Main Component of Game Development Stages

The game design process could often be underappreciated by those new to the gaming industry or not directly involved in development. Creating a game is about designing characters, making it fun, and adding rewards. However, despite the simplicity of what you see on the screen, crafting a quality title requires hard work, expertise, and dedication.

The time it takes to develop a game can vary widely, influenced by factors such as the game’s genre, platform, and overall complexity. The specific requirements for each project differ, but the stages of game development generally follow a similar structure:

1. Processes before production or pre-production events
2. Production stages or events
3. Post-production events

This stage consists of the events that occur before the actual game creation begins, making it a critical part of the overall game development process. Known as the pre-production phase, it’s where every successful game starts with a strong idea or storyline. During this stage, the foundation of the game is established, answering essential questions such as:

• What is the motive and concept behind the game?
• What is the allocated budget?
• Who is the target audience?
• What does the competition look like?
• Which platform(s) will the game be released on?
• How will the game be monetized?
• What is the timeframe for each game development stage?
• Should you hire an internal team or outsource to a game development company?
• What art style will the game use?
• How will compliance and compatibility be ensured?

This is one of the essential parts of most game development stages. The timeframe for this level might last for a minimum of 1 week or a maximum of a year. How soon you conclude this stage depends on the staff, resources, and plan. This is why hiring a Game producer right from the beginning of the pre-production stage is advisable. A lot of the time allocated for the game development stages is spent planning the title production. In most projects, this introductory level is handled by the game producer, programmer, and concept artist, except if you are an indie developer. This team of experts ensures that everything is noticed while developing a game. One effective way to optimize this stage is to hire an outsourcing company to manage the entire game development life cycle. The team involved in pre-production is also responsible for developing the Game Design Document (GDD), which serves as the blueprint for the entire project.

The game design document is an official document that tracks the ideas and plans initiated during the game development stages. The document isn’t unchangeable. It can and should be updated and changed during the game development process. The GDD serves as a comprehensive guide, detailing the plan, progress, and challenges. Key elements typically included in the GDD are:

• The core idea or storyline of the game
• The intended game genre
• The types and number of characters
• The style of gameplay
• Game mechanics
• Design concepts, artwork, or sketches
• Monetization strategy and plans
• User flow and UX charts

This organizing process is commonly used in large game studios. It helps to keep the various game development stages within the planned and allocated deadline. While the goal is to create a high-quality game, staying within the estimated timeframe is also important. The GDD helps set realistic goals and provides a clear understanding of the resources needed for the project.

One common challenge studios face is realizing the project's complexity midway through development. Proper documentation at the beginning stages of game development can ensure the smooth development of your title. Improper documentation can lead to overspending, missing deadlines, and losing investors.

Creating a prototype is one of the first steps to making a video game. It is an integral element, especially if you want your title to rank among the best in your niche. A game prototype is the early version of a video game meant to try out ideas, concepts, and mechanics to ensure they are feasible before mass production starts. It is a simplified, sometimes incomplete version of the game focused on displaying key features - such as gameplay, user interaction, and general design. The core purpose of game prototypes is to iteratively and experimentally tune their basic building blocks to ensure they meet the target audience's demands.

There are many ways to make a prototype:

1. Paper Prototyping: Simple sketches to map out mechanics and interactions, useful for quickly identifying design issues.
2. Digital Prototyping: Playable digital versions created in game engines for real-time testing and iteration.
3. Rapid Prototyping: Quickly produces multiple iterations of core mechanics to refine gameplay through continuous feedback.
4. User Testing: External testers provide feedback on the prototype to identify user experience issue

Prototyping helps to crosscheck criteria such as compliance, user experience, concept, and functionality. It is more efficient if you allow others to test your prototype in case you miss something. It is common for outsourced developers to be the extra eye during prototyping.

One of the most critical components of the game development phases is defining the art style and visual direction for your title. Selecting the suitable game visual style and graphic requirement is a vital part of the pre-production process. Here you can plan:

• the animation requirements;
• textures resolution;
• the selection of gaming characters, modes, or concepts intended for your title.

The art and style definition ensures that the visual aspects align with the game’s vision and goals, setting the stage for a cohesive and engaging player experience.

Deciding on a suitable game engine is a key job during development. Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot are some of the most popular engines with different features for various projects. Unity is chosen for its flexibility and extensive range across all platforms. Unreal Engine offers high-quality graphics. has become more prevalent in recent years. Depending on the needs of your game, you can choose one of these engines or create a custom solution for particular production targets. Ensuring technical compatibility and optimizing performance early in development can help avoid problems later.

The production stage is one of the most tasking parts of the game development stages. After discovering, planning, and other components of the pre-production stage, it is time to start putting the plans to work. This stage lasts approximately 1-4 years, depending on many factors such as budget, resources, and expertise. During this phase, the story is already edited or refined, there is an established coding language for the title, and all modes, difficulties, and gaming worlds are already built. There would be continuous testing and updates throughout this level.

The critical components of the production stage include:

The testing of the game’s prototype begins from the pre-production stage. Many application ideas get stuck at the preliminary step of the production process. Prototypes that pass the initial phase are updated and worked on for production. Like any other product, you can only release a prototype that has passed the compatibility and efficiency test. The developers would confirm if the prototype can meet the demands of the audience. The prototype is open to many changes and updates until it becomes the final product ready to be released.

As the name implies, this is the first version of the game process that could be rendered playable. It gives a snippet of what to expect from the game's final performance. Although it's not a complete version yet, it is still considered a vital component of video game development. Even though it is just the first playable, the developers and designers invest a lot of time and resources to make it as close to the final title as possible. It often contains art design and content similar to the intended plan of the last version. The first playable version aims to analyze where the app development stands, check for any updates required, and crosscheck if the title creation is on par with the estimated release date.

Companies usually develop games as indie developers or work with partners and investors. It is common for investors to request a version of the app. This is done to see if the title is worth the investment. Since the final part of the game process is not ready, there needs to be a preview version to pitch the financial benefits to investors. This is where the vertical slides come into play. It is a fully playable version of the title that can show the first-hand user experience of the game phases and how the final version would look and feel.

Most of the content and game phases are already available during this stage. The developers and game development team edit and improve all aspects of the app during this phase. Changes, such as the quantity or quality of content, are common. The gameplay can also be adjusted to meet the team's recommended standard for the title.

This stage represents an advanced part of the production phase. Most of the game’s phases and elements are nearly complete, and the game is playable. QA testers can now provide feedback on any necessary improvements. The game should have full functionality and control at this stage, with all art and design elements in place. This is when all features of the game are fully integrated and playable. Debugging is also a key focus during this phase, helping refine and improve the game's overall quality.

This stage follows the alpha phase and focuses on optimization in the game development process. By this point, all features and content have been fully implemented. It is recommended that experts oversee the optimization process, ensuring the game runs efficiently and delivers the best possible performance.

Source: https://www.ohio.edu/news/2021/09/new-virtual-reality-and-game-development-major-will-ready-students-use-emerging

Most organizations develop games to meet the requirements of target audience; at this level, the title is complete and ready for public release. The creation team must ensure that everything related to the game’s mechanics, gameplay, and characters is ready and working efficiently before this stage.