WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE A GAME PRODUCER?

Hello! My name is Amelia and I am an Australian video game Producer, currently employed by Tin Man Games. I’ve been working in this role for a little over a year. I am writing this post about my experiences as a Producer. I want to share knowledge and educate others about this role within the industry because when I transitioned into it, I found resources scant. I want to help fix that.

Panda is thrilled at this idea
(Image Polar Bear Cafe © Studio Pierrot)

So, you work at Tin Man Games?

Yep! Tin Man is an indie (or startup) video game company in Melbourne, Australia.

tl;dr we are smol but mighty. As my boss is fond of saying we "punch above our weight".

We’re part of The Arcade co-working space, which is great because it means I get lots of opportunites to learn from other talented video game developers (devs).

Tin Man has been producing games since 2008, and in that time we've released over 35 titles across iOS, Android, PlayStation, PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, and even the Amazon Kindle Fire Store. We create fantasy adventure games inspired by the nostalgia of classic tabletop gaming, and have a particular penchant for interactive fiction. Here's a look at some of our games:

Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown
(© Tin Man Games)

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Goblin Scourge Edition
(© Tin Man Games)

And what exactly does a Producer at Tin Man Games do? 

As a Producer in a small company, my duties are broad and (as the cliché goes) I “wear many hats”.

Just like Johnny Two Hats. Bit of early 2000s nostalgia, anyone?
(Image The Mighty Boosh © Baby Cow Productions)

Within my role, I am responsible for managing and motivating my team. I set milestones, timelines, and deadlines, and communicate them to my team in a manner that doesn’t cause them to freak out and disappear under their desks.

It is one thing to be able to set deadlines – its another to be able to get your team excited and motivated to meet them.  

Much of being a Producer is being a problem solver. It's solving problems so that your team can do their best work. And it feels great when you pull this off! But much of the time it can feel like dealing with an endless stream of problems. 

(Image The IT Crowd © Talkback Thames & Delightful Industries)

The scope of things you might do day-to-day as a Producer is VAST. Especially when you're part of a small team. The longer you work in production, the more you come to realise the sweet, sweet truth: almost anything can fall into your role. For example: transporting an antique ship's wheel in the back of a 4WD, checking Japanese language samples, and tracking down different versions of the same gamebook from the 1980s.

Nope. I was not joking.

I have a writing and languages background, so I’ve been involved in marketing, narrative, and localisation work while with Tin Man. So that gives an idea of what video game Production looks like for me.

So, more generally, video game Production is what exactly?

I like to give the following metaphor, which is basically a paraphrasing of something my boss once said to me: being a Producer is like being the lantern that lights the way for your team as they embark on a long and perilous journey through a dark and twisting cave.

(Image Avatar: The Last Airbender © Nickelodeon Animation Studios)

Being a Producer is about being a problem solver and cheer squad. You are the team's emotional support but also the bearer of bad news and dealer of tough love. No two days are ever the same and it's basically impossible to plan your work for any given day - but that doesn't stop us from trying! It's a challenging and highly rewarding role.

If you'd like to learn more about being a game producer, I reccommend checking out the excellent r/GameProduction subreddit as a starting point.