Sessions

Public BM  

Q-Game-Style Agile Development: Implementation Examples from the latest in the PixelJunk series

Date  
September 2 (Thu) 17:50 - 18:50
Format  
Session (60min.)
Expected Skill

A healthy interest in Agile as a development framework and/or experience as a project manager, director, producer or involvement in running/working with a game development team.

Ideas Take Away

Actual examples as to how Agile has been used in the front line of game development
What we got right, what went wrong and some little tricks and tips that we learned on the way.

An introduction of the Agile approach to game development as applied by Q-Games with the latest PixelJunk title

■ An introduction to Q-Games
Firstly, a brief introduction to our studio Q-Games and what makes it a little out-of-the-ordinary.
Basic information about the company (no. of employees, structure by job type, no. of non-Japanese employees, etc.)
Game development at Q-Games, an introduction to our development team

■ An introduction to the concept behind the PixelJunk series
I will begin with a simple introduction to the PixelJunk series, perhaps what Q-Games is best known for.
・Original gameplay and art
・Developed by small teams over a short period of time
・Download games, self-published

■ An outline of how Agile development works at Q-Games
In order to create high-quality games, Q-Games implemented the Agile method across the company as a whole. Our project management at Q-Games focuses on scripts in particular.
・The need for Agile and our aims
・About scripts
・About scrums
・About team building

■ How were ‘Sprints’ put to use in the new PixelJunk game
Sprints and how they were implemented in the latest game in the PixelJunk series: an introduction
・Our sprint implementation process
1. Decide on backlog tasks
2. Implementation work and task operations
3. Create a pre-backlog for the next sprint
4. Conduct a sprint review and decide on the next backlog
・An introduction to our management tool (MANTIS)
・Examples of how we use Mantis at Q-Games
・Examples of how we have customized Mantis
・Changes and improvements in how we work; attitude adjustments in terms of teamwork and staffing
・What makes a ‘good’ sprint, what to look out for
・Issues going forward

* The session contents are based on the information provided by the speakers.

  • Shouichi Tominaga

    Shouichi Tominaga

    Development Manager

    Q-Games, Ltd.

    Shouichi TOMINAGA (‘Tomi’)
    Q-Games
    Development Manager
    1995: Joined a company that created video and multimedia content. Tomi planned, designed and created movie content as well as working on a broad range of programming projects. Tomi was involved in every aspect of production.
    2003: Joined Q-Games, worked as a planner on Nintendo titles: Digidrive (GBA) and StarFox Command (DS). Tomi then moved on to help launch the self-published download PixelJunk series for the PS3.
    Tomi has worked as a director on PixelJunk Eden, PixelJunk Eden Encore and PixelJunk Shooter. Tomi also directs the trailer videos for the PixelJunk series.

    [Message]

    Can you be a creator and make something new that draws on art, design, sound, technology, entertainment, etc. without feeling the Chinese Walls that keep these genres apart? How do we navigate our development teams through the ever-changing creative process? Game development is one of the only realms that can really satisfy the creative challenge. This session will showcase Q-Games own creative style and how combining that with the Agile approach to development has worked for us as a team.