Why Your Game Vision Sucks (And Why You're Not Alone!) with Graham McAllister | #85

In this episode, we welcome back organizational psychologist Graham McAllister for part 3 of our deep dive into one of the most critical challenges in game development—game vision. If you're a game developer, leader, or aspiring leader, this conversation exposes why studios struggle to align on vision and how that misalignment contributes to failed games, frustrated teams, and organizational friction.

Graham shares exclusive insights from his groundbreaking research, revealing why even seasoned studios misfire on creating shared mental models and what happens when product vision and creative vision pull teams in opposite directions. We break down how team psychology, leadership gaps, and missing frameworks are silently derailing your projects—and what you can do to change that.

Whether you're leading a game team, working in production, design, or aiming for studio leadership, this episode will reshape how you approach collaboration, alignment, and success.

Key Topics:

-The missing link in game vision no one talks about
-Why teams consistently fail to align on player experience
-The hidden rift between creative and product vision
-The psychological traps even veteran leaders fall into
-How to bridge the communication gap between departments
-Actionable insights for game makers to improve alignment & culture

Resources & Next Steps:
Connect with Graham McAllister:
https://grahammcallister.com/

Read Graham’s research and updates on the upcoming Game Vision book:
https://grahammcallister.com/books

Check out Graham’s player psychology book (free online or via Amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/Usability-Play...

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We want to hear from YOU! What struggles have you faced with game vision on your projects? Drop your experiences in the comments.

00:00 Introduction to Team Dynamics in the Game Industry
00:40 The Core Problem: Misalignment in Game Vision
00:54 Guest Introduction: Graham McAllister
01:11 Game Vision Alignment Check and Blueprint
02:30 Recap of Previous Discussions
03:18 The Persistent Issue of Misaligned Game Vision
04:51 Exploring Mental Models in Game Development
09:09 Research Questions and Surprising Findings
10:49 Divergence Between Creative and Product Vision
12:41 Challenges in Articulating Player Experience
28:47 Knowledge vs. Belief Structures in Teams
32:24 The Concept of User Stories
33:37 Challenges with User Stories
34:52 Form and Context in Game Development
35:43 Creativity vs. Production in Game Studios
36:48 The Split Between Creative and Product Views
37:38 Audience Perspective vs. Builder's Perspective
38:52 Bridging Creative and Market Visions
40:51 Power Dynamics in Game Development
43:26 The Importance of Organizational Learning
48:21 The Role of Experts and Experience
51:43 Challenges in Maintaining Curiosity
56:08 The Need for Better Quality Models
01:03:22 Lack of Organizational Learning in Retrospectives
01:05:11 Exploring the Importance of Vision and Culture
01:05:51 Challenges in Professionalism and Industry Standards
01:07:09 Dealing with Uncertainty in Game Development
01:08:33 The Impact of Success on Future Projects
01:10:15 Misconceptions in Team Building
01:11:08 The Role of Vision in Successful Teams
01:11:55 Addressing Common Problems in Game Development
01:17:08 The Need for Better Mental Models
01:24:57 Insights from Boulder's Gate 3 Development
01:30:02 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

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