Pre-Production and Planning for a Computer Game

Pre-Production and Planning for a Computer Game

Types of production:

Types of production is when you decide what type of product you are making, for example you might be making a video game, a movie or a music video.

Finance: 

There are a few different types of financing, there is self-financing, indie funding and crowd funding are a few methods for funding a game. Self-financing is when you completely fund a game project by yourself, usually when some self-funds a game they work a normal job and make the game in their spare time. Most indie games are zero budget/self-funded. That means the developer works on the game in their spare time, while working a normal job. If the first game makes them money they can then use that to go full time and fund their next game. Crowd funding is when you use a site like kick starter to get normal people to give you money to develop your game. There are two types of crowd funding, donation based and reward based. Donation based it when people give you money because they like your product and want to help you fund it. When I make my game I won’t be needing any kind of funding because the software I’ll be using is free to use.

Time constraints:  

Time constraints are when you are working to a deadline and making sure a project doesn’t take too long so people stay interested in whatever product you are producing.

Personnel:  

There are a number of people needed in order to create a game, you’ll need a producer, a publisher, a designer, an artist and programmer generally the main people you’ll need to develop a game. Producers are in charge of managing the development team, schedules, reports progress, hires and assigns staff and so on. The publisher is responsible for publishing the game. Video game publishers are also responsible for their product's manufacturing and marketing, including market research and all parts of advertising. Publishers normally finance the development process. When I make my game I won’t need anyone else to help me because my game isn’t that complex so I can make it by myself.

Facilities:

To create something you’ll need the facilities to do it, for example if you plan on making a triple a game you’ll need a whole office for people in your development team. For my game ill need to use the computers in the games development room in college.

Materials:

In order to create anything you need the materials to do so, for example if you’re making a video game you’ll need game development software, for example I am currently making a platform game using game maker.

Contributors and codes of practice:  

Contributors are people you might need to create your game, for example voice actors, artists, if you’re making a game about World War 2 you might need an expert about it to make it look more professional and realistic. Codes of practice is the legal side of developing something, for example copyright, health and safety laws, Insurance such as public liability and completion insurance.