012
RGLoader 0v290 Beta	05/27/2012
WiiMod 3.2	05/27/2012
WiiMC v1.2.7	05/25/2012
True Blue Firmeware v2.7	05/24/2012
3DS Video Converter v2.3	05/24/2012
Mobile Assault 1.8.2	05/24/2012
PSP Tools Alpha 0.1	05/22/2012
Newton War	05/22/2012
DaedalusX64 r766	05/22/2012
PSPMarble	05/22/2012
The Undead 4 - Nazi Zombies	05/21/2012
3DSExplorer v1.2.1	05/21/2012

Most Comments this Month
Sound Off: On Game Expirat..	(58)
Say Goodbye to the Xbox 36..	(31)
EA Blames iOS Rock Band Ex..	(28)
Flash0 Contents Of Vita's..	(27)
Sony Had a Rough Year; Vit..	(26)
PlayStation 3: Now Featuri..	(23)
Sound Off: Toughest Game C..	(20)
Apparently You Can Pre-Ord..	(19)
Love It or Hate It, It's A..	(16)
PoV: This Collectors Editi..	(15)
You've Been Up in Arms Abo..	(15)
Pre-Order Generic Shooter..	(15)
Get Off Xbox Live, You Ped..	(14)
This is Next Gen?	(14)
Metal Gear Solid For Vita..	(14)
PoV: Paid MMOs are Dead	(14)
PoV: You Are Wrong about C..	(14)
Wii Will Be U	(13)
Stop Your Whining, Start C..	(13)
PSP Is Back, Whiter, Cheap..	(13)
OK, So Maybe Microsoft Can..	(12)
Does Microsoft Ever Have a..	(12)
Operation Raccoon City Pro..	(12)
Diablo III Getting Mauled..	(12)
Pokemon Liquid Crystal! K..	(12)

Top Jumps this Month
Naruto Shippuden: Ul..	(176)
Pokemon Liquid Cryst..	(113)
neur0n Knocks Out An..	(103)
Bust Out Your PSP Fo..	(94)
PSP homebrew - LameC..	(73)
Wii homebrew - WAD M..	(58)
PSP Comics Reader v2..	(54)
PSP Homebrew: 6.xx P..	(44)
Hellcat Working On R..	(42)
PSP Homebrew - PSPDi..	(42)
PSP homebrew - DSonP..	(40)
neur0n Gives You Mor..	(37)
Sound Off: On Game E..	(36)
Latest Left 4 Dead 2..	(33)
PSP GBA v1.2: Gamebo..	(33)
Another CFW Goodie F..	(30)
Soywiz Releases PSP..	(30)
Sound Off: Should Ap..	(29)
GTA IV patch 1.0.6.0..	(29)
Download full Sid Me..	(28)
Homebrew - PSP/PS3 P..	(26)
Brian Lara Internati..	(23)
PSP homebrew - Mario..	(23)
DS homebrew game - S..	(21)
PSP homebrew - PSP..	(21)

HOT GAMING NEWS TOPICS

Quick Jump Daily Digest

Phil Harrison: game projects fail because of rushing

Related Stories:

Comments

Add comment

Newest Downloads