Explains how to manage projects in game production by examining the development process of actual games, covering startups, sequels, innovation, building on a license, and online gaming The popular Postmortem column in "Game Developer" magazine features firsthand accounts of how some of the most important and successful games have been made. This book organizes the articles by theme along with other analysis to reveal successful management techniques. Introduction: Tales from the Front Line ix SECTION I STARTUPS 1(74) Irrational Games' SYSTEM SHOCK 2 5(14) by jonathan chey It's the Engine, Stupid 7(1) What Went Right 7(5) What Went Wrong 12(7) Bohemia Interactive Studios' OPERATION FLASHPOINT 19(10) by marek spanel and ondrej spanel What Went Right 21(3) What Went Wrong 24(4) Future Dreaming 28(1) Surreal Software's DRAKAN: ORDER OF THE FLAME 29(12) by stuart denman Origins of the Team 29(1) Origins of the Beast 30(1) What Went Right 31(5) What Went Wrong 36(4) Onward to the Next Project 40(1) Pseudo Interactive's CEL DAMAGE 41(10) by kevin barrett, john harley, rich hilmer, daniel posner, gary snyder, and david wu What Went Right 42(5) What Went Wrong 47(3) Damage Control 50(1) Nihilistic Software's VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE-REDEMPTION 51(12) by robert huebner What Went Right 53(5) What Went Wrong 58(3) At Last, Redemption 61(2) Ensemble's AGE OF EMPIRES 63(12) by matt pritchard Designing the Past Perfect 63(2) Blazing the Multiplayer Path 65(1) Painting the Scene 66(1) Going for Speed 67(1) Things That Worked Out (S)well 68(2) Things That Went Wrong Or We Could Have Done Better 70(3) Patching It All Up 73(2) SECTION II SEQUELS AND SOPHOMORE OUTINGS 75(72) Blizzard Entertainment's DIABLO II 79(12) by erich schaefer What Went Right 81(5) What Went Wrong 86(4) The Final Word 90(1) Epic Games' UNREAL TOURNAMENT 91(12) by brandon reinhart Early Development 91(1) A Game Takes Shape 92(2) New Code, New Features 94(1) In the End, It All Worked Out 95(1) What Went Right 96(4) What Went Wrong 100(2) Where We Go from Here 102(1) Westwood Studios' TIBERIAN SUN 103(12) by rade stojsavljevic What Went Right 104(5) What Went Wrong 109(4) Overall Tips 113(2) Ensemble Studios' AGE OF EMPIRES II: THE AGE OF KINGS 115(12) by matt pritchard Catching Up 115(1) Designing a Sequel 115(2) What Went Right 117(4) What Went Wrong 121 (3) Show Goes On 124(3) Presto Studios' MYST III: Exile 127(10) by greg uhler What Went Right 128(5) What Went Wrong 133(2) Closing Thoughts 135(2) Poptop Software's TROPICO 137(10) by brent smith What Went Right 138(3) What Went Wrong 141(5) In Hindsight 146(1) SECTION III MANAGING INNOVATION 147(72) Lionhead Studios' BLACK & WHITE 151(10) by peter molyneux What Went Right 152(4) What Went Wrong 156(4) "Just More" 160(1) Bungle Software's MYTH: THE FALLEN LORDS 161(10) by jason regier The Making of a Legend, er, Myth 162(1) What Went Right 163(2) What Went Wrong 165(3) Post-Release Reactions 168(3) Looking Glass's THIEF: THE DARK PROJECT 171(12) by tom leonard The Concept 171(2) What Went Right 173(5) What Went Wrong 178(3) Stepping Back from the Project 181(2) DreamWorks Interactive's TRESPASSER 183(12) by richard wyckoff An Ambitious Project 183(1) The Concept 183(1) What Went Right 184(4) What Went Wrong 188(5) Lessons Learned 193(2) Ion Storm's DEus Ex 195(14) by warren spector What Went Right 196(6) What Went Wrong 202(5) The Bottom Line 207(2) Naughty Dog's JAK & DAXTER: THE PRECURSOR LEGACY 209(10) by stephen white What Went Right 210(4) What Went Wrong 214(3) The Legacy 217(2) SECTION IV BUILDING ON A LICENSE 219(54) LucasArts' STAR WAR STM STARFIGHTER 223(14) by chris corry What Went Right 225(6) What Went Wrong 231(4) Back to Earth 235(2) Raven Software's STAR TREK TM: VOYAGER-ELITE FORCE 237(14) by brian pelletier, michael gummelt, and james monroe What Went Right 239(6) What Went Wrong 245(4) Final Thoughts 249(2) Red Storm Entertainment's RAINBOW SIX 251(8) by brian upton The Concept 251 (1) The Production 252(3) What Went Right 255(2) What Went Wrong 257(1) In the End 258(1) Raven Software's SOLDIER OF FORTUNE 259(14) by eric biessman & rick johnson What Went Right 261(4) What Went Wrong 265(5) A Direct Hit 270(3) SECTION V THE ONLINE FRONTIER 273 Mythic Entertainment's DARK AGE OF CAMELOT 277(10) by matt firor What Went Right 281(2) What Went Wrong 283(2) For the Ages 285(2) Multitude's FIRETEAM 287(12) by art min Brief History 288(1) FIRETEAM's Components 289(1) Who Worked on FIRETEAM 289(1) What Went Right 290(3) What Went Wrong 293(4) Evolving Right Along 297(2) Turbine's ASHERON'S CALL 299(11) by toby ragaini What Went Right 301(5) What Went Wrong 306(3) A Unique Company Resume 309(1) Afterword Independent Game Development 310(3) Appendix A Game Development Team Roles 313(4) Artist 313(1) Audio 314(1) Designer 314(1) Producer 315(1) Programmer 315(1) Quality Assurance 315(2) Glossary 317(2) Index of Game Titles & Developers 319(4) Index 323