[font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]Hi guys,
I am currently in the first stage of working on a college-project, which has to be finished by 01.04.12.
My project will be an essay, which I want to center around the game development, whereas I would like to have a focus on the role of the game producer and his involvement throughout each stage of development.
In a bit more detail:
The essay should go through every single stage of the development of a game, from the first idea to the final release and then outline the special impact a game producer has, including all the problems and responsibilities he potentially has to face within the production.
I got '"The game producers handbook" by Dan Irish' from a friend, so the detailed bits about the game producer should be covered so far, but as this book is solely about the producer it lacks detail in describing the initial stages of development itself (especially the ones in which the producer is not majorly involved).
My question towards you would therefore be if you could recommend a book which outlines the different stages of development in fair detail, without requiring me to have a degree in that topic area, as I am just a student, who is interested in this area and wants to use some of his otherwise wasted time at college to start getting into the subject.

Other than that every question, advice, suggestion or whatever would be much appreciated, as I would like to use this forum to have an additional source of information.

Looking forward to any kind of post
SpikeX[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]
[/font][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]P.S.: Sry for posting this here and in another category but I didn't know where it would be most suitable[/font]

Spike, you wrote:

1. I am currently in the first stage of working on a college-project, [in] which ... I would like to have a focus on the role of the game producer and his involvement throughout each stage of development.
2. I got '"The game producers handbook" by Dan Irish' from a friend...
3. but ... this book ... lacks detail in describing the initial stages of development itself (especially the ones in which the producer is not majorly involved).
4. My question towards you would therefore be if you could recommend a book which outlines the different stages of development in fair detail...
5. I would like to use this forum to have an additional source of information.
6. Sry for posting this here and in another category but I didn't know where it would be most suitable [/quote]
1. Then you should read FAQ 42 (scroll up and click the Breaking In FAQs link).
2. What a cheapskate! Shoulda bought your own copy.
3. Read FAQ 10 for more about the process. But there IS NO STAGE when the producer is not majorly involved. Many times, the producer is the first person on the project. And always the last.
4. There's Heather Chandler's book (I wrote the forward) and there's Introduction to Product Development (I wrote the chapter on Producing). See FAQ 8 for more books. If FAQ 8 isn't listed in this forum's FAQs, it's on my site (which is where most of the FAQs reside).
5. This forum doesn't exist to help students write class essays. It exists to help students understand how to get careers in the game industry, and to help them prepare for those careers.
6. I closed the post you wrote in that other forum, since you were not offering to write an article for GameDev.net and you were not asking any of the experts on GameDev to write an article on a particular topic.

P.S. The black-and-white character I use as my avatar is named Spike. Let's talk who used the name first!

Thx for your quick response and the much appreciated information in it :-)
I know that this forum is not made for problems like mine, but I'd rather have a response from someone with knowledge, like you, than from someone on a random forum, who just pretends to have an idea what he is talking about.
I'll use my time now to read through your website and therefore be quiet on this board so you can stick to the important things ;-)
I'll only ever post again when the rare case should appear that I can't find something on your website.
And btw although this essay itself is indeed only for college I intend to end up in the game industry at some point, whereas the job of a game producer would be first choice over anything else so maybe things i read now will benefit me in the future :-P
So thx again and sry for bothering and stealing ur nick ;-)

SpikeX

Typo in my first reply. The big fat book's title is actually INTRODUCTION TO GAME DEVELOPMENT (Edited by Rabin). And another one besides Chandler's GAME PRODUCTION HANDBOOK is SECRETS OF THE GAME BUSINESS (Edited by Larramée -- I wrote 2 chapters in that one).