Behind success of a video game there is a series of phases involved in its development; from the idea until it reaches the hands of the user, it goes through a series of stages, which are very similar regardless of the type of video game or the platform.
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While all video games are different in genre or theme, they all agree on a development pathTherefore, in general, we will show you the 5 most important phases in the development of video games.
Approach
At this stage it is mentioned the origin of the idea, main questions are answered, such as the type of video game, the characters, whether it will be in 2D or 3D and what audience it will be aimed at. This is a phase that cannot be underestimated, since from here everything else will be born.
During the approach, the participation of the people, teams and departments involved is also established, in addition the feasibility of the project and the support from a study are studied, for which it will also be necessary to respond to other aspects such as:
- Approximate cost
- Game engine
- Estimated release date
All this information is used to put the possibilities of the video game into perspective, and from there make the decision to move forward.
Preproduction or design
It is the second phase of the development of a video game, here begins the intervention of writers, designers, engineers and leads to define the aspects of the execution of the project. The writers will work the story into a proper narrative, while the engineers and designers will speculate on what can be achieved with the available technology, following recommendations from the artists who will make sure the color palette and other visuals complement each other. .
At this point the video game is no longer an idea, and becomes a prototype, there are environments and interfaces, music, sounds, characters. This serves to have a design document, a programming document that supports the mechanics of the video game.
Production
Is the most complete phase of the development of a video game, is decisive for its success. All the necessary resources and work are involved so that the videogame stops being something preconceived and becomes a real, executable model.
At this point characters are designed, modified and rendered so that they look in the best possible way according to the previous ideas; At the audio level, all the sound effects of the video game world are generated; it is verified that the visual section is attractive to the players and that there are no errors in its presentation. Finally, the dubs are recorded and the programmers define the last codes that will allow all the elements of the game to work like gears.
It is one of the phases that takes the longest, it is the most unpredictable because you have to complete the entire game, go through changes of form and redo parts that do not meet expectations.
Trial period
Once production is finished, everything seems to be ready, the video game enters the test phase or trial period, where it is subjected to a strict quality control that ensures that the final product that will reach the hands of the user is the best possible version; of this phase the testers are in charge, who will do tasks like:
- Detect areas or levels with bugs
- Check that the Rendered no faults
- Prevent characters from standing still or collapsing
- Make sure dialogue, dubbing, and voices are realistic
Basically, the tester will be in charge of testing the game exhaustively to find bugs, but only so that the product that reaches the stores has no bugs. They even take care of analyzing the difficulty of the game and if it is fun, with the potential to generate sales.
Pre launch
At this stage everything is ready and has been technically approved, but it doesn't mean the job is done. In this point marketing strategy is essential since the most attractive promotional images and trailers of the video game should be used. Doing gameplays and streaming influencers will help to promote salesie getting famous gamers to try it out before it goes on sale.
It is a stage that cannot be underestimated, because faults can be found that cause the team to redo part of the video game. When everything is correct, a release date will be set and that means the game is ready for the public.
Definitely, exceptional professionals are involved in each phase, who will ensure quality, fun and entertainment, and this can only be achieved through the best professional training, to fulfill the tasks that video game design and development demand. Do not hesitate to start your professional training today!