First-Person Shooter Game By: Group 3 Adam Lerman Clement Madya James Mallon Timothy Schultz Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. INFO638: Software Project Management. Assignment 4. December 06, 2010. Assignment 4 Group 3: Lerman, Madya, Mallon, Schultz December 6, 2010 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 3 2. Project Analysis and Scope ................................................................ 3 3. Project Overview Statement (POS) ................................................... 4 4. Requirements Breakdown Structure (RBS) ..................................... 5 5. High-Level WBS .................................................................................. 8 6. Scope Triangle and Prioritization ..................................................... 9 7. Project Features Prioritization ........................................................ 11 8. Mid-/Low-Level WBS and Timeline ............................................... 12 9. Financial Analysis.............................................................................. 16 10. Project Status Reporting ................................................................ 18 11. Project Risk Analysis ...................................................................... 19 Risk Severity ........................................................................................................................... 21 Risk Contingency Planning ................................................................................................... 22 Discussion ................................................................................................................................ 24 12. Project Change Control Processes ................................................. 25 13. Future Version Scope ...................................................................... 29 14. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 29 References ............................................................................................................................... 30 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................. 31 Appendix B .............................................................................................................................. 33 Assignment 4 Group 3: Lerman, Madya, Mallon, Schultz December 6, 2010 3 1. Introduction The goal of this report is to define an Adaptive Project Framework (APF) project plan for developing a video game. We will demonstrate the initial part of the lifecycle, leaving out details of future project development and implementation cycles since these are meant to be covered in depth as the project progresses. Instead, we will outline the entire plan and allow room for additions as the plan gets underway, only focusing in depth on the present tasks. We start with the scope of the project followed by the Project Overview Statement and Requirements Breakdown Structure to provide an analysis of what the project will entail. We then delve further into the project by prioritizing the features and discussing the Work Breakdown Structures and timelines which will detail how to actually complete the project. A short financial analysis will help ensure that the project has the means to be implemented, and risks and change controls will be outlined to help make sure that the project does not go off task and has a means to recover if it does. 2. Project Analysis and Scope This project is based around a new computer video game to be created by DeathBlow Gamers, a startup video game development company. This is the company’s first project and they are very ambitious and anxious to break into the market. Their vision is to become a recognized leader in gaming and to create enough capital to develop more games. In order to do so, a goal the company has set for itself is to develop a first-person shooter video game that wins at least one prestigious industry award and comes in the top ten in sales for the year. In order to create the game, the development and project management teams along with a customer focus group brainstormed about what type of game they and their target audience would be most interested in, while attempting to create something new and innovative. Based on the popularity of zombie movies as well as first-person shooter games, the teams decided to merge the two and create a first-person shooter game whose plot is to save the main character from a zombie apocalypse. Since the users wanted a familiar locale, the environment is set in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is a popular city in the United States housing much of the nation’s history. It was deemed to be fitting for this story line since much of the nation’s history started there and the character must keep it from ending there as well. The goal is to get from the center of town to a safe-haven on the outskirts, which the user must determine using reasoning, logic, intuition, and in-game clues. Along the way, he will be challenged by invading armies of zombies in which he must defend himself and other characters he meets along the way. The game is intended to not only be fun and entertaining, but to provide the gamer with decision- making, reasoning, problem solving, and survival skills, as well as game theory and hand-eye coordination without the user being conscious of this. The target audience is intended to be a mature audience, most likely teenage males over the age of 13 and young adults. The game created by DeathBlow Gamers will be boxed, packaged, shrink wrapped, and sold through local and online retailers. These may include websites such as Buy.com, big box stores such as Best Buy, and gaming stores including Game Stop, for example. The user will then be Assignment 4 Group 3: Lerman, Madya, Mallon, Schultz December 6, 2010 4 able to download expansion packs once the original version is purchased. The scope of the development of the game will be broken down into cycles, each one providing further and more detailed implementations as will be discussed below. The first version will start by creating and implementing the basic foundations of the game, such as characters, the game environment, basic weapons and means of transportation, and will become increasingly more complex. Initially, the game and its prototypes will be single player only, and will then implement multiplayer and, finally, online multiplayer additions in future versions. The initial version will be developed for the PC but future versions will be developed for gaming stations such as the Xbox 360 and the Sony Playstation. Again, this will be discussed in further detail below. 3. Project Overview Statement (POS) The purpose of this section is to provide the stakeholders of the project with a summary that will briefly state what the project will entail, why it will be conducted in this manner, and what value it will hold for the company when it is complete. This may, in turn, be used to gain approval from senior management and to attain the required resources to carry out the project. Once approved, the POS may serve as the base from which future planning and project execution may take place, acting as a reference with regards to the project’s scope and purpose (Wysocki, 2009). PROJECT OVERVIEW Project Name Project No. Project STATEMENT First-Person Shooter FPS-001 Manager Game Susan Gasson Problem / Opportunity DeathBlow Gamers, a startup video game development company, would like to create their first game: a first-person shooter video game that wins at least one prestigious industry award and comes in the top ten in sales. Goal Break into the industry and become a recognized leader in gaming. Create enough capital to develop more games. Objectives • Create an award-winning video game with a save-the-world-from-evil-and-destruction theme: provide a realistic and comprehensive backdrop for the story to emerge. • Game objectives will be to survive a zombie apocalypse by killing bad guys and navigating from the character’s home in the center of Philadelphia to a safe-haven on the outskirts of town. • Enhance the customer’s decision making, reasoning, problem solving, game theory, and survival skills, as well as hand eye coordination and quick-thinking. • Target the teenage male/mature audience population. • Provide functionality for multiple operating systems and an infinite number of players. • Assignment 4 Group 3: Lerman, Madya, Mallon, Schultz December 6, 2010 5 Success Criteria • The game is understood and able to be navigated without consulting an instruction manual for 90% of customers. • The player is able to control the character in the manner in which he desires. • The player is capable of progressing through the game from the beginning to end. • The game provides the appropriate challenge levels for all players. • The game is entertaining to 90% of customers based on a rating of a minimum of 3.5 out of 5 stars • The game will sell over 8300 units per month after version 1 release. This will allow the business to grow and move towards version 2.* • Limit expenditures to under $100,000 per month during version 1 development to remain viable.* *See Financial Analysis section for more details. Assumptions, Risks, Obstacles • The game must be compelling enough for the players to want to complete a session. • Players span multiple age ranges and all