Summary of Product Development in the Gaming Industry — Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, discusses product development in the gaming industry. He shares that traditionally, product development has been difficult due to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration. Jones' team focuses on creating a team where everyone trusts each other and is transparent, in order to create better products.

• 00:00:00 Ben Jones is the creative director at ZeniMax Online Studios, which is an award-winning game studio based out of Maryland. Ben's responsibilities include overseeing a design team of 50 people and managing a development team of nearly 200. Ben's background in technology and gaming led him to his current role, where he continues to develop video games.
• 00:05:00 Product development in the gaming industry often starts with a vision for a high-level world, followed by a story that tells that world. Once the vision and story are solidified, the team determines which concepts should become a game, and begins to flesh out the game with research and user testing.
• 00:10:00 In the video, Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, discusses the process of product development, focusing on new and existing IP. He notes that while creating a new IP is harder, it is possible to create a successful product if the team is unified and focused on the vision. He also discusses the importance of establishing connections with the team and the audience early on in the development process.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses the challenges that product developers face when developing new IPs, as well as the impact of technology and pandemics on gaming experiences.
• 00:20:00 The speaker discusses the challenges of developing products in the gaming industry, which include a distributed workforce and the need to maintain trust among team members. He also discusses some strategies for creating a successful team.
• 00:25:00 In the video, Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, discusses product development in the gaming industry. He shares that traditionally, product development has been difficult due to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration. Jones' team focuses on creating a team where everyone trusts each other and is transparent, in order to create better products. Jones also discusses some of the methods his team has used to foster collaboration and communication, including employing a number of successful methods. Finally, he talks about the importance of product results being visible and tangible, and how this helps the team maintain focus.
• 00:30:00 The video discusses how product development in the gaming industry has changed since 2012, when the team was first introduced to Covid. The different strategies that the team has used to create better connections with each other have been successful, and they are now experiment with always on meetings.
• 00:35:00 This video discusses product development in the gaming industry, and Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, Ben Jones, discusses how being open and transparent about values, goals, and challenges has helped the company's success in hiring. He also advises interested individuals to pursue a path of tinkering, whereby they take existing software and play around with it to create something of their own that reflects their skills and interests.
• 00:40:00 Ben Jones from ZeniMax Online Studios gives advice to students on how to develop a portfolio that is clear and demonstrable of their work, how to land a job in the gaming industry, and how to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. He also advises students to have a "grin and Barrett" attitude and to be adaptable and quick-thinking in order to succeed in the entertainment industry.
• 00:45:00 Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, discusses the guiding principles behind product development in the gaming industry. He advises that if you operate on transparency and trust, you will find success.