An In-Depth Overview of Mobile Game Development
Playing mobile games is one of the most enjoyable activities that most smartphone users enjoy.
Smartphone use has increased dramatically, and according to Admob, 62% of smartphone owners install games within the first week a phone is purchased.
New technological advances have elevated mobile games to greater heights than traditional games.
The emergence of this technology has opened up new business opportunities for enterprises. Creating a game development concept is not easy.
You have to know the mobile game development process to build a great game. This involves planning, designing, implementing, and distributing the game on the target app store.
Additionally, you need to understand the different steps to build a game when using exclusive tech tools. It takes pre-production, production, and post-production stages for a game to be successful. You have been guided through these stages by our stage-by-step guide to mobile game development. Let’s have a look!
Why Invest in Mobile Game Development?
Mobile games have a wildly lucrative, extensive, and diverse market. Mobile games have become immensely popular in the past few years. According to Statista’s recent report, 2.69 billion people worldwide play mobile games. We can expect these numbers to increase in the foreseeable future.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to mobile gaming. GameAnalytics, a provider of mobile game analytics tools, reports that the number of mobile gamers increased by 46% in the first quarter of 2020.
According to a recent report by Newzoo, the mobile game industry will develop at a compound yearly growth rate of 11% and expect to reach $116.4 billion in revenue by 2024.
Global Mobile Game Revenue Forecast
Accordingly, these statistics demonstrate that mobile games are a money-making and profit-making market that offers high revenue potential. So, if you are looking to grow your business, you must invest in your own mobile game app.
Steps to Develop a Mobile Game Successfully
Every day, thousands of apps and games are added to the app store and play store, but not all have the appeal of Clash of Clans and PUBG. A great game app follows a solid concept and has a relevant monetization strategy, as well as engaging and unique gameplay.
Below Is a Step-By-Step Guide on How You Can Create a Mobile Game App:
1. A Superb Game Idea
In order for a mobile game to succeed, it must have a unique idea. You do not need an innovative or highly creative idea to succeed. You can take a simple idea and transform it into a superb one using an out-of-the-box approach.
This idea can be original or it can be inspired by a successful game. With this, you can offer a convenient experience to your customers that is not only exceptional but also far from ordinary.
The game’s experience has enthralled millions of gamers around the world to keep returning.
2. Build an Engaging Story
A game’s story plays a key role in the development of mobile games. You should tell your game’s story to let the users know the features and purpose of the game, including the story of stages, characters, and rewards.
It is also important to use this concept when developing mobile games. Craft your story to capture the attention of your target audience and help you achieve your goals.
In the end, it’s the story that makes people believe that what they’re watching isn’t fiction but something real. It’s the story that makes them identify with the characters, and that’s what you need.
However, to develop puzzle games, you do not need to write stories since there are no unnecessary story elements.
3. Make a Rock-Solid Game Plan
In order to become successful with a game development project, a game plan must be carefully created. By doing so, you can communicate your ideas more efficiently. A standard game plan includes:
- Graphics or art
- Marketing
- Gameplay or design
Technical Details and Development of the Game
You should think about using an agile development method in order to coordinate all your strategic elements. Any changes you make to one element of your plan will affect all your elements.
4. Decide an Estimated Game Development Cost
If you wish to determine an estimated budget for mobile game development, you need to take some factors into account. These factors will help you turn your game into a marketable product with a significant ROI. Here are the most critical factors:
- Mobile Operating System
- Pre-development costs
- Post-development costs
5. Choose a Game Development Platform
What platform will you be using to run your game app? There are around 73% Android-based smartphone users, and the number of iOS users is vast. Hence, this question is dependent upon your budget.
If you choose a single platform, you’ll be able to introduce your game to a limited audience. However, if you want a multi-platform app and you have a reasonable budget, multi-platform development is the right choice.
6. Select a Mobile Game Engine
Back-end programs are vital to the development of your game application since it’s here that the game engine is most useful. There are many different mobile gaming engines, so you can select one that meets your needs. For example, go for Unity 3D engine for empowering 3D games or choose CryEngine to support the drag-and-drop feature in your game.
You can use back-end languages from various options like C#, C++, Node.js, Laravel, and Python for game development. Since the infrastructure of your app will be determined during this step, consider the most relevant back-end technologies.
7. Create a Game Design Document
You must then draft the entire game concept before moving on to the documentation. Creating the design document is a crucial step in designing a game.
The detailed document explains all the details about the game, including the technology, elements, design, experience, architecture, etc. It provides the necessary information to build and launch your app, and gives you the ability to add whatever you wish to it.
8. Design the Game Structure
It helps you increase your sales to have an attractive game infrastructure. Users will play a game only if it contains unique and eye-catching graphics and scenes. When designing the architecture, you must include elements such as the environment, characters, objects, texture, etc.
In your game, the step determines its final look. You may choose to refine your game’s visuals using 2D or 3D design. This step requires a great deal of coding and designing.
9. Make a Playable Prototype
A playable prototype of a targeted gaming platform is necessary. During the prototyping process, it is important to mimic all the game’s essential elements and include all the game’s mechanics. Although prototyping is time-consuming, it is essential to determine the game’s design errors.
In a game with nonspontaneous controls and challenging tasks, players can clearly demonstrate their sense of behavior. This allows you to easily fix a lot of problems.
10. Design and Develop Your Mobile Game
A prototype must be approved before design work can begin. It is imperative that even the smallest details are completed with care.
During this stage, you will have an experience that will transform the traditional gaming experience. You will use your creativity here to make your mobile game more entertaining and engaging.
Your mobile game should be built after you figure out everything. If you want to build an amazing app back end, take into account all the features, functionalities, tools, experience, navigation, etc.
11. Mobile Game Testing
You need to run QA tests before releasing your game. After all, the game represents your business, and you need to release a working version without any bugs. Hence, following this step is mandatory.
Mobile games are tested by professional developers on several devices by introducing the beta version and playing it. Basically, it shows different bugs in the game, so you can fix them and improve your game.
12. Select a Monetization Strategy
Your game will provide you with income, so you should follow a monetization plan during this stage. In order to reach your revenue targets, you can choose in-app purchasing, monthly subscription models, sponsored ads, paid mobile games, premium versions, free-to-play games, or games that require real money.
Final Verdict
Your game idea can take a long time to become a reality. You will have to put in a lot of effort and navigate numerous challenges and detours.
To Hire a Mobile Game Development Company with experience in creating mobile games and helping you grow your business to get the next level of game development for your business.
Title– An In-Depth Overview of Mobile Game Development
Keyword– Mobile Game Development
Meta Description– Artistixe It Solutions LLP is a top mobile game development company in India with over a decade of experience in 2D and 3D game development services.
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