In this material, I have tried to summarize and provide an overview about the video game industry. By defining the production, production main milestones, more details about required team and team structure. At the end we elaborate about the budgeting with a comparison between production cost in the US and Egypt, based on some illustrated assumptions. In part 1, we have covered the defining of the main concepts as classification norms including genres, platforms and rating, then providing an introduction about Production Nature, Production Team, Supply Chain, Marketing Overview (not completed in this version), Sample Games and Sample Egyptian Cartoons. In part 3, I have tried to conclude part 1 and 2, then summarizing my suggested strategy to develop an international level video game industry in Egypt.

1. Gaming Industry
Part 2
Production Overview
With Focus on Scheduling and Budgeting
November 2009
Prepared By:
Al-Motaz Bellah Alaa Al-Agamawi
Source: Game Design and Development, By Michael Moore, Pearson, 2007
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

2. Table of Content
2
Production Overview
Main Milestones
Milestones Details
Estimate Timeframes
Team Overview
Team Structure
Main Players
Resources over Milestones
Budgeting
Assumptions
US/EU Game Cost
Egypt Game Cost
Cost Comparisons
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

3. 3
Production Overview
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

4. Production Overview…
4
Preproduction
Production
Postproduction
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

5. Production Overview…
5
Preproduction:
• Design Specification: Pitch Paper and Design Proposal
• Game Design Document
• Technical Review
• Selecting Game Engine (Middleware)
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

6. Production Overview…
6
Production:
• Interactive Prototype
• Designer Tools (Map Editor, Scripting Language, …)
• User Interface
• Balancing Game Play
• Debugging
• Marketing
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

7. Production Overview…
7
Postproduction:
• Marketing and distribution of Game
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

8. 8
Production Milestones Overview
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

9. Main Milestones…
9
1 • Game Design Document- GDD
2 • Technical Review
3 • Engine Proof
4 • Playable
5 • Interim Checkpoint
6 • Alpha
7 • Interim Checkpoint
8 • Beta
9 • Golden Master
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

10. Main Milestones… 1- Game Design Document- GDD
10
Game Design Document:
• Timeframe: 3 to 6 Month • Management
Either
Dependency Approve or
Cancel
Phase Output/ Deliverables
Art Complete Updated Summary of Secondary
GDD Specification Content Schedule Marketing Products
Design Doc Assets List and Budget Opportunity Based on
Design
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

11. Main Milestones… 2- Technical Review
11
Technical Review:
• Timeframe: 2 to 3 Month • Approval of
GDD
Dependency • Management
Either
Approve or
Cancel
Phase Output/ Deliverables
Formal Final
Technical Design Doc Production Milestone List of Needed Development Technology
timeline Schedule and Resources Budget Demo Code
Checklist
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

12. Main Milestones… 3- Engine Proof
12
Engine Proof:
• Approval
• Timeframe: 3 to 9 Month of TR
Dependency • Interactive
Prototype
is Up and
running
Phase Output/ Deliverables
One or More Demo Programs
of the Technology including Sample Art for review
Movement and Combat
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

13. Main Milestones… 4- First Playable
13
First Playable:
• Timeframe: 3 to 12 Month
Approval
Dependency of Engine
Proof
Phase Output/ Deliverables
Sample of Game Art
Working Version of the Game Including all the although engine Associate Doc to Updated Schedule
with at least one entire level major activities might not be able to Support Version and Budget based
handle animation on current status
and effects
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

14. Main Milestones… 5- Interim Checkpoint
14
Interim Checkpoint:
• Between First Play and Alpha
• Frequency: Once a Month
Phase Output/ Deliverables
Monthly version including main Documentation showing
game play to be completed status and explaining
and showable all changes from
previous version
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

15. Main Milestones… 6- Alpha
15
Alpha:
• Timeframe: 3 to 9 Month
• Starting from end of First play
• Definition of Alpha: Feature Complete
Phase Output/ Deliverables
All Major Game play are May contain a Shell Interface
coded, player can play considerable will be probably
from start to finish amount of missing
placeholders art
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

16. Main Milestones… 7- Interim Checkpoint
16
Interim Checkpoint:
• Between Alpha and Beta
• Frequency: Once a Month
Testing
• Time between Alpha and Beta is the Longest in
production
Starts
Dependency for
Game
Phase Output/ Deliverables Play
All Art work is Levels are Audio is Final Code
completed completed Added Modules are
Completed
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

17. Main Milestones… 8- Beta
17
Beta
• Timeframe: from 3 to 6
Game
• Game is finished and ready to be shipped
except for tuning and final testing Dependency
Ready
to
Market
Phase Output/ Deliverables
Attempt to remove as many
Priorities all reaming Bugs as possible bugs especially
ones that cause crashes or
violate SW standard
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

18. Main Milestones… 9- Golden Master
18
Golden Master
• Turning the Golden Master Version for
Final Disk for final Verification and
Approval
• When Golden Master is Accepted the
Production Cycle Ends
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

