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Video-game producers have long been caricatured as mere bean-counters
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28 Sep 2026, 13:42
28 Sep 2026, 13:42
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Question Stats:
25% (01:09) correct
75% (01:43) wrong based on 8 sessions
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Video-game producers have long been caricatured as mere bean-counters, glorified accountants standing quietly behind a studio's true artist: the lead designer. A new industry study makes a (i) ______ case that this picture has the credit almost entirely backward, insisting that crediting a lone visionary designer with a game's identity, while treating everyone else on the team as replaceable (ii) ______ following someone else's blueprint, gets the process wrong; producers, the study argues, typically function as the project's primary (iii) ______ engine, steering budgets, deadlines, and staffing choices long before a single line of dialogue is written.
| Blank (i) | Blank (ii) | Blank (iii) |
|---|---|---|
| A. familiar | D. auteurs | G. artistic |
| B. compelling | E. drones | H. operational |
| C. dubious | F. prodigies | I. dormant |
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Video-game producers have long been caricatured as mere bean-counters
[#permalink]
03 Oct 2026, 23:41
03 Oct 2026, 23:41
Expert Reply
Correct Answers:
Blank (i): B. compelling
Blank (ii): E. drones
Blank (iii): H. operational
Difficulty Level: Medium-Hard
Full Explanation
Sentence Structure & Logic
The passage contrasts two views of video-game producers:
Old caricature: Producers are mere "bean-counters," "glorified accountants" standing behind the true artist-the lead designer.
New study: This picture has the credit "almost entirely backward." Producers, not designers, are the primary driving force.
The study is making a strong, persuasive case that reverses the conventional view.
Blank (i) - compelling
The study "makes a _______ case that this picture has the credit almost entirely backward." The phrase "insisting that" signals the study is arguing forcefully and with evidence.
Compelling = convincing, persuasive, demanding attention. A "compelling case" is a strong argument.
Why not the others:
A. familiar = well-known. The study's case is new and revisionist, not familiar.
C. dubious = doubtful or questionable. The passage presents the study's argument sympathetically, not skeptically. A "dubious case" would undermine the study, which contradicts the passage's supportive framing.
Blank (ii) - drones
The old view treats everyone besides the lead designer as "replaceable _______ following someone else's blueprint."
Drones = workers who do monotonous, routine work without independent thought; mindless followers. This perfectly captures the dismissive attitude toward team members as interchangeable, uncreative executors.
Why not the others:
D. auteurs = author-directors with singular creative vision. This is the opposite of "replaceable followers"-it describes the lead designer, not the team.
F. prodigies = young geniuses. Team members are being dismissed as replaceable, not celebrated as prodigies.
Blank (iii) - operational
Producers "typically function as the project's primary _______ engine, steering budgets, deadlines, and staffing choices."
The examples-budgets, deadlines, staffing-are all logistical, managerial, and organizational functions. These are operational concerns, not artistic ones.
Operational = relating to the practical running and management of an organization or project. It perfectly matches the list of budgets, deadlines, and staffing.
Why not the others:
G. artistic = creative. The passage specifically says producers steer budgets and deadlines-not creative decisions. The whole point is that producers are being revalued for their operational contributions, which were previously dismissed.
I. dormant = inactive or sleeping. Producers are described as the "primary engine"-active an driving, not dormant.
Blank (i): B. compelling
Blank (ii): E. drones
Blank (iii): H. operational
Difficulty Level: Medium-Hard
Full Explanation
Sentence Structure & Logic
The passage contrasts two views of video-game producers:
Old caricature: Producers are mere "bean-counters," "glorified accountants" standing behind the true artist-the lead designer.
New study: This picture has the credit "almost entirely backward." Producers, not designers, are the primary driving force.
The study is making a strong, persuasive case that reverses the conventional view.
Blank (i) - compelling
The study "makes a _______ case that this picture has the credit almost entirely backward." The phrase "insisting that" signals the study is arguing forcefully and with evidence.
Compelling = convincing, persuasive, demanding attention. A "compelling case" is a strong argument.
Why not the others:
A. familiar = well-known. The study's case is new and revisionist, not familiar.
C. dubious = doubtful or questionable. The passage presents the study's argument sympathetically, not skeptically. A "dubious case" would undermine the study, which contradicts the passage's supportive framing.
Blank (ii) - drones
The old view treats everyone besides the lead designer as "replaceable _______ following someone else's blueprint."
Drones = workers who do monotonous, routine work without independent thought; mindless followers. This perfectly captures the dismissive attitude toward team members as interchangeable, uncreative executors.
Why not the others:
D. auteurs = author-directors with singular creative vision. This is the opposite of "replaceable followers"-it describes the lead designer, not the team.
F. prodigies = young geniuses. Team members are being dismissed as replaceable, not celebrated as prodigies.
Blank (iii) - operational
Producers "typically function as the project's primary _______ engine, steering budgets, deadlines, and staffing choices."
The examples-budgets, deadlines, staffing-are all logistical, managerial, and organizational functions. These are operational concerns, not artistic ones.
Operational = relating to the practical running and management of an organization or project. It perfectly matches the list of budgets, deadlines, and staffing.
Why not the others:
G. artistic = creative. The passage specifically says producers steer budgets and deadlines-not creative decisions. The whole point is that producers are being revalued for their operational contributions, which were previously dismissed.
I. dormant = inactive or sleeping. Producers are described as the "primary engine"-active an driving, not dormant.
Video-game producers have long been caricatured as mere bean-counters
[#permalink]
03 Oct 2026, 23:41
03 Oct 2026, 23:41
Expert Reply
Why This Is Medium-Hard
1. Three-blank interdependence with a clear but layered logic.
The passage reverses a stereotype:
(i) describes the study's case as strong (compelling).
(ii) describes how the old view dismisses team members (drones).
(iii) describes what producers actually do (operational).
You must track the old view vs. the new view simultaneously.
2. "Drones" is a precise, somewhat rare usage.
While drone is common, its use to mean "mindless, interchangeable worker" is specific. Auteurs (D) is a sophisticated distractor that actually describes the lead designer, not the team.
3. "Operational" requires recognizing the category of examples.
Budgets, deadlines, and staffing are all operational concerns. The trap is artistic (G), which might seem to fit because producers are being elevated-but the passage specifically lists managerial tasks, not creative ones.
4. Tone and framing matter.
The passage presents the study sympathetically ("insisting," "gets the process wrong"). This rules out dubious (C) for blank (i).
5. Vocabulary is mid-to-high GRE level.
Compelling, drones, auteurs, operational-all require precise understanding.
1. Three-blank interdependence with a clear but layered logic.
The passage reverses a stereotype:
(i) describes the study's case as strong (compelling).
(ii) describes how the old view dismisses team members (drones).
(iii) describes what producers actually do (operational).
You must track the old view vs. the new view simultaneously.
2. "Drones" is a precise, somewhat rare usage.
While drone is common, its use to mean "mindless, interchangeable worker" is specific. Auteurs (D) is a sophisticated distractor that actually describes the lead designer, not the team.
3. "Operational" requires recognizing the category of examples.
Budgets, deadlines, and staffing are all operational concerns. The trap is artistic (G), which might seem to fit because producers are being elevated-but the passage specifically lists managerial tasks, not creative ones.
4. Tone and framing matter.
The passage presents the study sympathetically ("insisting," "gets the process wrong"). This rules out dubious (C) for blank (i).
5. Vocabulary is mid-to-high GRE level.
Compelling, drones, auteurs, operational-all require precise understanding.
