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The 220.79 billion dollar gaming industry engages 3.09 billion active video gamers worldwide, with two of every five people across the world being a gamer. The data reveals a lot about the growth and significance of the gaming industry.
Distribution of game developers worldwide by region (April 2021)
Source: statista.com
The games are the final products, but did you know each game you play goes through various stages of development – ideation, pre-production, production, testing, launch, and post-production – before it reaches you?
What is game development?
The art of creating video games that include the design, development, testing, and release of a game. Developers worldwide focus on game mechanics, rewards, and ways to engage players from stage one, which is idea generation.
Recommended Reading: Why Should Your Child Learn Game Development?
Considering the size and growth of the game development industry, your child’s interest in developing a game is a positive sign. A little bit of mentoring can put them on the right track. The first thing you can tell them is the stages of game development.
The stages of game development
Developing any game – be it simple ones for mobile platforms or complex multi-platform games involving maze-like stories, graphics, and gameplay mechanics – all go through the following stages:
1) Ideation: This is the first and the most crucial stage of game development, as the entire process depends upon the validity of an idea. Why? Because every year, thousands of ideas are floated in the market. For instance, in the first eight months of 2022, 7,123 titles were released on the STEAM platform, an ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games.
2) Pre-production: As this stage impacts the next stages of game development, so this one is decisive. This stage involves a lot of research and information-gathering processes. The game developers research the market, do the competition analysis, work on the target audience, and allocate resources to turn the idea into an actual product.
In this stage, only they have to finalize the concept art that includes characters, environment, props, and other game assets. Furthermore, they must decide the revenue streams. This means they have to decide how they will generate money. They can choose via in-game purchases, ads, or selling their product at a certain price.
Only at this point do they have to do risk analysis and marketing strategy.
This stage would be a good learning experience for children because they would learn about the role of a market in making a product successful, the importance of research work, and the various ways to monetize a game.
Recommended Reading: 7 Things To Consider While Selecting A Game Development Course For Kids
3) Production: Stage three is the production stage, where actual work takes place based on the idea and information gathered during the pre-production work. It is a labyrinth task as it involves prototyping, the creation of visual content, the development of game-level design, work on audio, and, last but not least, coding.
4) Testing: Once the product is ready, its quality is tested. In stage four, it is ensured that the product is bug-free and that the gamers can have an uninterrupted experience. Four types of testing are done in this stage – functional testing, non-functional game testing, and Alpha and Beta testing.
5) Launch: After the testing stage comes the launch part. This stage is crucial because when the final product reaches the real users, the developers have to collect feedback from the players and make improvements in the game based on their experience.
6) Post-production: The responsibility of the team does not end with the launch of the product. Once the product is out in the market, the team behind the game closely monitors the product to ensure flawless game performance. In some cases, the developers add interesting elements post-launch to keep their users excited and engaged.
The community of gamers is quite extensive. According to a report, there are approximately 3.09 billion active video gamers worldwide. If your child is working on an idea, they must remember they are catering to a large audience, and these stages may help them make their product flawless and profitable.
Source: statista.com
However, the stages of game development are not sacrosanct, but they can be beneficial for beginners, especially children.
Excited about creating games? Enroll in our Game Development course specially designed for 8 to 15 years old or join our free 60-minute workshop on Game Development and get a free $10 Roblox or Minecraft, or Amazon e-gift card.
