Everyone who wants to create their own unique game wants to know the mobile game development price. The amount of money spent on game production might range from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars. At first look, determining the precise cost of a mobile game is impossible. Many things influence this, including the selection of specialists, the genre of the game, 2D or 3D visuals, and so on.
Before you begin producing a game, you need assess your talents and financial resources. Unfortunately, it is fairly uncommon for game production to be halted due to a lack of funds for continued collaboration with developers and other resources. One of the primary causes for halting game development is a lack of understanding of the game development stages that the team should go through. Various traps may be faced along the route, and it is important to be aware of them in order to prevent unpleasant circumstances. This post will be useful for individuals who wish to learn about the costs of developing mobile games.
STAGES OF GAME DEVELOPMENT
FIND A GAME IDEA
Every successful endeavor begins with a brilliant idea. There are so many different mobile games available nowadays that it is tough for developers to stand out and build a project with a unique twist that would pique people’s attention. You should aim to make your game stand out by including features that other developers do not provide. You should look at other games to see what faults other devs make. For example, if you want to develop a Match-3 game, look at previous projects in this genre. Watching the gaming of actual bloggers is one of the greatest methods to improve your game. Discover what frustrates consumers and what they want from the game, then make it a reality.
The most important thing is to focus on a big audience and the individuals who will enjoy the uniqueness you have developed. Before building a mobile game, define what it will be and who it will be for. Select a genre: arcade, multiplayer, action, strategy, or role-playing game. Estimate your target audience’s age: do you wish to attract youthful or middle-aged people? Answer these questions before proceeding to the next phase.
CHOOSE MOBILE PLATFORM AND GAME ENGINE
After you’ve come up with an intriguing game concept, consider which engine you’ll use to construct it and where you’ll put it. Unity and Unreal Engine are two of the greatest engines for generating mobile games. Each choice has advantages and disadvantages, but we have examined these engines in greater depth in another post. The popularity of a game is also heavily influenced by the platform on which it is played. It is more preferable if you design a cross-platform game that can be played on both Android and iOS. This will result in more gamers and hence more profits.
CHOOSE THE MONETIZATION SYSTEM
According to statistics, premium games do not fare as well as free ones. The player installs a free program, grows engaged in playing, and decides to buy in order to get more out of the game. It is known as freemium monetization, and it currently dominates the industry. The software may be downloaded for free, but only a limited amount of material and functionality are available. Some monetization systems are listed below:
- In-game advertising. The majority of mobile games monetize primarily through advertising. It has, however, become the most vexing component, as it is more unpleasant than advantageous. Many hyper-casual games have earned negative reviews and numerous complaints owing to obnoxious advertisements. Many users believe that mobile game developer businesses exist just to profit from advertising. Of course, in recent years, advertising in games has grown shorter and more effective, and the playable advertisements feature has also emerged, which is less hostile for the human mind.
- In-game purchases. This point may be found in practically every game. People that appreciate the game want to learn more about it and experiment with additional skins and features. When people become immersed in the game, they frequently make purchases without hesitation;
- The reward for viewing ads. A more appealing and socially acceptable structure in which consumers see advertisements in return for various prizes such as in-game cash or an additional life.
GAME DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
After completing all of the challenging preceding processes, the development team may finally begin producing a game based on the client’s pre-made desires. This is the most costly and time-consuming procedure, requiring the time and effort of several game professionals. You may outsource mobile game development to a business. Hiring low-cost freelancers cannot suffice. Such task need a highly skilled team of specialists:
- game designer;
- screenwriter;
- level and map designer;
- backend developer;
- front-end developer;
- sound engineer;
- QA and testers.
POST-RELEASE
Fasting is the final stage of the game’s development, which involves continuing support from the creators as well as the release of new game features, updates, and goods. This is done to keep the present audience interested and to recruit new participants. True, no one will play a game that does not provide fresh offers for an extended period of time, and the game will rapidly lose popularity.
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE GAME DEVELOPMENT COST?
PRE-DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Before beginning to design a mobile game, developers should generate a GDD document that includes all of the client’s wishes for the game. This paper provides the game’s concept as well as all of the information. This is required in order to determine how much money will be spent on development, what expertise will be required, and what the core idea of the game is.
It is difficult to produce a full-fledged game without this, as the development process will be chaotic. The game’s pre-development is a crucial phase that needs specialized time. Typically, such labor is compensated per hour, and the amount spent on this stage is determined by the pricing of the developers, which can range from $30 to $200 per hour.
2D OR 3D GRAPHICS
Graphics are a significant component of the cost of developing a mobile game. Obviously, 2D games will be less expensive to produce. 3D games demand additional development time, experts, and effort. A three-dimensional project takes twice as long to complete as a two-dimensional game.
The cost of designing a mobile game is determined by the features that you wish to include. If you want to make a simple and minimalistic game without hundreds of features, 2D games can cost between $5,000 and $20,000 on average. It can reach $200,000 if you decide to add more features and diversify the game.
GAME GENRE
The genre of a mobile game is an important component that influences the cost of development. You must admit that developing a simple puzzle is far easier than working on a multiplayer game. Racing games require specific attention from game designers in order to produce strong entertaining automobiles, single-player games necessitate excellent storyline, and multiplayer games necessitate additional cost for Internet connection features and real-time interaction with other players.
The cost of making a game is strongly related to the elements of the genre that you select. Perhaps you want to spice up your game by adding fascinating animations, bright effects, or a lovely tale. Every element is considered and will cost money in the future.
LOCATION
The overall cost of building a gaming application varies depending on the location and area. Game experts often charge an hourly cost that reflects the scope and complexity of the project being handled. The ultimate cost of building a mobile game is determined by a variety of elements, including the engine utilized, the performer’s professionalism, and marketing strategy, among others.
In Eastern Europe, the average cost of creating an entertainment application is $7,500. Specialists in Australia and the United States charge an average of $100 per hour of labor. IT professionals in Western Europe charge 60 euros per hour, whereas those in India just 8-30 USD.
GAME TESTING
One of the most critical stages of game creation is game testing. There is one tester for every two developers, who discovers faults in the game code and allows developers to correct issues for improved gameplay. This also necessitates additional fees, and each tester has his or her own price.
To save money, some game makers forget to test their games and do not hire testers. Unfortunately, this has detrimental long-term effects, and the game might irritate players due to thousands of flaws. It is preferable to invest money on testing the game once rather than regretting it afterwards.
MARKETING
As we all know, no matter how good a product is, it will fail if no one knows about it. In our instance, the product is a finished game with a certain concept and aesthetic. Let’s face it: games are designed to earn money. To generate income, we must better expose the game to consumers, pique their curiosity, and encourage them to play it. To keep people interested, you may provide attractive incentives, offer new features, and make updates. You must identify your target demographic of potential players and present them the greatest features of your mobile game.
This has a big impact on the cost of generating a game, and large corporations may spend more money advertising their mobile application than building it. Nonetheless, according to statistics, 30% of the money spent on game creation will be sufficient for you to produce the bare minimum of game advertising and interest the gamers.
CONCLUSION
Mobile game creation is a complex process that necessitates a significant amount of time and money. If you want to produce a successful game, make sure that the development team goes through all of the essential game production phases. If you want to learn more about the process of developing mobile games, keep an eye on our blog since there will be more valuable articles posted soon!
