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Developing the entire virtual world down to the smallest detail involves many steps to bring a valuable product to the market. They are concept development, game design, art, development, UI design, animation, creation of technical documentation, control over work on a project, promotion of a finished product, etc. So, you can’t be limited to only game developers. The team will include many other specialists – designers, animators, artists, project managers, marketers.
The gaming industry is a separate area, which has its own specifics. Still, it is no less exciting for those who want to participate in developing characters and multilevel virtual worlds.
To get closer to the process of developing games from scratch, you need to get a complete understanding of all the features and characteristics of game development. What is video game design? What is animation? Where to order a 2D animation service, for example? These and many other questions are covered in this article.
What Is Game Designing?
This is the process of creating the form and content of the gameplay for the developed product. The term is also used to describe an embodied project in documentation – a game design document (briefly GDD).
Game design defines:
- a set of possible options the player can choose during the game;
- conditions of victory and defeat;
- how the player controls what is happening in the game;
- how they interact with the virtual world;
- difficulty levels of the game, etc.
Game Designers and Their Job Role
Indeed many have heard of game designers. They are often associated with specialists who make something visually appealing or those who directly develop games. However, many people don’t even suspect that this is a vital element of all game projects and a key figure in every team.
A game designer is a person who documents the concept and basic ideas of a future project. They create the form and content of the gameplay. They determine the player’s interaction with the virtual world, the conditions for victory and defeat, and difficulty levels. We can say that these specialists are responsible for ensuring that the final product is “beautiful” from all aspects of end-users.
Any game designer should know the following:
- Fundamentals of programming and technology;
- Trends (market, ratings);
- Mathematics;
- Psychology
- … and much more!
What Is Animation in Games?
Games are supposed to be interactive. Right? When we start playing them, we notice the characters’ movement, the effects of fire or smoke, and interactive elements of the user interface. For this, the animation of games is used.
For example, most games require a breathing cycle, stand by, a gait cycle with a weapon aimed, an animation cycle in which the character lies on the ground, crawls in the direction indicated by the player, etc. It is enough to play any RPG game to understand what it is about.
Players always want to be in complete control of the situation, camera, and character. It is the players who create the plot and make the character move. Therefore, the animation plays a crucial role in the development process. It should look not only useful but also look good from all angles. Who creates animation? Let’s explore the role of animators in gaming projects, their qualifications, and their skills.
Animators and Their Role, Qualifications, and Skills
Having a good animator on your team is an essential component of success. Because it depends on these specialists whether the assets will behave like real ones, causing emotions in the player, or moving completely unrealistic. Animated graphics and characters bring the image to life, breathe the soul into the picture, and ultimately into the final product.
An animator has no magic “make a move” button, but they need to have much knowledge and skills to animate a character or environment. Most games are built around body mechanics, so you’ll have to spend over an hour working through them to get even smoother animations.
In-game development, the animator will have to deal with various animations – skeleton, sprite, tween. Choosing what the animation will be, animators are guided by the style of their future project. It is important to choose the right way to animate an object. This will allow you to solve the problem, spending less effort on creating a precious product for entertainment.
Working as an animator on a gaming project, they can animate various fantastic creatures, giants, war battles, and historical events. You will have to create different animation loops, not just a walk or run loop.
Where to Find the Best Specialists?
So, now you are aware of how games are generally created. A professional team is needed to succeed in this process. Therefore, it is better to start developing your project from this very thing – from finding like-minded people who like your idea and who are ready to take part in its implementation.
There are different approaches to searching specialists for the project in game development:
- There are large companies with large teams of specialists who can work on many projects. You’ve probably heard of Rockstar Games, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, etc. They are working on world-famous projects like GTA, Fortnite, FIFA. So, most likely, they will only undertake promising AAA projects. You can try partnering with these industry leaders, but be aware of their demands for quality, safety, and other standards.
- There is a way for indie teams that don’t depend on big publishers or investors. No wonder their full name reads – independent game development. Unlike most big studios that create big-budget AAA titles, indie developers are not afraid to use fresh and risky ideas. Moreover, they rarely follow industry-recognized standards and do not create products solely to earn money. Maybe, you are one of these indie developers who is ready to venture a small fish to catch a great one.
Regardless of which path you take for the next steps after finding the best development idea, you will need professional help in most cases. Both large and indie game dev studios may require additional resources to implement their projects. Today, many find this help through outsourcing services that make it easy to access talents around the world. For example, Kevuru Games is a reliable partner of most studios, including Epic Games, Electronic Arts, FoxNext, etc.
