Job Description of a Game Producer

A game producer is responsible for pulling together the resources needed to create a game.

A game producer oversees a video game's development, from concept to shipping. A game producer's role can vary greatly among different companies, but he is generally responsible for leading and organizing multiple projects, coordinating departments, maintaining a budget and making sure a project stays on schedule. Game producers also act as liaisons between game developers and publishers.

Duties

A game producer is responsible for pulling together the resources needed to create a game. Game producers organize the developers, tasks and assets within a project and ensure adherence to a schedule they have created according to the publisher's specifications. If the project is not going smoothly or meeting its targets, the game producer is expected to resolve the issues or rework the schedule.

Producers also may be expected to arrange for the testing of a game. Experienced producers also may negotiate contracts and licensing deals and be involved in the marketing process.

Types

Internal game producers are expected to be hands-on in development, working alongside the developers within a company. External producers are detached from the developers; they often are employed as contractors for smaller companies and may manage more than one game at a time. They are expected to communicate with internal producers and relay information about the project to the publishers.

Career Path

An assistant, or junior, producer is considered the entry point for working as a game producer. Junior producers perform daily tasks assigned by the producers. Career-progression routes include becoming a project manager, who is primarily concerned with scheduling and budgets, or a team lead, who works mostly with the developers on a project. More senior roles include lead producer, senior producer and executive producer.

A small game-development company may employ only one game producer to manage every aspect of development, while a larger company may employ a number of specialized producers.

Qualifications

According to Game Career Guide, producers tend to be promoted from positions as game developers; 49 percent of game producers have six or more years in the industry. Producers who don't have experience in the games industry typically must demonstrate project management skills in addition to verbal and written communication skills. Taking a game-related course--such as computer science, art, animation or game design--also may offer an advantage.

Game producers should be highly organized and motivated, and good leadership skills are essential. Other necessary attributes include the ability to remain calm under pressure and resolve conflicts or problems. Producers also need the ability to work with people to pull together different teams and ensure that they work alongside one another toward a common goal.

Salary

Gamasutra, a website for game designers, developers and programmers, reports that the average salary for all producer titles was $75,082 in 2009. In contrast, the average salary of a programmer that year was $80,320, a game artist or animator made $71,071, and a game designer took home $69,266.

References

• Game Career Guide: Game Production, An Introduction
• StateUniversity.com: Video Game Producer
• Game Career Guide: Ask the Experts: 'How to Become a Producer'
• Gamasutra: 2009 Game Developer Salary Survey
• Skillset Games: Assistant Producer