The video game industry is no longer an emerging industry: it is an established reality. More people are playing than ever, and that means there's room to step into this world and create something great. You could too! But how to do it? Creating a game is very complicated, but you can do it with a little help or money. This guide will show you the basics you will need to consider in order to create a great game. Start from Step 1 below.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Prepare for Success
Step 1. Realize the game idea
You will need to plan and think about the most significant issues if you want the process to be smooth. What kind of game do you want to create (RPG, shooter, platform, etc.)? What platform will it be played on? What will be the obvious and unique features of your game? Each answer requires a different set of resources, skills and planning, and will have a big impact on game development.
Step 2. Design a good game
The design phase is very important, so you should work on it before you start creating the game. How will players progress in the game? How will they interact with the world? How will you teach players to play? What kind of sound and music indicators will you use? These are all very important aspects.
Step 3. Be realistic
If making games like Mass Effect were easy, everyone would. You need to understand what you can do without having a large programming studio and years of experience. You will also need to be realistic and understand what you can accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. If you don't have realistic expectations, you will probably be disappointed quickly and give up. We don't want that to happen!
Step 4. Get good hardware and software
Creating a game that is not dedicated to mobile devices requires a high-performance computer. If you are using an older system, you will find that you cannot get the game to work on your computer. You will also need powerful and specific programs to create games. Some programs are free or cheap, while others cost a lot of money. We will discuss software in a section below, but for now consider that you will need 3D modelers, image editors, text editors, compilers, etc.
You will need at least a powerful processor (at least a quad core, and preferably one of the new i5 or i7), lots of RAM and a high-performance video card
Part 2 of 4: Creating Your Team
Step 1. Make small games by yourself, big games with other people
If you want to make a mobile game with simple graphics and programs, you can. It's a great project to work on on your own, because you can use it to show future employers and investors what you're capable of. If you want to create a more serious game, you will have to get help from other people. Independent games only usually made by a team of around 5-10 people (depending on the complexity) and the most important games require the collaboration of several hundred people!
Step 2. Build your team
You will need a lot of people with different skills for most of the games. You'll need programmers, modelers, graphic designers, game or level designers, audio experts, as well as producers and advertisers.
Step 3. Write a project document
Think of this document as something between a resume and a battle plan for your game. In a project document you will have to write down everything related to the game project: the style of play, the mechanics, the characters, the plot, etc. It will serve to show everyone what needs to be done, who will do it, what the expectations are, and the generic deadlines to complete all items. The project document is very important not only to keep your team on track, but also to entice potential investors.
- You should divide the project document into sections and include a detailed index.
- Common sections to include cover the game's story, main and minor characters, level design, play style, graphic and art design, game sounds and music, as well as an analysis of the controls and UI design.
- The draft document should not consist of text only. Usually you will find inside design drafts, concept art and elements such as movies or audio samples.
- Don't feel limited when it comes to formatting your project document. There is no standard format or required items to include. Just create a document that fits your game.
Step 4. Think about the money
It takes money to make a game. At the very least, the tools are expensive and it is a very time-consuming undertaking (which you will not be able to use to do other jobs and make money). The cost will levitate with the number of people involved and with their level of preparation, which will have to be higher for more complex games. You will need to understand where to get the money from and discuss with your investors how, how much and how much they will be paid before the real job begins.
- The cheapest way to make a game is to do everything yourself 100%. This is difficult if you don't have the necessary skills, and many different ones are required. If you are an inexperienced person working alone, you will not be able to create much more than a copied mobile application. Even if you manage to make a game yourself, you still have to pay the cost of licensing for graphics engines, app stores, and other sales platforms. Don't forget about revenue taxes too.
- To create a medium quality indie game, you'll need roughly hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bigger titles often require millions of dollars to develop.
Part 3 of 4: The Real Work
Step 1. Start programming
You will need to choose an engine for your game. The game engine is that part of the software that controls all the small details of the game (like AI, physics, etc.). Engines require tools, which are included in some cases, but must be created from scratch in others, that allow you to interact and create the game with the engine. Once this problem is fixed, you will need to find a person who can script with that engine. Scripting is the part where you give orders to the game engine. This project phase requires good programming skills.
Step 2. Create the content
You will also need to start creating the real game content. This means modeling the characters, creating the game sprites, creating the environments, all the objects with which the player can interact, etc. Excellent skills with 3D and graphics programs are required at this stage. It will also help you plan everything in detail.
Step 3. Create beta copies of the game
You will need people to play your creation. Don't worry about finding the mistakes - you'll have to ask people to play it just to understand how people see and interpret the game. Something that is intuitive to you could be very confusing for someone else. A tutorial or story element may be missing. You can't know what the problems will be. This is why it is important to receive external advice.
Step 4. Try, try and try
Once the game is created, you are not done with the job yet. You will have to try everything. All. You will have to try all game scenarios to make sure there are no errors. This takes time and manpower. Spend a lot of time testing!
