It’s time to answer that all-important question that has been burning in the back of your mind: “How are video games made?” Here’s a very basic rundown of how video games are made.
1. Core team
A group of people who come up with the general concept of the game. There will be numerous meetings in which the group will exchange ideas about the game; find out not only how it will look, but also how it will work. The core team is also in charge of the production schedule, which outlines what tasks each person is assigned and when they do most of them.
2. Breakdown of the game
Every detail, task, job and deadline of the video game is divided into components and then added to a bulletin board. This board acts as the nerve center of all game production.
3. Artistic concept
The artists draw the characters and backgrounds of the game with a very basic level of detail. These sketches are what graphic artists use to create 3D characters and backgrounds on the computer.
4. Development team
This team uses the latest in computer animation technology to bring all elements of the game to life; adding colors, textures, shading, and even movement. This team uses the 3D characters and backgrounds created by the graphics team.
5. Programming and engineering
This is the bread and butter of the game’s development stage; because without this part, there would be no game. Suffice it to say, the programmers and engineers make the game work. Its encoding is what holds the game together and allows the player to actually play the game.
6. Test
This is the final and most crucial part of the development process. This phase is to see if everything works correctly and how it should be. The testers will look for errors and faults and will try to find potential problems.
The game testers will not only play and see if the problems find them, it is the other way around, as THEY will be the ones looking for the problems. The testers will do their best in the game to ensure that there are no abnormal situations or circumstances; go through walls, disappear, enemy AI issues, cinematic glitches, you name it. If testers lose SOMETHING, it could spell disastrous consequences, in the form of lost profits, for the company launching the game.