About#
This research paper has been made to complete my Master’s in video game development.
Download thesis (PDF)Abstract#
Managing a project as a student in a higher education institution presents unique challenges compared to projects conducted in professional contexts. Academic constraints can interfere with the implementation of standard Agile practices such as Scrum or Kanban. Existing research on this topic is limited and does not directly address video game projects. Furthermore, studies on video game production typically focus on professional development studios rather than academic settings. Through interviews with three student-led projects conducted in an academic context, this study found that industry-standard Agile methodologies, which are already challenging to implement in professional environments, become even more complex in academic settings. This complexity arises from limited time and attention that students can dedicate to such projects due to coursework and other academic responsibilities, as well as a lack of experience and training. The student mindset is sometimes misaligned with methodologies that require a professional outlook. Nonetheless, the findings also reveal that higher education institutions can play a significant role in supporting student success. Moreover, students often develop creative strategies to navigate these challenges, acquiring valuable practical knowledge and experience that can later be applied in professional contexts.
Introduction#
Higher education institutions commonly use practical projects as pedagogical tools. These
projects not only help students acquire discipline-specific skills but also promote the development
of project management skills, which are essential across nearly all professional domains (Holzbaur,
2010). In the field of software development, project management practices often align with Agile
methodologies, with frameworks such as Scrum being widely implemented, though many
alternatives exist (State of Agile, 2023). However, the implementation of these frameworks is not
always successful. A lack of training is frequently cited as one of the primary reasons for failure,
among other contributing factors (Majeed, 2012). The effective teaching of project management
tools and methodologies can help mitigate these challenges, positioning higher education
institutions as key actors in this process.
Software development commonly relies on Agile Project Management practices, which emerged
in response to the limitations and challenges associated with traditional models such as Waterfall.
Over time, these Agile methodologies have been refined and are now widely adopted by the
majority of software development teams. While video game development is rooted in software
engineering, it also belongs to the creative industries. The unique challenges of game production,
particularly its high degree of unpredictability, make Agile methodologies particularly well-suited to
game development, highlighting the importance of acquiring knowledge and training in Agile
practices for professionals entering the video game industry.
Nevertheless, research indicates that applying project management methodologies in an
academic setting introduces additional layers of complexity. Students face unique constraints and
challenges not typically encountered in professional environments (Masood et al., 2018). These
difficulties are further compounded in video game development courses, where student teams
must coordinate across a wide range of disciplines, including animation, art, audio, programming,
and UI/UX design (Chandler, 2020). Specifically, the studies from Masood only focus on the
implementation of the Scrum framework by students.
While there is extensive literature on software project management, offering valuable insights
for teams and organisations (Ahmed et al., 2014; Cho, 2010; Juricek, 2014; Majeed, 2012), video
game development, though a form of software development, presents unique challenges and has
also been the subject of significant research (Keith, 2020; Koutonen & Leppänen, 2013; McKenzie
et al., 2021; Pałka, 2023; Ruonala, 2016).
However, to the best of my knowledge, there is a lack of research specifically addressing project
management within student-led video game development projects in academic contexts. Prior
studies emphasise the additional complexity inherent to video game development, which may
intensify the challenges faced by student teams.
This study aims to explore the specific project management challenges encountered by
multidisciplinary student teams, comprising game designers, artists, programmers, technical
artists, and sound designers, while developing a video game from conception to completion. It
further investigates the solutions these students implemented to overcome such challenges and
adapt to the constraints of the academic environment.
To guide this investigation, the following research question was formulated:
To address this research question, I conducted interviews with three student-led project teams,
each of which had 1.5 years to develop a video game as part of a Master’s program in video game
development.
This thesis is structured into four main sections. First, the literature review explores current
knowledge on project management, video game development, and the practices and challenges
faced by student project teams. Next, the methodology section details the study’s design, including
the interview process and the questions asked. The results section then presents a summary of the
interviews, focusing on the key and recurring themes identified across the teams. Finally, the
discussion section examines the commonalities found in the interviews, offers my interpretations,
and relates the findings to existing literature to provide further insight