Game programming: how to develop a video game and make a profit from it
Game programming: how to develop a video game and make a profit from it
What is meant by game programming
Game programming is the applied stage of the game development process, in which the game programmer writes code ranging in level from simple to complex depending on the type of game, using appropriate programming languages. These codes turn the rigid game design into an interactive game, for the user to dive into its details and have fun
The codes written at the game programming stage implement all the components and processes of the game, which include; the game scenario and its interfaces, visual and Audio Content, settings that the user customizes to configure the gaming experience, connection to the main server that manages the game via the internet, as well as connection to databases for storing player information within the game
What is the difference between programming and Game Design
Game design and programming are successive stages, each of which consists of several interrelated processes that achieve the full visualization of the final game. The game design stage includes developing a detailed outline, showing the final image that the game is planned to be, and all the contents of this image from optics and acoustics, using several programs such as; Photoshop for making Images, Maya or 3D MAX for making three-dimensional graphics, and Adobe Audition for designing audio content
While Game Programming completes the work of the design stage, it starts with choosing the appropriate programming language for each process, then the game is actually built and the features of the final product begin to appear. This is done by connecting various design elements together and turning them into one integrated component, in addition to including the contents in the game database
The importance of Game Programming
There are many reasons why the field of game programming is a promising field; the most important of which is that it provides large profits for investors estimated at billions of dollars, and it will become much larger in the coming years. As this field has a large fan base, most people of different age groups spend most of their free time playing, especially after the great diversity witnessed by this field and offering games for various purposes, including entertainment, educational and others
The field of game programming is always taking advantage of developing technologies, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, to bring realism to the game experience and improve the user experience. And machine learning techniques to develop the capabilities of the player who acts as a computer, this is with the aim of raising the level of challenge when the player chooses to play against the computer. What confirms the inevitability of the growth of the field of Game Programming constantly and far from stagnation
What are the most prominent types of games that can be programmed
In the field of game programming there are three types, namely
Two-dimensional 2D games
It is the simplest and oldest type of game, in which the game appears flat and the player does not have much freedom of movement, as each object in it has the X\Y coordinates moving according to them; which determines its movement in only four directions: right, left, up and down. Therefore, the control of characters in them is simpler
Two-dimensional toys are created simply by a sequence of images called frames, this sequence shows a gradual progression of steps. Because of its simplicity, the initial design can be drawn by hand, and then applied to design programs.
3D three-dimensional games
The name of this type shows the presence of an additional dimension over the previous type, this addition allows realistic scenery and full movement such as moving in all directions and rotating 360 degrees, and each object has a length, height and depth. Which is what makes this type of game more complicated but definitely more fun. Building a successful three-dimensional game requires a lot of time, effort and resources; and great experience in the field of design and animation.
2.5 D games
This term often refers to games with two-dimensional gameplay that feature three-dimensional graphics, or three-dimensional games that use two-dimensional objects. Such toys can be created through design programs, by applying shadows to two-dimensional objects. The simplest example is to draw a simple object and make it cast shadows on the background and move these shadows; to appear so unreal yet its appearance suggests it
Required skills
There are many skills that a professional game programmer should have, such as
Knowledge of the basics of gaming simulators
It relies on game emulators to provide the necessary environment for the development of any game of any kind, as the emulator provides ready-made tools, templates, libraries and functions; facilitates the tasks of the developer in the implementation of various stages of game development. Therefore, knowledge of the basics of game simulators is one of the basic skills of a professional game programmer.
Programming skills
It is true that a simple video game can be created without resorting to complex programming using game emulators, but when the game level is complicated or when there is a need to add certain details, mastery of programming languages for game programming will be the most suitable and easy option
Interest in the gaming field
Most video games include technology ideas and applications within these games, which makes most game users keep abreast of technology to always analyze the advantages of new games. What is imperative for the game programmer to follow up on everything new in this field and familiarity with various types of games; to know the needs of customers and meet them
Basics of Game Design
A game programmer is not required to have deep design experience, but he must be familiar with the basics of Game Design, in order to be able to understand the output of the design process that he will Program, animate the characters and objects present in the game. Therefore, the programmer should have knowledge of the basics of animation programs of both types; two-and three-dimensional.
