Full cycle game development in video games is an end-to-end process that starts from the planning phase to the game launch phase. A game development company also offers post-production support as a part of full-cycle game development services. 

The full-cycle game development comprises of following stages

1. Planning
2. Pre-Production
3. Production
4. Testing
5. Pre Launch
6. Post Launch 

Let us see them in detail.

Stages of Full-cycle Game Development

1. Planning Stage

The game concept is finalized at this stage and the game developers assign a project manager to the project. The project manager prepares the concept design document which helps to convey the flow of the game to the game producers and game developers. 

Apart from that, all the other decisions regarding game production including targeted audience, distribution platforms, licenses, insurance, and the working title of the game., are discussed in the planning stage of full-cycle game development.

2. Pre-Production Stage

Pre-production phase is very crucial in video game development, as the actual planning and design of the game production is done here. The game artists, game designers, game producers, and game developers sit together and brainstorm to create a working game design.

Initially, they prepare game design documents and technical design documents. Following that, they select the team, schedule, and plan the budget of the game.

3. Production Stage

Production is where the actual work starts where the game developers work together to create a well-crafted video game. The production stage involves various sub-stages which are game design, game art, and programming.

Here, let us see the different stages in the game production.

4. Game Design

Game design does not initiate in the production phase, but much before during the pre-production phase when the game designer starts with the game design document and makes its way all throughout the game production phase. 

Game design includes various components such as game concept, game mechanics, levels, rules, rewards, characters, environments, etc., which provide an effective framework for the game.

5. Game Art

Game art is the creative process in game development, starting from rough sketches to exciting animations everything comes under game art. Initially, the artist creates concept art (rough sketches) and once the art gets finalized, they create 2D or 3D models. 

Then follows texturing, modeling, rigging, sculpting, animation, and visual effects. The game artists implement various techniques using advanced technologies and tools to create awesome game art. 

The game art includes concept art, character art, environment art, prop art, and UI art.

6. Audio and Sound Effects

A game development studio starts making the game audio in the later stages of game production. Video games have a lot of audio requirements. Some video games record their unique soundtrack which consumes a lot of time and money. While other video games use licensed music which is created by other artists. 

7. Programming

The creative part is almost over now and you are moving to the technical part. Here, the programmers use coding and scripting languages to give life to the game. They use C#, C++, Java, Python, etc., some of the most common languages used in developing a video game.

8. Testing

Testing a game ensures the functioning and playability of the game. There are multiple tests a video game conducts such as functionality test, performance test, play test, regression test, load test, and soak test. 

The importance of testing is to provide a better user experience for the players. There are basically two stages of testing which are alpha testing and beta testing. 

Alpha testing begins during the production phase when the first few lines of coding. It helps to detect any major bugs and rectify them at an early stage. Once the alpha testing is done, beta testing begins. As most of the major bugs are taken care of in the alpha test, beta testing takes care of the minor bugs in the game.

9. Pre Launch

Once testing is done, the game moves toward the pre-launch phase. 

Any last minute changes and minor corrections that need to be done are to be done now. Marketing campaigns and promotional activities are done during the pre-launch phase. 

Also during this phase, the working title will be changed to a permanent title. Once everything is in place, the game is released on the set date.

10. Post Launch Support

After the game launch, the game development studio offers post-launch support services. Some of the post-launch support services include fixing minor bugs, launching marketing campaigns, and post-launch content updates. Apart from that, cross-platform integration and game porting are some of the support services offered by game studios.

Conclusion

In conclusion, full cycle game development is quite an arduous job. But with proper planning and execution, it can be quite rewarding. Throughout the entire game development process, every step of production is important and you need to give equal importance to make a successful game.