Scenario

Company Overview
Infinity Games is a British game development company based in central London. Alex Scott
founded the company after he graduated with a degree in Game Design in 2018. As the sole
Director of the organization, he provides leadership but also plays an active role in the
conceptualization of new games. For each project, he decides with the Project Manager, which
employees should make up Development Teams. Since Infinity Games was set up, it has
established a strong reputation in the industry.
The Project manager oversees the overall development process of games and manages the
Development Team of Game Designers, Game Developers and Graphic Artists. The Marketing
team creates promotional campaigns, maintains a social media presence, and collaborates with
partners to promote new games. Sales representatives engage with potential distributors, negotiate
deals, and manage relationships with distribution partners. A player Support Specialist deals with
player inquiries. Employee work structure includes a mix of remote and hybrid arrangements.

Current Information System

1. Game Development Software: The Game Designers and Developers are the primary
users. The tools included enable the ability to design and build visuals, realistic physics,
and character animations. The current information system integrates these tools, meaning
that there is a seamless collaboration among the development team.
2. Project Management System: To effectively manage multiple game projects
simultaneously, project management software is used, the Project Manager uses this daily
to keep track of progress across projects, manage resources and facilitate task allocation.
Development Teams can also access the software to coordinate efforts and meet deadlines.
3. Asset Management: Infinity Games’ information system includes an asset management
module that centralizes the organization and storage of game assets, such as 3D models,
audio files, and animations. Its purpose is to allow easy access to modules and simplify
collaboration among the Game Designers, Game Developers and Graphic Artists,
improving productivity.
4. Customer Service/Issue Resolution: The Player Support Specialist uses this software.
She is responsible for providing support to players, addressing their inquires,
troubleshooting technical issues, and resolving concerns. Liaison between the Player
Support Specialist and Game Developers is frequently needed for reporting bugs and
glitches. Player feedback on games is frequently fed back to the Game Designers to allow
for continuous improvement.
Concerns and Future Development

Increased Competition: Infinity Games is facing intense competition in the gaming industry.
With the market flooded with numerous game developers and publishers, it becomes challenging
for Infinity Games to stand out and differentiate its offerings.
Talent Retention: As Infinity Games continues to grow, retaining top talent becomes a critical
challenge. The demand for skilled game developers, designers, and artists is high, and other
companies may attempt to poach infinity Games’ talented employees.
Monetisation Strategy: Developing a successful monetization strategy poses a challenge for
Infinity Games. While the company aims to create immersive and enjoyable gaming experiences,
it must also find effective ways to generate revenue. Balancing in-game purchases, subscription
models, or advertising without compromising the player experience requires careful consideration
and strategic planning.
Adaptation to Technological Advancements: Staying up to date with the latest hardware,
software, and emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) can be
demanding and resource-intensive but is necessary to ensure its games remain relevant and provide
engaging experiences for players.
Infinity Games was set up with limited funds, meaning a mixture of bespoke and off-the-shelf
software has been used in its Information System. The Director is concerned that the current
Information System in place may not meet the company’s expanding requirements.

Ensure that you have read the scenario several times before beginning these tasks. You
should complete each task in its numerical order.

Task 1: Information Systems Analysis – 15 Marks

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of the FOUR (4) methodologies
(Waterfall, Agile, Prototyping, and User-Centered Design) for creating a new Information
System for Infinity Games.
You should focus on how each methodology addresses the information gathering process. Make
sure to reference specific details/examples from the scenario to support your analysis.
Write a conclusion recommending the most appropriate methodology for use based on your
findings.
Task2: Approaches to System Analysis – 25 Marks
a) A soft approach, hard approach or combined approach could be adopted for the
development of a new system for Infinity Games. Assess how each approach considers the
social, cultural, organizational, and technical aspects of system development.
Give examples from the scenario to support your assessment.
Recommend (with justification) the most suitable approach (soft, hard or combined) for Infinity
Games. (15 marks)
b) Design a rich picture, followed by a primary task root definition for Infinity Games.
(10 marks)
Task 3: CATWOE – 10 Marks
CATWOE is used in a soft systems methodology to identify stakeholders, the purpose of the system,
underlying assumptions, and external factors, for effective problem-solving.
Apply CATWOE to analyse the different elements involved in the scenario. Examples should be
provided in each case.
Task 4: Process Oriented IS Methodology - 15 Marks
The Player Support Specialist is responsible for managing player tickets. Players submit support
tickets with details of their issue and then there is a triage, where tickets are categorized
automatically using built-in criteria rules. The Player Support Specialist then takes ownership of
a ticket and investigates the problem.
At this point, she may need to contact the Development team for troubleshooting. If it is a query
where additional help is not needed, she can simply provide a solution/guidance to the player via
email. If communication between the Player Support Specialist and the Development Team is
required, she will contact them by phone/email before emailing the Player with a solution.
She will also update the Player Support database with details of new issues and resolutions. Also,
follow up with the player may be required. Once the issue is resolved, the ticket status is updated
and closed.
A process-oriented methodology can help to provide a structured approach to understanding the
processes within the Infinity Games System. POEM is a process-oriented tool that foucuses on
modelling and analysing business processes within an organization.
Design a Business Process Model to show the sequence of business activities and information
flows needed in the Player inquiry ticket process discussed above.
Evaluate the use of a Process-Oriented IS Methodology against the use of a People-Oriented IS
Methodology for use with Infinity Games.
Task 5: PEST Analysis – 15 Marks
Discuss how the PEST (Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological) factors may impact
the competitive position and growth potential of Infinity Games in the gaming industry.
Considering the economic factors, discuss how might the potential impact of economic downturns
or changing market conditions influence the prioritisation of systems analysis activities in Infinity
Games.
Task 6: User Interface Design – 10 Marks
The Project Manger at Infinity Games has experienced issues with the current off the shelf Project
Management Software that he uses. The company has decided to implement a bespoke
comprehensive project management dashboard.
The dashboard should provide real-time visibility into project progress, milestones, and key
metrics. It should consolidate data from various project management tools and systems used by
the development team, allowing the Project Manager to access critical project information in one
centralized location.
Key features of the dashboard should include:
Project Overview: The dashboard displays a summary of all ongoing projects, including their
status, timelines, and assigned teams.
Milestone Tracking: The Project Manager can track the completion of project milestones and
monitor progress against predefined timelines.
Resource Allocation: The dashboard provides insights into resource allocation, enabling the
Project Manager to effectively assign team members and manage workload distribution.
Task Management: The Project Manager can view and update task statuses, track dependencies,
and identify any bottlenecks or delays.
Design a suitable dashboard for a desktop/laptop screen. It should be annotated to show how it
meets the user’s requirements.
Task 7: Evaluation - 10 Marks
Evaluate the effectiveness of the tools used (Task 2: Rich Picture; Task 3: CATWOE; Task 4:
Business Process Model) in this scenario. Make reasoned recommendations as to which additional
tools/methodologies could be used.