Step 5. Show your game
Show people the game when it's over. They show companies that they could invest and people who could play it! Create a development website and blog, post snapshots, video guides, trailers, and other content to show people what your game is about. Arousing people's interest will be critical to the success of your game.
Step 6. Publish the game
You can publish your game on many platforms, but where to do it will depend on the type of game you have created. Currently, the app stores and Steam are the most accessible services for an independent developer. You can release your game on a personal site independently, but the hosting costs will be very high. You will also have little visibility.
Part 4 of 4: Finding Resources
Step 1. Try beginner game creation programs
There are many great programs that can be used by everyone to create simple games. The most famous are probably Game Maker and RPG Maker, but Atmosphir and Games Factory are also of good quality. You can also use children's programming tools, such as MIT's Scratch. They are extremely useful programs for learning the skills you will need.
Step 2. Find out about the different graphics programs
If you don't want to hire a graphics professional, you will have to study a lot. You will have to learn how to use many complex graphics programs… but you can do it! Photoshop, Blender, GIMP, and Paint.net are good programs to start with if you want to make the graphics for your game.
Step 3. Consider becoming a professional
It will be much easier to create a successful game and find investors if you have experience, a degree and a well-known game related to your name. So it's probably a good idea to work for a traditional and well-known developer before trying your luck on your own. You may need to acquire a college degree or skills to do this, but remember that this will allow you to achieve your goal.
Step 4. Join the indie community
The indie game development community is strong, open and willing to help you. If you are willing to support, promote, discuss and help others in their projects, you will receive the same treatment. Talk to other developers, get to know them and make yourself known. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish with the help of the community.
Step 5. Take advantage of crowdfunding if you really want to create a game
If you want to make a professional game that can compete with real games, you will need a lot of money. It is not possible otherwise. Fortunately, in recent years, crowdfunding - the practice of requesting game funds directly from the people who buy it - has made it possible for many indie developers to create excellent games. Learn about Kickstarter and similar sites. But keep in mind that you will have to work hard to create a successful campaign, which requires realistic goals, great rewards, and constant communication.
Advice
- Don't expect your first game to be a milestone that will revolutionize the gaming industry. If you put in a lot of effort it could happen, but it's not likely. Don't give up, and ask people what they liked and what they didn't like. Implement the elements you liked in your second game and improve or remove the negative elements of the first.
- Keep learning. If you need help, ask for it. There are billions of people out there to help you make a game, so don't be afraid to ask. And remember, there's always room for improvement, so keep studying and learning how to make games.
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Trial. Trial. Trial.
One of the things that can ruin your game is the presence of critical errors, glitches and bugs after its release. Create stadiums for your game such as "development" (still in production), "alpha" (early testing phase), "closed beta" (a pre-release testing phase for invited or chosen people) and "open beta." "(a testing phase open to the public before publication). Pick the right people for the alpha and closed beta phases and collect as many comments and criticisms as possible. Use them to improve your game and fix as many bugs as possible before release. Note: Add a "pre-" or "version xx.xx" to your stadiums to define them even better. Make sure it is clear that these are development releases.
- Remember to save a backup copy of your files often. You never know when your computer will break.
- Create expectation and advertise the game. You are not the only one who wants to become a video game creator. You can release a game, and that could immediately be overshadowed by new or better games. To counter this effect, spread the word about your upcoming game by all means possible. Release some details from time to time. Set a release date so people are impatient. If that's the case, you could pay for advertising.
- Finally, never give up. Creating a game can be a tedious, tiring and frustrating process. In some cases, you'll want to give up and do something else. Do not do it. Take a break for a few days. When you return you will have found the necessary confidence.
- Remember, a team can always do a better job than just one person. You can greatly reduce the workload and time required by dividing your team into graphics and programming, and then into divisions like writing, composing, etc. In this case you will have to make choices based on the program you are using, because graphic design software such as BGE, Unity and UDK do not support teamwork well.
- Create a work plan. If this is your first time trying to create a game, you can experiment and not create a work plan. But a plan can help you stay on track, and it can be especially important if you've already set a release date.
Warnings
- Beware of copyrights! Find original ideas for your game. If you can't find completely original ideas, you can borrow game elements and modify them. If you need to include copyrighted game elements such as storylines, characters or music, mention the original creators. Concepts (play styles, coding, etc.) cannot be protected by copyright, even if character names and narrative worlds are.
- Make sure you comply with the licenses of the tools you use. Many proprietary software (such as Unity) prohibits commercial use (meaning you can't sell a game created with that program) unless you pay for an expensive license. In this case, open source programs, which allow commercial use, can be very useful. Beware of open source "copyleft" programs though. An example of this type of license is the GNU General Public License. It requires that you release your game under the same license. This still allows you to create games that you can sell if you keep the rights to the graphics and other elements. However, you may have legal problems if you decide to use non-open source libraries like FMOD. Also - especially if you are a good programmer, you will have access to the source code and then you can debug the program or even add features you like. You can find more information on open-source (called "free software" by the movement's founder) at this link.
