Have you ever wondered how an online casino is developed for desktop or mobile devices? Or your favorite mobile game? The process requires a lot of intricate and challenging work, and then we, the consumers, benefit. Developing a mobile game can take years, if not decades, to clearly understand, at least in some cases. While others take months and launch quickly. Either way, concept development is rarely easy. Let’s look at how games are developed on mobile.
The idea
The very first step. You come up with a game idea and then study the market. With this information, you will decide whether there is a need for the game and how successful it will be.
Which category will your game fall into?
This is a crucial step in the development process. Here you will need to incorporate your idea into a category. These categories include action, puzzles, quizzes, word games, first-person, etc. Your market research will also show you which categories are the most popular so that you can make an informed decision.
The mechanics
This is the nitty gritty, what the game is about, how it will be played, which platform it will be developed for (more on this later), and how the game should work. Here you can look at possible challenges, but always keep the user experience in mind. A tip here is to involve a developer, user experience, and user interface designers (UX and UI). Their input will decide whether the mechanics of your game is possible, as well as the overall user experience.
What platform and operating system to choose
In the past, mobile game developers would first release a game on iOS before Android. As a result, most apps and games are fully perfected for Apple products. Not to say that there is less attention paid to Android. These days mobile game developers will release on all platforms and operating systems in one launch. Making everyone happy.
Design
We mentioned earlier that you need a user experience and user interface designer. While they should be included in the mechanics, their real work starts with the designs. The design is not only about visuals; your gameplay and overall experience are vital design elements. You will need to explain the look and feel of what you want gamers to experience. Keep in mind that each mobile has a unique experience. Your designers will explain what will work and what won’t and design the game according to those points. This is also where the game structure comes into play. Are you opting for 2D or 3D assigning? What will the objects in-game look like? Once this has been decided, you aren’t too far from actual development.
How are you going to monetize it?
The general population is anti-advertising. Any time an ad pops up in a free game, we swear we want to delete the game before the day is over. It happens and can become quite annoying at times. However, you can be smart, especially if you release a free-to-play game. Ads are a wonderful way to monetize applications. But you need to be strategic. Offer first-time sign-up bonuses where people can pay a small subscription for a year. And for free, have pop-up ads once or twice an hour. Meta shared an interesting article on the four key pillars to monetize your mobile game. Remember that this needs to be compared to your goals.
Development
Development is the biggest stage in this entire process. Depending on the complexity and requirements, your development team will create templates, write code, and build your game all online. This is often the most interesting part.
User Acceptance Testing
After the developers have completed their job, you can begin the UAT with them. You cannot launch without testing your game. Here you have the chance to break it, not literally, of course. But you can test multiple examples and scenarios to ensure you’ve covered every possibility.
Get ready for the launch
You’ve ironed out all the issues, the developers did a great job, and the design team knocked it out of the park; you are now ready to launch. However, each platform requires you to have certain aspects of your game app before launch. Check these and ensure you comply. Once you are ready, release it to the public.
