What It Really Means to Be a


Publishing Producer


Moritz Klein, Publishing Producer at Kalypso Media, on why the role is less about making games and more about making them happen


W


Moritz Klein, Publishing Producer at Kalypso Media


hen thinking of a Producer in the games industry, you’d usually expect someone who is boots-on-the-ground with the


development team, working as the glue between art, code and game design. But, when working for a publisher with multiple studios and several games in development at one time, the Publishing Producer’s role is surprisingly different from that of a Development Producer. Publishing Producers are the linchpin between


the development teams and the publishing company, acting as the project manager, project owner and general key communicator between the two entities and the departments within the publisher. We work a lot like Development Producers, managing overall communication and coordination. We differ in that we aim to oversee and direct the ‘big picture’ process, including setting and approving development milestones while incentivising developers to hit those milestones, striving to achieve the best game possible, and


38 | MCV/DEVELOP June/July 2025


considering and managing overall spend. However, that may be the only thing that rings true for all Publishing Producers because the day-to-day tasks of a Producer can vary between publishers and their unique internal processes. I have been with Kalypso Media for over seven


years now, and in that time, my role and workflows have evolved within the company structure to ensure we achieve our goals. Kalypso Media is an organically grown company; as such, not all positions are set in stone; occasionally, we are doing things for the first time, so we use our experience to learn as we grow.


KEEPING THE WHEELS TURNING AND THE TRAINS RUNNING ON TIME (LITERALLY) Game development is a very agile environment, and as project manager, which is a good 70% of my role, I act as a servant leader. Servant leadership in project management is about putting people first. I support my team so they can do their jobs without impediments and with all the necessary information. At the same time, I must also walk a constant tightrope in keeping all stakeholders involved to the degree they need to be while protecting my team from unnecessary interruptions.


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