Game Design Workshop, 3rd Edition

Chapter 13

Stages and Methods of Development

Producing digital games is a complex and expensive process. A developer’s goal is to produce the highest quality game within the limits of its resources and budget. The publisher’s goal is to produce the best-selling game while limiting its risk by keeping costs low. There is a common interest in producing a successful product between these two parties, and there is also a conflict of interest in how much money and time that product should require.

In order to communicate expectations between publishers and developers, the industry has evolved standard stages of development that can be used to define contracts and milestones for a game project. Typically, a developer is paid a specified amount ...