19. Main Milestones… Estimate Timeframes for Games
19
Phase Highly Avg. Min
Sophisticated Sophisticated Sophisticated
GDD 6 4.5 3
TR 3 2.5 2
Engine Proof 9 6 3
First Playable 12 7.5 3
Alpha 9 6 3
Beta 6 4.5 3
Total Req. Time 45 Month 29 Month 17 Month
Approx. Time 4 Years 2.5 Years 1.5 Year
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

20. 20
Team Overview
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

21. Team Overview … Team Structure
21
Source: Game Design and Development, By Michael Moore, Pearson, 2007
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

22. Team Overview … Main Players
22
Producer: Has a working experience between 15 to 25 years in game industry.
Shipped Multiple titles. Act as the new company’s management.
Designer: Designed min of 3 shipped titles. One was a smash success and the
other two were respectable hits.
Lear Programmer: Has a working experience of more than 8 years in the game
industry. Has shipped multiple titles.
Senior Programmer/Tools: Has a working experience of more than 8 years in
the game industry on many different tools for designer and artist.
Senior Programmer/Engine: Has a working experience of more than 7 years in
the game industry with experience in building game engines and using middleware.
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

23. Team Overview … Main Players
23
Lead Artist: Worked as a creative director at last position. Shipped a minimum
of 6 tiles with an experience not less than 11 years.
3D Modeling Artist: Has a working experience of more than 7 years in the
game industry and a minimum of three shipped titles. Must Master 3D studio.
3D Texture Artist: The most junior group member with an experience not less
than 5 years and a minimum of two shipped titles.
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

24. Team Overview … Typical Team Members Functions
24
Producer Music
Designer Lead test
Asst Designer Inhouse Testers
Lead Programmer Temp Testers
Programmer/Tools
Programmer/Engine
Programmer/Network
programmer/ Audio
Lead Artist
Artist/3D Modeling
Artist/Animation
Artist/3D texture
Artist/Interface
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

25. Team Overview … Allocation Over Milestones
25
If we considered a minimum sophisticated Game, Milestones will be as follows:
• Pre-Alpha
6 Months • GDD, Technical Review, Engine Proof, First Playable
• Alpha
9 Months • 9 Interims Checkpoints will be produced
• Beta
2 Months
• Golden master
1 Month
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

26. Team Overview … Allocation Over Milestones
26
If we considered a 1st 6 Months 2nd 6 Month 3rd 6 Month
minimum sophisticated Producer 1 1 1
Game, Resource Designer 1 1 1
allocation will be as Asst. Designer 1 1 1
follows, over 18 Lead Programmer 1 1 1
Months: Programmer 4 6 6
Lear Artist 1 1 1
Artist 7 15 15
Music 1 1
Lead Test 1 1
In-house Tester 3
Part-time Tester 4
Total 16 28 35
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

27. 27
Budgeting
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

28. Budgeting… Assumptions for US/EU-- General
28
The coming assumptions are for a minimum sophisticated game production.
Budgeting is for production cost only without any other expenses.
Depreciation and other accounting norms are not calculated.
Plan is over 18 Months, and divided by quarters.
Resources and Resource allocation are based on info mentioned in previous sections.
25% benefits are calculated from the total salaries to cover uncalculated items.
Assuming Rent as 35,000 USD per month for 2000 square foot space.
Two desk, a chair, a lamp, telephone, a whiteboard, bookshelf for each team
member. A cost of 500 USD per team member is calculated.
3000 USD per team member computer and infrastructure share in included.
1500 USD for SW license per producer, designer and testers
3000 USD for SW license per programmers
7000 USD for SW license per Art professional
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

29. Budgeting… Assumptions for US/EU-- General
29
Different Team Functions and Ranks
Salaries in USD
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

30. Budgeting… Budget for US/EU
30
# Staff over 1.5 Year
Total Salaries
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

31. Budgeting… Budget for US/EU
31
A Minimum Sophisticated Game
production cost in US/EU is
3,711,750 USD
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

32. Budgeting… Assumptions for Egypt-- General
32
Assuming an
Average of 39%
of the US/EU
Salaries
Rent is calculated
as 8000 USD per
month
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

33. Budgeting… Budget for Egypt
33
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

34. Budgeting… Budget for Egypt
34
A Minimum Sophisticated Game
production cost in Egypt is
1,255,725 USD
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

35. Budgeting… Comparing Egypt to US/EU Cost
35
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

36. Budgeting… Comparing Egypt to US/EU Cost
36
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi

37. 37
For More Information and Further Discussions
Al-Motaz Bellah Alaa Al-Agamawi
Email: magamawi@gmail.com
Skype ID: magamawi
Linkedin Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/motazalagamawi
SlideShare Profile: http://www.slideshare.net/magamawi
thank you…
Game Industry Part- 2, Production Overview By: Motaz Al-Agamawi