Good time management and communication skills
Good communication and time management are necessary skills for a professional game programmer, in order to continue working with the project owner and inform him of all developments at every step, and effective communication with the rest of the team members from designers, sound engineers and others, to reach the best final product. In addition to ensuring that every part of the game is executed on time, and the final product is delivered within the specified time frame.
Problem solving
After completing the development of the game, the testing phase begins, in which various problems may appear that must be fixed before the game is launched. So the programmer should know the most frequently occurring problems and ways to address them. Also, some problems may arise during the development of the game at its various stages
How to make profit from Game Development
The success of a game is determined not only by how new or popular its idea is, but also by how effective it is in making material profit for its programmers and investors, and the methods of profit from games vary, the most important of which are
Paid download
Paid download is the most famous way to make a profit from any software product; that is, making the game available in a paid Form, No one will be able to download and play it unless they initially bought it. It may also be available for free at first, but only for the initial version, but if he finishes playing in this version and decides to move to the higher version, it is paid
This method has some difficulties, as many people do not prefer to pay for an unknown game, especially if it is for a new developer, so in this case it is possible to move on to one of the following methods
Announcements
Advertising is not only the primary source of profit for websites and mobile applications, but also used in video games. These ads are varied as they can be found on the pages of the store from which the game can be downloaded, or within the game itself. And the developer makes a profit when the player watches the ad or interacts with it. The most notable of these types
Playable Ads gives the player an idea of what the game is, and is considered a trial version before downloading the game, as he can use it for a specific period of time ranging from 15 seconds to 10 minutes, and then ask him to download the game. And these ads can be initially only before downloading the game, or for each level within the game
Video Ads an ad may be an in-Game video in which the player is forced to watch it to pass a stage. The duration of the video varies between 30 seconds and does not exceed two minutes, to avoid distracting the user's attention
In-game Ads these are built-in ads in the game design, so that they do not interrupt the players and look quite natural. An example of this is the Adidas billboard in the FIFA game
Banner ads this type of advertising is the simplest in terms of execution; they are rectangular-shaped ads placed in the free space at the top or bottom of the screen. Displayed as an image, text or video, it does not disturb the player because it does not interrupt the gaming experience
Pay while playing
Games that use the pay-as-you-play method are known as freemium, in which the user downloads the game for free, and after he tries it and enjoys it, he is asked to pay in-game for components that improve the gaming experience, with the aim of completing the enjoyable experience
These components vary, they can be power-ups such as maps and new weapons, or cosmetic items such as clothes, hats, T-shirts, shoes and other items that distinguish the character with which the player plays in the game from the rest of the characters
Skipping stages
Some games make it possible to purchase some stages, access to advanced stages in the game. This pushes many people to skip the initial stages, which are often difficult and require a lot of time and effort, and immediately reach the advanced stages in order to enjoy their benefits
How to develop a fun video game
Games are similar in their general development stages to any other software product, such as websites and mobile applications, so the game development process often goes through the following stages
Identify development requirements
Determining the development requirements is the most important stage in game programming, it contains the overall plan that will produce the video game; the clearer the requirements, the more satisfactory the final result will be. Which includes the following
Determine the type and scope of the game
It includes determining whether the game is two-dimensional or three-dimensional, and this is the main factor in assigning many other details such as; determining the target consumer segment and the age group to which it belongs, and knowing the competing games in order to analyze their strengths and weaknesses. And choose the quality and number of ways that will be used to make a profit from the game, as well as the full marketing plan of the game
Selection of development tools
After determining the type of game, the step of determining the necessary development tools for each stage comes, if the game relies on emulators to accomplish it, the best emulator must be selected. If it involves complex operations, the appropriate programming languages should be selected for each of the game's programming processes, by analyzing the capabilities of each language and its suitability for the task. The requirements for programming a two-dimensional game are different from a three-dimensional one
Since the two-dimensional game is known for its simplicity, it does not require high capabilities, therefore the capabilities of Python or Java are sufficient for its programming. The advantages that three-dimensional games offer to the player and the realistic experience that he lives, are due to the high capabilities of the programming languages in which they are programmed, such as C or #C
