What are your opinions on this article about lean game development?

BoomshackBarry

Hey all, I've just read this article...

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/200294/Getting_to_market_fast_the_lean_development_way.php

...on Gamasutra about lean development and I'm having a hard time with it. In a nutshell it's advocating using lean development tactics in game development, which essentially means instead of spending time developing any one particular game properly, instead try and get loads of quick and unpolished games out there in their minimum viable state (about one or two weeks of development time per game), then see which ones are the most popular and spend more time honing them into a more polished game. Kind of like using the app store/ windows 8 store / whatever as one big beta test.

I can totally understand the benefits, but I just can't wrap my head around the prospect of releasing very unfinished games.

I was just wondering other people's take on this?

VolontaArts

well correct me if im wrong but i bet thats a "team" of game developers, and i dont mean 2 people. So in 2 weeks or whatever the short time is, they would actually get done a really good pretty much done game... not saying that we can't, just saying their meaning of unpolished is probably higher then ours...

StormyStudio

Hmm... I can see the argument in that it stops you spending a large amount of time on a game that might fail.. but surely if you spend a short amount of time creating an unpolished game that could fail, you'd never know whether it could have been a success with more polish in the first place.

I guess it comes down to the target demographic... if your making games for game fans you would expect them to expect a certain level of finish, artwork and design to a game not just a new game mechanic or theme.

matarua

I seek to attain pleasure through perfection. So that does not fit my views. I am making my games for me - and if anybody else likes them - then wooohoooo!!!!

BoomshackBarry

@VolontaArts yeah a team could do more than an individual in two weeks, but I guess you could extrapolate it out for an individual developer, and it would be the equivalent of spending maybe one month on a game that really should take six months. You'd have six different game prototypes out in the same time period as the one big game, but they'd all be a bit rough around the edges.

@StormyStudio I agree - once a game is out there in it's rough form players have already formed their first impressions of it, and if they hate it you might well wish you'd polished it before releasing.

Unless maybe the market is so big that that's all part of the plan - like perhaps the few thousand people who do see it in it's rough form are considered 'expendable' (harsh marketing word but that's the gist of it) and aren't important in the scheme of things if the game goes on to be played by a million other players in it's better form.

@matarua Yeah this definitely feels like a plan for those who prioritise business over creativity.

BBEnk

With no quality control on the app stores shovel ware is now a business tactic to try and make money not good games.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

I guess to each his own. I believe long term quality always wins out. If you are building with a long term vision for your brand that is not they way to build a long living brand. @RP and I are trying to build a legacy brand. We are using the Disney Pixar model. The model above may give you a five year window but not longevity. I guess it all depends on what one hopes to accomplish in the long run. Building a solid brand takes patience and dedication to quality. Since most people don't have that if one can see it through it puts you in a different class. Think tortoise and the hare.

BoomshackBarry

@BBEnk You're absolutely right of course, but I don't think this is strictly about advocating shovelware so much as it's about abandoning those games which show less promise early on and then focusing your efforts on the more popular games. It does litter the app stores with unfinished games though.

@FryingBaconStudios I like the tortoise and the hare analogy. Releasing unfinished games can only damage your brand reputation, so I think you're right it's possibly best avoided if you're intending to build up something meaningful.

KevinCross

Releasing unfinished games can only damage your brand reputation, so I think you're right it's possibly best avoided if you're intending to build up something meaningful.

Or release them under a different developer name.

BoomshackBarry

Releasing unfinished games can only damage your brand reputation, so I think you're right it's possibly best avoided if you're intending to build up something meaningful.

Or release them under a different developer name.

Or that

ramtam

It depends.

I think it's viable. Short, quick development cycles can help save you a lot of time and money in the end, you can get a good learning experience out of it, and see where you can concentrate your efforts in creating a polished product.
It can really be a good way of testing the waters first to see if you should even bother to pursue an idea further especially if you are on a tight budget! If it gains traction then polish it then.

Of course it depends on the type of project and the type of team, I think this kind of model is probably more suited for people who are trying to make a quick buck or push around a large amount of traffic, not necessarily people who have a great passion and creative vision for the project what they're about to embark on.