Perhaps you’re an excellent programmer, but not such a great artist. You can focus on the game mechanics but rely on a minimalist art style. Perhaps you’re a great graphic designer, but not so good at programming. You can find a game engine that takes care of most of the coding for you while you concentrate on the art design.
Gaming demographics have changed. The average gamer is no longer the stereotypical adolescent male. Today, games are played by almost every demographic in society. The average mobile gamer is about 36 years old. 51% are female, and 49% are male. One-third of all mobile gamers are between the ages of 35-50. [1] X Research source Casual games (i. e. Candy Crush, Angry Birds) are the most popular game genre. These are games that tend to have quick download times, they’re easy to learn and play, and can be played in short time increments throughout the day. First-person shooters (i. e Overwatch, Destiny) are the second most popular genre. Role-playing games (i. e. The Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy) come in third, followed by Battle Royal games (i. e Fortnite, PUBG), and Massive Multiplayer Online RPGs (i. e World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online), and Multiplayer Battle Arena games (i. e DOTA 2, League of Legends). [2] X Research source
Always trust expert advice. Be willing to keep improvising and reworking your own ideas until they are at the point they are at their best. Some of the greatest apps are a twist on an old idea, with a new direction. Stick to low-risk and high probability apps catering larger group of people, from teenagers to adults. Focus on coming up with apps on the basis of entertainment, intuitiveness, engagement, addiction and its graphics and sound. Cross out any app that has fewer than above mentioned traits. Think of a story for your game. A good story with characters, twists, goals and rewards can enhance the game-play experience.
Ad Revenue: This option allows players to download an app for free, but the app contains in-game ads. As a developer, you get paid each time an ad is tapped or viewed. The downside is many players find this annoying and distracting. As a result, many app developers offer players the ability to purchase an ad-free version of the game. In-app purchases: This model allows players to download a base version of the game, for free, but purchase additional features and content. This may be power-ups, new characters, new outfits, and more. Premium Purchase: This model also allows players to download a base version of the app for free. The free version may be a demo or trial version, or a version with limited functionality. The player is then given the option to pay to unlock the full version of the game. One-time Purchase: This option simply requires players to pay a one-time fee before they download the game.
The iOS App Store has a $99 per year developer fee. The Google Play Store has a one-time $25 developer fee. Both platforms take a 30% cut of the revenue from app purchases. The iOS App Store does more to promote new games and apps, but both platforms have high competition and require the developer to be creative to make their apps stand out. The Google Play Store on Android has a much less stringent approval process for apps that are submitted. It’s much harder to get apps approved for the iOS App Store, but the App Store is much better at giving developers feedback when there apps aren’t approved. Android users tend to prefer free apps, while iOS users are much more used to paying for apps. The iOS App Store uses a keyword search model. This requires developers to submit a list of keywords that users must enter to find your app. The Google Play Store search doesn’t rely on keywords, instead of queries the search against the app title, description, and more.
The native programming language for Android games is Java. The native programming language for iOS apps is Swift. Android Studio is the official integrated development studio for developing apps for Android. Xcode on Mac is used to develop apps for iOS. Many games are developed using game engines that are able to integrate all your game assets and code, as well as publish versions of your game for different platforms. Popular game engine for mobile games include Unity, Cocos, and Unreal Engine. 2D graphic design software will be needed for all games, even games that are primarily 3D (for the title screen, menus, HUD, pop-ups, etc). Photoshop or GIMP can be used to develop 2D raster-based graphics, while Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape can be used to develop 2D vector graphics. Games that use 3D graphics will need 3D modelling software. 3D modeling programs include Maya, 3DS Max, and Blender 3D. In addition to graphics software, you’ll also need a digital audio workstation program (DAW) to develop and record sound, as well as an audio interface that can connect microphones, keyboards, and other instruments to your computer. Digital audio work stations include, Adobe Audition, Cubase, Reaper, Pro Tools, FL Studio, and Ableton Live.
Make each potential candidate sign a nondisclosure agreement prior to their hiring as you must protect your idea.
Make sure you hire programmers that are experienced in the programming languages you need. You’ll need programmers that are experienced with the native programming language for the platform you’re releasing your game on, as well as general knowledge of C/C++, and any other scripting languages your game engine requires.
Open Beta is where you allow the public to sign up and play your game for free for a limited time before your game releases. Early Access is where you allow people to play an unfinished version of your game before it releases at a reduced price. Both strategies are a good way to test your game while also building up a fan base.
Check user review and comments. Reply to them and take constructive criticism to heart. This shows that you care about making a good product.
