For real. MFs like "it's freezing cold in space" no it's not, it's a *vacuum* which is an entirely different problem.

(Sometimes it's really hot! Really really hot!!)

Snow pile like "see you in June, loser"

Yep!

Invisible work is exactly right.

there's also something to be said about how producers/community managers are seen as expendable and do way more invisible work as a games field with more women and nonbinary people in it compared to like, male dominated programming but that's a ramble for another day

I booked my room for the week after GDC. Thankfully my wife knows how to read dates.

Jokes aside, that's what bugged me about the "you can't make a game with just project managers" post: it's backwards. You can make a game without art, or audio, or even code. You can't make a game without project management. If your project has no producer, YOU are the producer. The work gets done.

I keep trying to talk about the baked lighting on the textures but can't stop getting distracted by the fact that somebody approved that skybox.

Wow that's a crime

Correct, you don't.

We joke that games don't get finished, they escape; but the truth is that producers are the reason games survive to release. It's a producer's job to listen to every crazy creative idea their team cooks up and say "Ok, sure. How long will it take, & what are we cutting/delaying to do this instead?"

My experience & the role I find most valuable is what other industries might call a project manager (as opposed to product manager). They
- facilitate communication between teams
- keep (and KEEP) the schedule, eg by tracking tasks/bugs and team velocity
- identify and resolve roadblocks
- etc

Currently my unrealistic indie game dev goal, no lie.