Welcome Back to your newsletter:
Talent Play Zone - Issue 3 🎮
Hi, it’s Matteo, and I’m excited to share the third issue of Talent Play Zone! After working in the gaming industry at Ubisoft and now at Behaviour Interactive, I know how quickly things change and how important it is to keep up. This newsletter is here to help you stay updated with key trends, tips, and insights that will help you get into game development.
In this issue, we’ll break down the Game Production Process, giving you a clear understanding of how a game is developed from start to finish.
Whether you’re just starting or want to grow your career, I’m here to guide you!
What are the Key Steps in Making a Game?
Developing a game is like building a house: you start with a plan, lay the foundation, build each room, and add the final touches. The 7-phases approach, a popular framework in the industry, helps guide teams through each part of creating a game, although the steps can change depending on the team, game size, and goals.
Phase 1: Planning and Research
The Foundation: In this first phase, developers decide on the game’s core idea. They research the market to see what’s trending, what players enjoy, and where there might be a gap for something new. This is also where they consider the game’s genre and target audience.
Key Questions (non exhaustive list)
What type of game are we making?
Is it action, adventure, strategy, RPG, puzzle, or shooter?
Will it be single-player, multiplayer, or an online game?
What’s the main focus?
Is it more about gameplay (skills, challenges, competition) or story (characters, plot)?
Will it balance both, or focus mainly on one?
How complex are the controls?
Are they simple and easy to pick up, or will they need practice to master?
How does the player progress?
Will player level up, unlock net abilities, or explore an open-world?
What kind of experience do we want players to have?
Should it be challenging, relaxing, story-driven, or competitive?
What platform is it for?
Console, PC, Mobile, or multiple platforms?
Budget and Timeline: Teams set a rough budget and timeline to guide the project. These limits help everyone stay on track and focus on realistic goals.
Phase 2: Concept and Documentation
Building the Vision: Here, the big idea starts to take shape. Teams sketch out what the game will look and feel like. They think about the story, characters, art direction, and gameplay.
Creating the Game Design Document (GDD): All these ideas are recorded in a Game Design Document (GDD), which acts as a roadmap. The GDD outlines:
Storyline and main characters
Gameplay rules and mechanics
Art style and visual ideas
Sound and music plans
Roles Involved: Creative Director, Game Designers, and Concept Artists work closely to define the vision and ensure everyone on the team knows what the game is aiming to achieve.
Phase 3: Prototype
Testing the Core Ideas: In the prototype phase, teams create a small, rough version of the game. This version may only include basic mechanics or a single level but helps show how the game will work.
Purpose of Prototyping:
Test core gameplay mechanics (like movement or controls)
See if the initial ideas are fun and engaging
Identify early issues or potential improvements
Feedback and Iteration: Teams playtest the prototype to gather feedback and adjust things that don’t work. This process helps refine the game before investing too much time and resources.
Phase 4: Production
Bringing It All Together: Production is where all elements of the game are created and combined into a full experience. Each discipline works on its part to make the game world engaging and interactive.
Art and Animation: This team creates characters, environments, and game assets, then brings them to life with animations. The goal is to make visuals that are not only appealing but also immersive, capturing the game’s style and making characters move realistically.
Design: Designers focus on crafting the gameplay experience, which includes both the overall game mechanics and level layouts. They build worlds, design challenges, and make sure that each level or area feels balanced and enjoyable.
Programming: Programmers write the code that makes the game function. This includes everything from character controls and AI to game physics and interactions, ensuring that all components work together smoothly.
Sound and Music: This discipline adds background music, sound effects, and voiceovers to create atmosphere, enhance the story, and provide feedback to players during gameplay.
Milestones and Deadlines: To stay organized, the production phase is divided into smaller goals, or “milestones.” These help the team track progress, ensuring each part of the game is completed on schedule.
Phase 5: Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)
Perfecting the Game: This phase is all about finding and fixing bugs. The QA team tests the game in detail to catch any glitches, ensure smooth gameplay, and check that everything works as planned.
Types of Testing:
Alpha Testing: An early version is tested internally to catch major issues.
Beta Testing: A nearly complete version is shared with a small group of players outside the team. Their feedback helps identify remaining issues.
Balancing Gameplay: QA teams also focus on game balance, making sure difficulty levels are fair and gameplay feels smooth and fun. If players find a level too hard or a character too powerful, adjustments are made.
Phase 6: Launch
Preparing for Release: When the game is finally complete, it’s ready to launch! This phase includes final marketing efforts, such as trailers, social media posts, and perhaps a launch event, to build excitement.
Distribution: Developers decide where to release the game, whether on consoles, PCs, or mobile devices. This stage involves coordinating with distribution platforms like Steam, PlayStation, or the App Store.
Community Building: Leading up to the launch, developers often engage with players through forums, social media, or live events to build a community that’s excited to play the game.
Phase 7: Post-Launch Support
Updates and Patches: Even after launch, developers keep working on the game. They release updates to fix any remaining bugs, make improvements, or add new features based on player feedback.
DLC and Expansions: Some games release additional content, called Downloadable Content (DLC), which might include new levels, characters, or storylines to keep players engaged.
Listening to the Community: Developers pay close attention to player feedback through social media, forums, and reviews. This feedback helps guide future updates and lets developers understand what players love or want more of.
What’s new in the gaming industry?
Over the past 20 years, gaming trends have evolved a lot. Online multiplayer games have surged, while movie-based games and 2D platformers have faded. However, classics like Madden, Call of Duty, Pokémon, and Spider-Man remain fan favorites. Newly released data from Circana reveals the top-selling games each year since 2000, showing that some games just never go out of style.
Unity 6 is the most stable and creator-friendly version yet, built with feedback from developers. It offers smoother graphics, better multiplayer, and powerful AI tools to streamline game creation.
Unity’s new update approach means fewer disruptions, with regular enhancements (like Unity 6.1 next April) instead of big annual changes. The Sentis AI engine also helps speed up tasks, letting creators focus more on their vision.
Fun Fact
What can you expect about the next episode?
In the next issue of the newsletter, we’ll focus on the essential tools used by gaming professionals that make it all happen and share tips on building connections and help you connect with influencers in the gaming industry.
Stay tuned for practical insights that will help you on your journey into the gaming world!
Catch you in two weeks!
