Six Steps of Game App Development
The gaming business has dominated the majority of the market sectors. According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report, the industry will be worth $321 billion by 2026. Mobile games account for the majority of this revenue, and while other businesses were dropping during and after the pandemic, gaming app development was on a winning streak worth $300 billion.
Gaming applications are gaining popularity, which is why they have become a popular investment option for many people. According to the most recent Statista estimate, 3.24 billion people globally play mobile games, and the business will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11%, with total revenue expected to reach $116.4 billion by 2024.
As much as you like having access to your favourite games, have you ever thought about what it takes to effectively construct the game you’re playing on your devices? It’s a massive team of engineers, designers, sketchers, authors, technicians, or, more accurately, a massive team of various artists!
So, let’s have a look at the various stages of gaming app creation.
Organization
We naturally went through all of the key issues we would address before beginning to write this post. That is what planning entails!
Planning entails anticipating what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. It is a required step before beginning any job, large or little. When creating any game software, developers ask themselves a few things. The following are the questions:
- What will the theme of the game be?
- Is there a market for this game?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What platform is best for the game?
- Who will play the roles?
- What will be the distinguishing characteristics?
Making the ideal plan is the most underappreciated stage in this development process. Nonetheless, it is the stage that causes the most confusion and necessitates the most effort. But, with careful planning, the questions can be simply answered.
Once you have a basic idea of what you want to create, the following stage is to decide how you want your game to look. This rough graphic may prompt additional inquiries.
- Who will provide the funding?
- Will we be able to attract investors?
- What technologies, new or old, will we require?
- What is the anticipated revenue?
- How many pros are required?
Regarding the last issue, it should be remembered that during the planning stage, you may not have a team of full-fledged pros and you may be doing all of the work alone.
As a result, the planning stage is all about generating new questions and discovering solutions, but what will keep you going is the desire and vision you’ve put in your mind to make the idea a reality.
Production planning
Pre-production, often known as elimination, is the next step in this journey.
We’ve collected enough ideas, questions (and likely solutions to the majority of them), and opinions from the planning stage, and it’s time to keep the best ideas that will assist the developer to move forward. Those which are unnecessary will be removed, and those that remain will be the takeaways from the first phase, on which we will begin working.
The pre-production stage also necessitates collaboration among many Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) to share their work and then work on it jointly. The following are some examples of how different DRIs might be associated:
- The app developer works with the technical expert to discuss the game’s functionality and user needs.
- App sketchers can work with graphic designers to debate and improve game design patterns.
- Authors, Skechers, and designers can work together to create character appearances and other objects.
Once completed, the collaboration provides the DRIs with a larger picture, resulting in the creation of a GDD – Game Design Document. A GDD provides the developer with information about what he needs to work on.
- Genre
- Plot twists and turns
- Props and characters
- Many levels
- Game controllers User Interface Environment design
- Methods of generating revenue
At this time, you have comprehended your game from the core and, from every character to all the elements, no uncertainty in the game’s working is left. This sets the stage for the next step, which is production.
Production
This is the stage at which real work begins when we get to put what we’ve been planning since the first stage into action. The third stage of gaming app development is the most important in the entire process because it demands the most time, resources, and effort. All of the specialists apply the best practices for gaming app development and work to finish the tasks that they agreed on during the pre-production stage. Examples of their work could look like this:
- To bring each piece of in-game material to life, developers begin developing code.
- Designers begin creating characters with various colours and graphics that will be present in the game.
- Audio designers concentrate on establishing the proper pitch and audio design that will be used at various stages of the game.
- Technicians select the technology to be introduced and work on the full tech specialisation.
- Team and project leaders from various departments guide, motivate, and supervise their subordinates at every stage and assist them in overcoming any hurdles that may arise.
- This is usually the most time-consuming process and it can take years.
Although there is another process that is specifically designated for testing, this does not imply that no testing is done during the manufacturing stage. Minor testing can be done while the game is being created to avoid having to start from scratch.
Now that we’ve addressed testing, we can move on to the next phase, which is to thoroughly test the game.
Pre-launch testing
A game without testing is the equivalent of a paper without editing and proofreading.
Before the game is released to the public, its features, mechanics, and levels are thoroughly tested. SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) or Technical Testers are typically in charge of developing automated test cases and frameworks. They also determine whether or not it is safe for users to play the game. While performing his or her duties, a game tester may look for the following:
- Is playing this game safe for the user?
- Is the software free of bugs?
- Is the auditory effect satisfactory?
- Are the colours and images appropriate for the theme?
- Is the game enjoyable to play?
A game tester conducts the following two types of tests to discover answers to these questions:
Security and Glitch Testing “Fun-factor”
The first is about glitches and security, and it is about if the app has any glitches or whether it is safe for the user to play the game without being exploited. The other is the “Fun-factor” Test, in which the tester evaluates the game’s satisfaction and intensity of fun.
If any adjustments are required after testing, you must make the necessary changes and proceed with the Pre-launch.
Pre-launch is the night before the exam, and it is filled with adrenaline and tension. It is now time to do audience research, generate marketing content, develop a marketing strategy for the gaming app, and identify relevant influencers for marketing campaigns. If this is completed, the expected moment will move us to the next step.
Start-up
The campaigns and promotion have concluded, and the finish line has arrived!
Launching a game entails getting it into stores and exposing it to the public. It’s now time to witness the fruits of your labour and the years of hard effort pay off. At this time, no changes can be made to the game because the entire globe has seen it. Unfortunately, it is impossible to avoid making mistakes during these critical times.
This leads us to the following step, Post-launch.
After-launch
Now that your game is available to the entire globe and everyone has played it, you may receive constructive or destructive criticism for your product, but as they say, criticisms always help you improve, and that’s what the post-launch process is for!
Gaming studios rely on gamers to report any bugs or faults so that the developer’s team can fix them. This is because small tweaks and changes are made in the game even after it has been released, based on what the public feels and suggests.
Another aspect of post-launch support is the provision of regular software upgrades for the game. These updates include everything from game balance changes to new Downloadable Content (DLC).
Conclusion
There is a lot behind an intriguing game that kills boredom for millions of people. Every element and feature in the game, from the streets your character is running on to the scoring board, represents a substantial amount of work and effort. We hope that the discussion of the various stages of gaming app development has helped you comprehend the complexities involved in the process.
Thus, if you’re planning to create a gaming app, you’re now aware of the complexity involved in the development process. Netleon wishes you success in your endeavours!
Photo By: PEXELS
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