What is the Process of Mobile Game App Development?
What is the process of mobile app game development? Are you wondering whether or not building a Mobile app is the right move for you? Let’s have a look at the statistics. According to statistics, the mobile game industry had total revenue of $64.4 billion in 2019. With the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, the number of mobile gamers increased by 13.3% from 2019. Here are the steps to develop Mobile applications for games.
1. Stunning Game Idea
The first and foremost step for developing a mobile game is to have a stunning game idea. The idea should be something new and interesting. It can be based on a story, movie, or any existing video game.
2. Build A Story:
A game without a story is like a movie without a plot. It is just pointless. So, you need to build up a story for your game. The story will give your game the much-needed direction and purpose.
Your story doesn’t have to be very elaborate or complicated. In fact, it can be very simple, but it should be interesting enough for the player to play the game all the way.
It is necessary that your gameplay and story are perfectly integrated with each other, otherwise, you will land up making a mess of things. Here is how to learn Android app development in a few steps
3. Create a Game Concept:
In this step, we will get an idea about what kind of a game we want to build. That’s the next step in mobile game app development.
We should choose the platform that we want to develop our game on. It could be Android, iOS, or Windows phones.
Also, we should decide what genre our game falls into; is it an adventure game, puzzle game, etc? We should also write down the key features of the game like whether it will have a multiplayer mode or not.
4. Choose A Mobile Platform:
After we have decided on the game concept, the next step in the mobile game app development process is to choose the platform on which we want to develop our game.
The two most popular platforms are Android and iOS. But, there are other platforms like Windows Phone and Blackberry that can also be used.
Android app development is an open-source platform and it is very popular among developers. iOS is a closed source platform and it has a limited number of devices that can be used to develop games for it.
5. Choose Mobile Game Engine:
After deciding on the platform, we need to choose a mobile game engine. A mobile game engine is a software that helps in the development of the game.
There are various engines available in the market like Unity3D, Unreal Engine 4, etc. But, we should choose the engine according to our requirements and budget.
6. Develop A Game Design Document:
Now that we have decided on the game concept and platform, it is time to develop the game design document.
The game design document will contain all the necessary details about the game like what kind of features it will have, how many levels, characters, etc.
This document will also include information about other aspects like downloading procedure, monetization strategy, server infrastructure needed to support the game, etc.
7. Design Game Structure:
In this step on the mobile game app development path, we will design the basic structure of the game. This includes designing the levels, menus, and other screens that the player will see in the game.
We should also decide on the controls that the player will use to play the game.
8. Create Game Assets:
After designing the game structure, we are supposed to create the assets of the game. This includes designing all the characters, backgrounds, menus, etc. That next on the mobile app development path.
We should be very careful about choosing colors for our game as it can have a major effect on how players perceive it.
Also, we have to design each level of the game by adding various challenges and obstacles to it. We also have to keep in mind the overall flow of the game while designing these.
9. Program Game Logic:
In this step, we will add the programming logic to make our game interesting and challenging. That\’s important as we seek continue with the mobile game app development process.
We can use any scripting language like JavaScript or Lua for this purpose. The choice of the scripting language completely depends on what kind of a game we want to build.
10. Create a Prototype:
Now that we have designed and programmed the game, it is time to prove that the game actually works as per its design. This is known as creating a prototype of the game. A prototype will help us know if there are any bugs in the game or if it performs well on different devices.
11. Test the Game:
Testing is a very important step in game development. A well-tested game is less likely to crash or have any other problems.
We should test the game on different devices with different screen sizes and resolutions. We should also test it for compatibility with different OS versions.
12. Fix Bugs:
After testing the game, if there are any bugs in it, we have to fix them. Bugs can be of various types like usability problems or program errors etc.
13. Launch the Game:
Now that all bugs have been fixed and the game is ready for launch, our last step is to publish it on the relevant platform. We should do this as soon as possible to make the most out of the launch period.
Post Launch Maintenance:
Once the game is launched, it is not the end of our work. We need to continue working on it and update it with new content and features. This process is known as post-launch maintenance and it is very important to keep the players engaged.
Cost of Developing a mobile game app:
The cost of developing a mobile game app depends on various factors like the type of game, its complexity, features, platform, and more. But on average, it would cost somewhere around $50,000 to $100,000.
Factors affecting the cost of developing a mobile game app:
As mentioned above there are several factors on which the cost of developing depends. Let’s discuss them in detail:
1. Type of Game:
The type of game is the most important factor that affects the cost of development. Games like ’Angry Birds or ’Candy Crush’ are relatively simple and thus, can be developed at a lower cost. But games like ’Assassin’s Creed’ or ’Final Fantasy’ are much more complex and require more time and resources to develop. So, the cost of developing such games will be higher.
2. Features and Complexity:
The features and complexity of the game also play a major role in determining the cost of development. More features and complexity will lead to a higher cost as it will require more time and resources to implement them.
3. Platform:
The platform on which the game will be played also affects the cost of development. Games that need to be developed for multiple platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, etc. will cost more than games that are developed for a single platform.
4. Team Size:
The size of the development team is another important factor that determines the cost of development. A smaller team will obviously cost less than a bigger team.
5. Location:
The location of the development team also plays a role in determining the cost of development. If the team is located in a high-cost area, then the cost will be higher than if it is located in a low-cost area.
Benefits Of Hiring A Development Company:
- The company will have the necessary tools and technologies which you can use to develop your game.
- You don\’t need to worry about the basic concepts of game development as they already know them. You just have to give them a clear idea of what you want, after that they will do the rest.
- They are capable of handling all kinds of different games.
- A development company has a professional team to do the job.
- They will use techniques that are up-to-date and will help your game stand out from the competition.