Introduction: 

 Luca:  I really like the Cartoon Network video games and I was curious, so I decided to interview Eliana Sato. 

What do you do in your job?

Eliana: I manage the production team for Warner Media Kids Digital Product Team. It means that all the producers report to me and my team plans, produces and delivers games, apps, microsites and websites for all the kids' brands we have in our portfolio. I also manage the production and delivery calendars and team budget.

What qualifications do you need to have in this job?

Eliana: You need to have experience in digital production. You will have to deal with a lot of technical and creative people in this line of work so knowing a little bit of each side is important. As I manage a team, having managerial skills is also important and you need to learn to listen to people who works for you.

In terms of qualifications, a course that involves Digital Media subjects would surely help.

How many people work on a game and what do they do?

Eliana: It depends on the size and scope of the game. For a small web game, you only need one producer working with a small/ medium studio. The studio will normally assign a designer, a programmer, and an account handler. A large game will require a lot more people, but the size of the team will depend on the level of ambition for the game.

How long does it take to make a game?

Eliana: A standard web game takes approximately 3 to 4 months to produce. One month is dedicated to localisation.

What would you say to someone who wants a career in video games?

Eliana: Being a good games producer is different from being a good games player. You really need to have patience because there will be a lot of areas to cover, from level design to game build and balancing, QA (quality assurance), LQA (localisation quality assurance), loads of bug fixes and you also need to go through various compliances.

Some of my favourite Cartoon Network games are Finn & Bones, Toon Cup and Save The Kingdom; What other video game would you recommend?

Eliana: We have web games that stays at the top of the most played games for years. Ben10 World of Rescue, The Amazing World of Gumball's Darwin's Yearbook and Teen Titans Go! Power Tower are some of them. Toon Cup has been a top game for several years, we update this game every year so please remember to keep coming back.

Reflection:

Luca:  I was surprised to hear how long games take to produce. Later I was even offered to test out some of their games (I’m so excited!).