In our video series Conversations, we ask developers and industry experts for their insights into the world of gaming. At this year’s Gamescom, games guru Christopher Bergstresser was very generous in giving up his time to speak with Audiencly’s Angelo Simon about a whole range of subjects.
In this part, Chris talks about the team you need to pull together for a successful game.
Success is never guaranteed but there are some things to look for in putting together a game development team. This is an important area to invest in according to Chris.
“It’s not just: oh, team X has worked on GTA a thousand times, and they know this sort of thing. [You want] a team that has some talent and understands how to make games, but also has a strong vision on how they’re going to achieve that.”
This requires a commitment at all levels, Chris says, because there has to be a plan and people have to stick to it.
“[Otherwise] they wind up burning through cash because they’ve worked for a really large company before,” he says, “and they’re not thinking about how they’re building their development roadmap, the runway they have on their investment, and how they’re going to execute against that.”
Experience is the key element in a games development team, according to Chris.
“You want entrepreneurs that maybe have been kicked in the teeth a few times but have delivered product. They have a good understanding of what they need to do to achieve success.”