Understanding The Video Game Development Process

Have you ever wondered how a video game is developed from start to finish? Completing a video game, especially one that is commercially released, is a long process that uses the cooperation of many different people with various different skills. Following is a basic overview of the game development process: Every video game begins with an idea. Video game creators first need to think up of a main background for the game, what will happen in it and the world that it will be based on. Some games, such as flight simulators, aim to be as close to reality as possible in order to mimic conditions, actions and results that would happen in real life. Other games take place in a fantasy world, such as futuristic science fiction games that depict wars in outer space. In addition to the world that the action will take place in, the creators of video games also need to decide on what characters will be featured in the game, what their attributes, powers and roles will be, what objects can be used in the game and how they can interact with the player. Just how many people are involved in this stage will be different from game to game. Some video games are invented by just one or two people, while others are the result of an exchange of information and the collaborative work by dozens of team members. Once the idea has been decided on, it is time to move on to the actual game design. At this stage a lot of things happen. The levels, characters, objects, etc. are all drawn and modeled. Video cut scenes are created using advanced animation and video editing software tools. The script which determines how the player advances in the game, where characters and objects appear, and how they relate to each other, is written. The code that allows the game to run on its intended system is also written. As it requires a lot of varied skills and knowledge, game design is usually carried out by a large group of people subdivided in different teams. Each team is responsible for a certain part of the design process, like a team which does the 3D design for the levels, another one does the video sequences, etc. Before a game goes out to be sold to consumers, it must undergo strict testing and quality control. After all, no one wants to play a game that crashes all the time, or that has glitches which affect the gaming experience. In the case of PC titles, Game Testers would try the game on different types of computers running various types of hardware and operating systems to ensure full compatibility. Game testers also check to make sure that the game is playable and can be finished form beginning to end without any problems. In the case of PC games, updates or patches could be made available after the game is released. But in console games this is hard to do, which just goes to highlight the very important role played by game testers in the Game Development process.