Start a Game Company

Summary: If you have knowledge of video game development from a formal training or from experience working for a video game development company, you can start a game company as a games developer, a publisher or both. Learn the process of turning this knowledge into a business venture from our basic guide.

Video games have become part of the modern culture. The proof of this is the size of the industry that it has created. If you want to enter into the business of developing video games, here are some basic tips.

Game Company Must-Haves

• Qualifications. You must have knowledge of video game development by getting a formal training or by gaining experience working for a video game developer. You can start a game company purely as a games developer, a publisher or both.
• Funding. Video game development takes time. It can take a year or more to develop a game, so that a substantial funding is necessary at the start of the project – at least $1 million. The industry is dominated by large game developers, but you can also join the league of independent game developers. If you are starting as a developer alone, you must find a publisher to fund your project.
• Software. Basically, you will need at least a compiler, graphic editors (2D and 3D editors), and sounds editor. There are free softwares and there are those that you can buy from $100 to a little more than $500.

Games Development and Release Process

• Hatch a game idea. Game development starts with an idea. If you are a games developer, most likely, it means you already have a brainchild for a game that you want to develop. If you are starting as a publisher, it means you would have to listen to pitches from games developer for an idea on a game that you can fund.
• Assemble a development team of programmers, sound engineers, game designers and artists.
• Have the development team produce a documented design of the project, which may include the game concept, and prototypes.
• Meanwhile, plan the game development schedule.
• The team follows the schedule as they write new source code, develop game assets, sound effects and music, dialogs and integrate everything to develop the game.
• Test playable subsets or levels of the game software. At this point, the team may have reached what are called milestones when they reach project goals or meet deadlines as they progress towards developing the full version of the game. Reaching milestones is usually associated with getting partial payments for the work.
• Introduce a game demo to help the eventual marketing of the game.
• Release the game.
• Make fixes and patches to repair glitches as they arise as gamers begin to use the software.