Chapter 4.1: The Stages of Game Development

Overview

Michael Sellers

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Games lead all other forms of software in innovation and interactivity. Unfortunately, games also lag behind other forms of software in their development process. At small studios and large companies, game development today is a chaotic process that differs greatly from team to team and game to game. The process might change during the development of a single game, and is often subject to the passing preferences of individual developers, managers, or publishers. This chaos leads to lost time, money, and opportunity. Games are developed without being designed; they might be killed late in the development process (when it is most expensive); or they are released late—sometimes years late—with severe bugs and missing promised features. And sometimes they are completed and released but simply aren't any fun.

The solution to this is a development process that is practical, realistic, flexible, and takes into account the unique aspects of game creation. Applying the stages of game development discussed here to your projects will clarify your process, and increase your chances of successfully developing a fun game that sells.