Making a video game is a tremendous job that requires a lot of time and resources. Large projects can be developed for several years. A great number of people are involved in this process: artists, developers, testers, managers and many others. Of course, there are certain stages of creating a game that allow you to gradually move towards your goal. Thanks to a clear sequence, publishers manage to avoid chaos and dragging out development for an indefinite period.
The game development process is not like a clear instruction manual, like the ones we find in the box with the new electrical appliance. The stages of game development differ for each specific team of specialists. They choose what is most convenient for them. But in general, the process can be broken down into several main steps. So we will talk about them.
Game Development Stages
The global stages common to all are pre-production, production and post-production. The small processes contained in them can change places and have different priorities. But the main picture looks like this.
Where It All Starts: Pre-Production
This is a large theoretical stage where all possible information about the future game should be collected. Genre, style, characters, plot, audience – you need to be prepared for a lot of discussions and brainstorming sessions. How will this game differ from analogues? What is required to create it? All information should be written down: you should not rely on memory in this matter.
During the discussion, ideas can change, new details appear, some nuances can be modified, and so on. Before proceeding to the next stage, you need to make sure that you have the final versions of the game description in your hands and you have not overlooked anything.
It is difficult to say for sure how long this stage will take. It all depends on the complexity of the project, team size and financial capabilities. On average, this can be from a week to several months.
At this stage, it is very important to sketch the characters and environments. This is what the concept artist does. If your team does not have such a person, then a professional concept art studio can help you. Visualizing ideas at an early stage will help the team to come to a common vision of the game and avoid misinterpretations.
Time to Act: Production
The stage of planning is logically replaced by the stage of implementation of all ideas. It is the longest and requires the maximum involvement of all team members. Here, different tasks can be performed both sequentially and simultaneously. It all depends on the size of your team and whether you choose to outsource certain processes.
The concept art created in the previous step will now become invaluable source material. In accordance with it, artists will create characters, work out the environment, and think over the levels. Programmers write code, sound experts create ambient sounds and music, testers monitor possible errors and bugs. There is a lot of work, every task matters.
Production can take from a year to several years. To speed up the process, we strongly recommend that you create a reasonable delegation of responsibilities and outsource some tasks to outside experts.
When the Curtain Falls: Post-Production
The most difficult and longest stage is over. The game took shape and came to life. But it cannot be said that the work is over. A certain part of the team remains responsible for tracking possible nuances, bugs or questions from the players. Also, for many games, the availability of bonus elements and downloadable content is relevant. They are updated periodically, so game maintenance continues.
Drawbacks, player requests for gameplay improvements, or game engine comments are carefully recorded by the team. This information will be useful for future projects, as well as if a sequel is planned.
In The End
Knowledge of game development stages is very important for anyone planning to create their entertainment project. Modern publishers often resort to outsourcing game design companies to help them develop a game from scratch. It can be a product of any genre for any platform. You have the right to decide what tasks you outsource, and which you might want to do by yourself. This approach significantly saves time and allows you to reduce the cost of hiring a large team and all related costs. So don't be afraid to take on the game. We are confident that you will succeed!
Marina Pal is a renowned author and social media enthusiast.