A Playful Production Process: The Power of Preproduction (Solo en inglés)

Richard Lemarchand 

09:30 a 12:45:  Even in 2025, it’s still a challenge to find the best way to manage a game project, because of the limitations on time and money that we all inevitably face. It’s a challenge that game designer Richard Lemarchand (Uncharted, Soul Reaver) has been tackling for a long time. Now that he teaches upcoming game designers in the USC Games program, the challenge is more important to him than ever, as he seeks to give new game developers good processes that will lead to the best outcomes, both in terms of the quality of their finished games, and the good physical and mental health of their teams. Luckily, Richard has some solutions—and they’re simpler and more effective than you might think. Join him for a lightning-fast tour of the best production practices from Naughty Dog and USC, and leave with a bag of tips, tools and attitudes that will help you make better games in a healthy style. In this workshop session for Level UY, Richard will outline the design and production process discussed in his 2021 MIT Press book A Playful Production Process: For Game Designers (and Everyone). The session will be interactive, with time to ask questions and raise points for group discussion. Then, Richard will discuss the crucial importance of the preproduction phase of a game project, including the composition of the preproduction team, the role that the “vertical slice” demo plays, and what should happen at the end of preproduction. He will place special emphasis on the role of the “game design macro,” the lightweight, easy-to-read planning document used at studios like Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games, which helps to keep full production on track.​