1. Developers A game developer is a software developer, that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems. Most developers also specialize in certain types of games, such as role-playing video games or first-person shooters. Some focus on porting games from one system to another; and others focus on translating games from one language to another. Third-party developers are usually called upon by a video game publisher to develop a title for one or more systems. Both the publisher and the developer have a great deal of say as to the design and content of the game. In general, though, the publisher's wishes trump the developer's, as the publisher is paying the developer to create the game. Third-party game development is a volatile business, as small developers may be entirely dependent on money from one publisher. A single cancelled game can be lethal to a small developer. Because of this, many of the smaller development companies last only a few years or sometimes only a few months. The continual struggle to get payment for milestones and to line up the next game contract is a persistent distraction to the management of every game developer. Independent developers however, are not owned by or tied down to a single publisher; therefore it is possible these developers self-publish their own products to get them out there. This is because small time developers can be overlooked very easily, so they usually rely on the internet and spread of reviews for publicity. Organisational Structure
2. Publishers A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer. As with book publishers or publishers of DVD movies, video game publishers are responsible for their product's manufacturing and marketing, including market research and all aspects of advertising. They usually finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer and sometimes by paying an internal staff of developers called a studio . The large video game publishers also distribute the games they publish, while some smaller publishers instead hire distribution companies to distribute the games they publish. Other functions usually performed by the publisher include deciding on and paying for any license that the game may utilize; paying for localization; layout, printing, and possibly the writing of the user manual; and the creation of graphic design elements such as the box design. Large publishers may also attempt to boost efficiency across all internal and external development teams by providing services such as sound design and code packages for commonly needed functionality. Because the publisher usually finances development, it usually tries to manage development risk with a staff of producers or project managers to monitor the progress of the developer, critique ongoing development, and assist as necessary. Most video games created by an external video game developer are paid for with periodic advances on royalties. These advances are paid when the developer reaches certain stages of development, called milestones.
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5. Outsourcing Companies Outsourcing is when a company goes outside its own company and contracts other sources to provide the services that are needed by that particular company. This will most likely overall be cheaper for the company to pay for the services then to hire its own people and have to pay benefits in addition. Bringing in other people from without the restrictions and limitations of the company itself can bring its own reward. For example a rare and talented person who is dedicated and committed into entering the business can easily be overlooked or cast aside from the possibility of joining the company due to the fact they are not involved in the business. However this person could have innovative, imaginative, unique ideas that complacent workers lack the motivation to think of. Some companies may also choose to co-operate with other companies to gather good ideas. It is mostly common functions that are outsourced, including: Customer service, Payroll and Human Resources.
6. Press and Media The media when referred to as "The Media" is the radio, tv, newspapers and magazines that define what is happening in our world. The literal meaning is anything that contains information (i.e., a compact disk is the media that can hold photos or music). The Media is a great way of advertising products such as games because practically everyone who could afford the product (in this case a game or game related product) will have a television, radio etc. and will most likely be using it frequently; therefore the chance of the population witnessing the advertisements and then becoming interested in the product is high. Very popular, rich companies will sometimes strategically place their advertisements in between ad breaks of increasingly popular television shows where the viewing ratings are high; an example of this would be during a football match or long lived soap opera. The press plays its part by taking frequent photographs and organising interviews; for example for the new up coming game Fable: The Journey, different game reviewers like IGN or Game-spot will have online interviews with Lionhead studios head director Peter Molyneux perhaps, to discuss the games features and why it is worth the publics interest.
