Going Off the Rails

Stress, and how an individual copes with stress, is a major factor in any individual's well-being. As discussed in Chapter 20, “Crunch Time,” stress is also a major part of game production. This inevitably means that employees at all levels in the game industry are subject to stress. Going off the rails does not just apply to individuals, though; it can equally apply to entire projects. This chapter discusses some of the threats, warning signs, and poor practices that can cause a project to go off the rails, leading to product failure, and a brief discussion about what can be done about it.