Hi,

I'm a project manager and now I'm working on an early stage of project initiation which includes a web based game in it as well.

This is my first experience with game and web development industry so I don't have enough clue for Work Breakdown Structure and required resources.

I wonder if any one can help me out for a high level generic WBS for a web based strategic game with multiple levels, resource & cost estimation for each work packages.

Millions of thanks in advance

Siavash

I don't have enough clue for Work Breakdown Structure and required resources.
I wonder if any one can help me out for a high level generic WBS for a web based strategic game with multiple levels, resource & cost estimation for each work packages.

Moving this to the Production forum (it's NOT a Breaking In question). If you want information about writing video game budgets, see FAQ 62 on my site.

I could lend a hand, but you have to realize the above mail is as ballpark as asking for numbers on crew and resource requirements to build a plane. Unless you describe a known model, or your technical specifications, the error margin is simply overwhelming.

Here are a few questions to help refine your question:

What is the scope? namely, what are the features, what do you want it to do?

Also, since its web based, what are you expectations in terms of concurrent users? What technology do you have, what do you need to make, what can you borrow or license?

This is my first experience with game and web development industry so I don't have enough clue for Work Breakdown Structure and required resources.

Sorry if I sound harsh and disappointing, but considering the possible scope of your undertaking, I think you need to question if you are the right guy to do this job on your own, given your limited experience in two of the key fields of your project.

Now that that is said, if you already have a team of people with experience in these fields at hand, try to include them into your estimation. Do some collaborative requirements-engineering with your developers and customers, get your scope and vision together and only then you can give an rough estimate.

if you are the right guy to do this job

try to include them into your estimation

You are always the right guy for the job if you can listen and ask the right questions. The people that do the work are the people that know best how to do the work. The fact you may have previous experience helps, but if you're willing to sit this one with them, you'll get a plan into place based on their assumption of the work scope. If they are skilled at what they do, they'll give you a better estimate than anyone here who hasn't received proper information (or clearance to get that info in the first place).

Find a decent web app (ASP.NET, PHP, Struts, etc) developer and sit them down for a long brainstorming session. Work through the requirements and keep asking "How would you do this? How would you build this feature? What does it depend on?" The big elements of the WBS will start to appear pretty quickly but you need expertise in the web application area to help you. Get really detailed down to the maintenance, feature expansion, disaster recovery level and then move onto resource scheduling and cost estimation.

Expect to do this across a day or two. Pizza and beer helps.

Pizza and beer helps.

:)