{"id":812039,"date":"2024-01-03T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2024-01-03T17:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/?p=812039"},"modified":"2023-12-18T14:22:49","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T22:22:49","slug":"game-development-process-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/game-development-process-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The basics of the video game development process with CG Spectrum, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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CG Spectrum<\/a> is an online animation, visual effects, game design, and 3D visualization school, whose mission is to inspire and prepare industry-ready film, game, and visualization artists. Their online courses are some of the best in the industry for beginners and experienced creatives alike. Check out their website<\/a> to see all of their offerings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The below article was written by Nadia Stefyn<\/a> and originally appeared on\u00a0CG Spectrum\u2019s blog.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Want to know how video games are made? This article walks through the video game development process, and in particular, the 'pipeline' \u2013 an industry term that refers to the process of making a video game from scratch.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Grand Theft Auto V\u00a0reportedly cost $137M to make and $128M to market (source:\u00a0The Gamer<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is the game development pipeline?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The game development pipeline is the process of building a video game from concept<\/a> to completion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Much like a production line, the game development pipeline helps organize the flow of work so that everyone knows what they need to deliver and when.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline also helps manage the game development timeline and budget, reducing inefficiencies and bottlenecks.\u00a0While pipelines vary between projects and studios, the process is fairly similar whether you\u2019re working on a AAA, indie or mobile game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A game is continuously evolving, and things that sounded great in theory may not work so well in reality. Therefore, the pipeline is not necessarily a linear process. Work must be sent for creative approvals and can often be sent back for revisions. Pipelines must be flexible enough to factor in revisions and course changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3 stages of game development<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Video game development is typically divided into 3 stages: pre-production, production, and post-production. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Pre-production<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is where every project begins. Essentially, pre-production defines what the game is about, why it should be made, and what it\u2019s going to take to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might have a great idea for a type of game, a story you want to bring to life, or you may want to build one that leverages a certain type of technology (e.g. VR, a new controller, or console).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In pre-production, you\u2019ll find answers to questions like:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n