Critical Success Factors to Improve The Game Development Process
We live in a world that is fast advancing and adapting. There was a time when standardizing your operations guaranteed success. Now, to be the best in the sector, you must be adaptable and quick. If you are not, many others are waiting in line to grab your market share.
You might think otherwise, but the gaming sector is just as competitive as other industries. According to Statista, predictions say that the global video game market will generate over 130 billion USD in revenue.
Moreover, according to WePC, there are over 2.5 billion gamers in the world. Also, over 60 percent of USA gamers play video games daily! This is excellent news for game developers. Why so?
Well, it means that there is significant demand for video games and great tools available to develop the said games.
But, you must act quickly. As barriers to entry in the sector reduce, more and more game developers enter the market. To stand out among competitors, here are success factors you can use to improve the game development process.
1. Creating a robust and unique idea
A lot of gamer developers spend most of their time ensuring that the game they develop has excellent graphics. While graphics is surely an essential part of the experience, it is not the entire experience. If it had been so, Minecraft wouldn’t have 91 million players.
And, similarly, games offered by Unlimited Gamez Mo wouldn’t have managed to hook players. To those of you who don’t know, this is an online platform that delivers a wide variety of games, belonging to various genres. This includes adventure, strategy, and action, etc. To play the games, players have to first subscribe to the platform by paying a monthly subscription fee.
The fact that such games, with low graphics, have garnered a positive response showcases that there is more to game development. To improve the entire process, make sure that your foundation is strong. Think about what genre game you wish to create and what assets you will need to do so.
Make sure that the idea and gameplay of your video game are as unique as possible. It should be simple enough to be doable yet challenging enough to be addictive. Create a complete plot rather than just levels. This will help in increasing the stakes in the game.
Also, work on the main character’s perspective. Remember, the gamer will assume the role of the titular character. The quality of the experience will depend on how the game looks through the eyes of the protagonist. So, take time to develop a robust perspective of the main character.
2. Build a prototype first
Now that you have carefully planned how your game is going to look like and function, don’t just jump into the game development process immediately. You might be surprised to hear this. After all, how can one quicken and improve the game development process by slowing it down?
Well, in the race of being the first one to deliver the game, many game developers end up creating highly flawed apps. And nothing is worse than delivering an erroneous game to avid gamers!
To avoid such issues and to ensure that your vision matches the reality, you must build a prototype of your idea first. This step also provides developers with an accurate representation of the game mechanics and how the final product looks when put together.
The sooner you begin prototyping, the better the game you will end up developing by the end of it all!
3. Realistic and Entertaining audio is a must
Many underestimate the importance of having quality audio in the game. To improve the game development process, make sure you focus on sound as much as you focus on programming and graphics.
A game development process can be improved if all elements are considered during development. It is much harder to integrate audio in a game if you don’t create a storyboard prior to the development process.
This is because music shouldn’t be added just for the sake of it. Make sure it goes well with the plot and mood of the game. Also, consider adding audio of characters rather than textual dialogues. This helps in converting a game into a realistic experience.
If possible, add an original soundtrack. This will help make sure that your game is remembered for years!
4. Create a feedback loop
Positive app reviews play an integral role in the success of any app, including a game. This is because word of mouth travels very fast in today’s digital age. Thanks to social media, people now have a platform to showcase their opinions.
While many developers might consider reviews and feedback to be a bad thing, since the company cannot control them, they are actually a lifesaver for developers who wish to create successful games.
This is because feedback and reviews allow developers to learn about their mistakes. To improve the game development process, incorporate the feedback loop into the process. How can you do so?
Simple! By running a pilot launch of the game.
Before releasing it for the world to see, first, give its access to a handful of gamers. Gather their feedback and alter the games accordingly. To make sure this is possible, account for these changes during the coding process. Don’t make the game too inflexible that it can’t be altered post-production.
Ending Remarks
These four factors are critical to the success of the game development process. The more careful you are during the development stage, the higher the number of downloads, and hence active players you will get later on.
Remember, the gaming sector is now a red ocean. There is a lot of competition out there. Outstrip them all through a robust and effective game development process.
Do you think any other success factors help improve the game development process? Let us know below.
About The Author:
Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
