3 Common Misconceptions about Desktop Game Development

Games, and in particular video games on Desktop have earned their share of bad repute. It was not uncommon for desktop gamers to hear unfounded claims like, games have led to rise in youth violence and aggression or how games make you anti-social. However, with the advent of multiplayer games, we have seen how some hyper-engaging games can actually become means for people with social anxiety to recover from their conditions. In fact, in a survey, MMORPG games were proven to have beneficial effects on marital relationships; 76% of participants agreed that playing games like World of Warcraft together has made a ‘positive effect on their marriage’. Many other similar myths have been regularly encountered by gamers all around, some of them have already been busted, and some are on still on the way.

Now, however, with times as the industry is growing, myths are creeping their way in the development processes of the games as well. With every other development studio claiming to have the best knowledge of the game development process and strategies, claims are being thrown about in the air on how easy it is to make a game, and how with game engines anyone can create a game in a fortnight! While some of these myths are blatantly unbelievable, many of them, unfortunately, are not. That means many of the game development myths have made their way through to investors, who are now confused about the industries best practices and the absolute essentials. Here are some of the common myths we, as a desktop game development company, have discovered.

1. Gameplay is the most important factor:-

We have always told our clients how important gameplay is for the success of any game. It is one of the most important factors that can make or break the game’s fate in the industry. So it’s not like we consider gameplay of the second importance. However, to consider it the only factor for the success would be a major fallacy. There are multiple things that need to be factored in while calculating the success rates of a game and UI/UX is not the least important of them.

2. UI/UX are overrated:-

And this brings us to our observation of the second most common myth around games, and for that matter any app development process. Interface and overall UX elements of a game have become more important in present times than it ever was before. With new advancements in technology and hardware components being released almost every other week, the competition is at the all-time high. In such a scenario, if there’s anything that can grab the target audience’s attention the soonest and held it captivated for the time until they get engrossed in the gameplay is the UI and UX of the game. Therefore, any compromise on that can eventually lead to the complete failure of the game idea even.

3. Pre-Production is Optional:-

In line with the second myth, many game investors are losing the great opportunities of monetising their game ideas properly, by not investing in the pre-production processes. This misconception may have entered the industry through the novice beginners who have somehow achieved to make certain low-scale games without proper planning. It is understandable how some games can actually be built and deployed in the market without proper strategy, however, this is not the case with every other game. Most games, especially the premium ones on the Desktop would be a complete fail if not handled properly since the beginning. Games without pre-production may appear cost-effective from the surface. However, if we delve a bit deeper, we see that the seamlessness of the varied components, and the non-scalability of the game are the sure sign of short future.

If you ever decide to invest on a marvellous game idea that has a great potential for monetisation, it is extremely important that you avoid such myths and follow the industry’s best practices of game development. And it includes proper strategy, and proper investment in all its varied components.

Digital Marketing and Tech Enthusiast, Content Marketer, Science Nerd, A Seeker