Composition of the work team
After determining the requirements and tools for the development of the game, it should be determined how much the project needs people in the work team, such as programmers, designers, sound engineers, performance testers and others, and clearly define the task of each of them
Time frame and budget
This is the most important step, as each stage of development with all its sub-requirements must be allocated within a certain period of time, and all members of the work team should be informed of it, with full care to comply with this period. In addition to determining the total budget necessary for the game development process, determine the estimated cost of each of the previous steps upon completion of determining its requirements
Clarify the details of the game
The details of the game include many subtleties, none of which is as important as the other, and all of them ultimately form the overall game experience, including
The story of the game determines whether it is a simple game that includes some puzzles such as quiz games and cultural questions, a strategy game such as chess, a sports game such as car racing or football, or an adventure game such as wars and fighting
Game levels choose the number of levels in the game and they are often three levels, Easy, Medium and hard. It also includes an explanation of how difficult each of them is relative to the other, and the number of stages in each level
The laws of the game: these laws determine how to move from one level to another, and the conditions for winning or losing
Characters: determine the number of game characters and the role of each of them, how they interact with each other and with the environment, and mention the abilities and capabilities of each character within the game within each level
Visual content design
The game designer implements all sections of visual content using various design programs, visual content is divided into two parts; the structure and environment of the game. The structure of the game includes interfaces and elements that include these interfaces from icons and buttons, such as the start button for a new game, the Continue button, the pause button, the instructional content such as the player's welcome photo or video, and the game's user manual
The game environment section includes the design of scenes for the game environment, such as backgrounds, drawing and moving characters. All the details of the visual designs must be appropriate to the field of the game, especially the colors used
Audio content design
Audio content includes the sounds of clicking on icons and control buttons, and sounds included in the game scenario, such as the sound of running, bumping, and firing bullets in a wargame. The most important thing is that the sound quality is high, suitable for the event and real-time; that is, fully compatible with the time of its occurrence. The sound engineer selects the appropriate acoustics for the game by its genre and field, or records new acoustics using audio content production programs
Game programming
The game programming stage is the first applied step, in which the game programmer writes the necessary code to implement many elements using the appropriate programming languages, and eventually combines these elements together under the management of a single software system to form the final game
The test
This stage applies many tests to the game under construction to ensure that it is free of software errors, achieves the set goals, and makes sure to provide a problem-free game in the end. One of the most important of these tests is performance testing, which is conducted repeatedly after including the various parts of the game, and testing the integration of all elements by applying a simplified scenario for the game and monitoring the results
The interrupt test is also an important test; it tests cases when the player is interrupted due to incoming calls or messages, an alarm, or the battery runs out, how the game stores the current state and how quickly it restores it. The ease of use test should be taken into account; it ensures the effectiveness and efficiency of the work of all elements of the game, including interfaces, buttons and quick navigation, in order to provide the best experience for the player
The game may not need all kinds of tests; therefore, the necessary tests for it are determined from the very beginning, conducted by the game lab with the appropriate tools, and clarifies the problems inside the game and how to fix them. Or it is conducted by introducing the game to actual game-loving users, to try it out and provide factual information about many of these tests
Game launch
At this stage, the game is ready for use after completing the planning, design, programming, testing and fixing errors; therefore, it is published so that users can download it and start enjoying it. There are many options available to launch the game, such as listing it in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, or creating its own website and uploading it to it, and marketing it through various marketing channels to reach the largest possible segment
The game development process does not end with the launch of the game, but there are necessary processes that are carried out after the launch, including marketing, following up user opinions and adding improvements based on them. And constantly follow competitors to find out their advantages and take advantage of them in upgrading the existing game to new versions
Finally, the field of game programming today has proven its ability to make a huge financial profit, and the number of its users is increasing day by day, and with it the number of investors in this field is increasing; so what are you waiting for to start developing your own game and making profit from it Add your project now, hire a professional game programmer
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