Stages of game production

Let’s look at the basic stages of game production and some key video game development work, keeping in mind that smaller teams will have to fill multiple roles, while a larger studio will have more employees, many of whom specialize in a particular aspect of production.

According to industry veteran Troy Dunneway, creator of CG Spectrum’s Game Design Diploma, because players expect cinematic quality graphics, 75-90% of the game budget goes to design.

The main stages of production
There are several stages to the game development process.
Prototype: this is the initial testing of the game (which takes place during the pre-production stage and is detailed above). Some games may never make it past this stage.
First playability: the first playability gives a much better idea of the look and feel of the game. Although it is still far from final, fills are replaced with better assets and illustrations are added.
Vertical Slice: A vertical slice is a fully playable sample that can be used to present your game to studios or investors. A vertical slice, from a few minutes to half an hour, allows you to see the game firsthand.
Pre-alpha: Much of the content is developed during the pre-alpha phase. Several important decisions will need to be made during this phase of game development. Content may be cut, or new elements may need to be added to improve gameplay.
Alpha: The game is “complete,” which means that all major features have been added and the game is playable in its entirety from start to finish. Some elements, such as art assets, may still need to be added, but the controls and features should work properly. QA testers will make sure everything works smoothly and report bugs to the team.
Beta: at this stage, all content and resources are integrated, and the team should focus on optimizing rather than adding new features or functionality.
Gold master: the game is final and ready to be sent to the publishing house and released to the general public.

One of the best-selling games of all time, Minecraft has over 100 million monthly active players.

Key roles in game development
Game development roles vary depending on the size and type of studio. Here are some of the common positions you’ll find.

Project Manager
The project manager makes sure that the game development process runs smoothly, milestones are met, risks are predicted/reduced, and team members do what they are supposed to do. They are often the center of communication between developers, design teams, and executives. Project managers are exceptionally organized and must have excellent communication and people skills.

Game Developers / Programmers.
Game programmers help develop games by turning design concepts into code to create playable games. Programmers are specialists with extensive programming experience, and have the combination of creativity, math skills, and patience to successfully translate ideas into interactive visuals and sounds. They ensure that the game runs smoothly.

There are many different aspects of programming, including:
Creating a custom base engine for the game
Scenario features, events, interactions
Creating physics (e.g., differences in gravity in a game whose action takes place in space)
Development and modification of 3D graphics renders
Simulating artificial intelligence in enemies
Adding sound effects, music and voice-over
Implementation of game logic and mechanics
Creating UI
Writing code for keyboards, mice or joysticks
Enabling players to compete or collaborate over a local network or the Internet
Develop your own tools
Porting code between platforms
Implementing algorithms, solving memory and caching problems
Bug fixing and detection

At larger studios, you’ll find specialists dedicated solely to AI game programming

Game designers
A game designer is a creative game driver, and generally a mixture of a writer and an artist, with knowledge of programming. A section of the game design pipeline involves creating compelling stories, characters, goals, rules, and objectives that encourage interaction with other characters, users, or objects. Designers may be responsible for:

Developing the storyline, character backstory, and dialogue
Developing gameplay, rules, and scoring system
Determining the level of difficulty
Building environments, protrusions, obstacles, and objects
Level and world design
Programming / scripting
Digital editing
If you work for a larger company, these tasks may resemble individual roles, which we’ll look at next.