Todd Sumamno
Game development is a task of patience and lots of perseverance. It isn’t one person’s efforts, but the efforts of the whole team. The full process involves studio, art, programming and design. The full project has a team of engineers, developers, designers, artists and writers who collaborate to create a storyline and game features. The game design will create the basic structure with vision, outlines of the idea and aesthetics. Game development involves the following stages.
Plan
Like any significant project, game development requires a lot of planning. The idea needs to surface with outlines for platform, characters, target audience and budget. This stage creates roots for the game. The financial aspect is managed by the Game Producer whereas on the creative side a Concept Artist manages artwork and sketches. A Game Design Document is also created to guide the team in maintaining the vision of the project. This design document helps the team in keeping on the right path This is a dynamic document and can also help in attracting investors.
Prototype
A prototype is also a stage that is an essential part of game development and can also be seen in many IT projects. A prototype is almost like a sample, to check if the development is on the right path. One can check the functionality of the game, art direction, mechanics and gameplay. This is a test of the game to check for loopholes and it can save a lot of money and time.
Production
Production is the main stage and one of the most crucial steps in game development. This is where the major chunk of change or development takes place. The idea of the game becomes a reality here. The Game Producer will coordinate with the team members. He is also responsible for resolving or even anticipating risks. The developers will write the source code to give life to the game and add visuals and sounds. There may be a customized base engine, events, scripting actions and modifying graphic renders. The audio designers also come in and ensure appropriate sounds are used to convey the setting and emotions. The lever designers will maintain a dynamic and captivating environment to keep the players engaged.
Marketing
Once the game is ready, it will go through several rounds of testing to check for errors and bugs. Once the game passes the testing phase, the team will look at the marketing of the game. Now the marketing needs to start before the game is launched so that there is enough curiosity when the launch is announced. It is all about creating a buzz for the product. This is essentially a part of the post-production phase and it usually starts during the last phases of production to get visibility in the market. This is when consumers get to see game news about new launches or even enhancements.
Maintenance
The last part of the game development stage is maintenance. This is one stage that continues for a long period of time. Because the game has to be maintained as long it is used. A team needs to monitor and ensure that any bugs are resolved asap. Bugs are common in any game and are usually resolved at the maintenance stage.
Video games are such an engaging experience for many. And the teams involved in creating these games are hardworking, dedicated individuals. A game involves so many facets that a few people or even a single person cannot create it. It takes real effort to work as a cohesive team. Most games that are popular and have huge demand are actually a manifestation of a brilliant teams’ effort.
Brittany
