Game Developer Requirements
As a game developer there are multiple things you should consider before starting your (first) project. There are a few requirements you need to consider before starting. What engine are you going to use, are you going to build your own? What assets are you going to use, are you going to make the assets yourself? In this article I will be talking about some game developer requirements.
A powerful machine?
Do you really need a powerful laptop or desktop to create games? The short answer is no, as a beginner certainly not. As your project become more demanding it might be a good idea to invest in a more powerful machine. As you are starting out though it isn't really important at all. Check out my post about Game Development Software for Beginners I have listed some good software options there that do not require a powerful machine.
Do you want to create a hyper realistic body cam style game it would be very wise to invest in a very powerful machine however. So it really depends on the kind of game you want to make. A powerful machine is not a requirement though.
What game developing software?
As I have previously said you should really check out my post about game development software for beginners. Besides that post I have also written about Game Development Languages. This post covers some scripting / programming languages that are beginner friendly and absolutely required when you want to develop a game.
What game are you going to make?
It is very important to plan out your project before you even start doing anything to develop the game. You can't plan for anything and there will be problems that arise once you are in development of your game. With a good "game-plan" you can mitigate a lot of these problems and prevent yourself wasting time on things that are not very important.
You will have to plan out what type of game you are going to make. What your goal for the game will be, learning, getting downloads, making money. Will the game be 2d or 3d. Are you going to make the assets yourself. What platforms will you be releasing on. I think you get it by now. I am convinced that a good plan for your game will keep you motivated to work on it.
Is there a market for your game?
If your main goal is to make money from your game it is very wise to do some good research on the type of game you will develop. If you have got an untapped niche like I did when developing My First (Finished) Project, Hustle Life: Drug Dealing RPG you are almost guaranteed to get downloads.
A important aspect that people tend to forget is the marketing of the game though. This is one of the most important if not the most important aspect of game development if your main goal is to make money. I do not create the game descriptions myself and I always let the descriptions be written by professionals. The only problem with this requirement is that it will require a budget. There are games that are found entirely organic and blow up but don't assume your game will blow up too.
It is absolutely required to create a good promotional plan for your game. I recommend to start with a small budget and try to figure out what works and what doesn't.
Are you going to make the assets yourself?
The visual aspect of a game is something that is quite important. It wouldn't be a game if there is no kind of graphical interface. Creating something that looks good and is responsive to different kinds of screen dimensions is very hard. Especially if you are more proficient on the programming side of things like I am. Fortunately today there are a lot of places that offer assets for free. Buying assets will be an option too. I wouldn't recommend this when you are starting out though. I think that if you are going to spend anything on the game it should be promotional. Spending money is entirely optional and it is possible to achieve success without spending any.
Are there more game developer requirements?
I have covered most of the hard requirements to start to develop your first game. The list isn't really big because there really isn't that much that is required. A computer and a internet connection is really all that you need. If you have got any questions regarding this post please feel free to become a member of this blog and ask your questions below.
