A Survey on a State of the Practice in Video Game Development (original) (raw)

Video Games and Software Engineering : A Case Study

2005

Video games, due to their unique nature and relative infancy compared to other software, are just recently being studied with a strong engineering aesthetic like their traditional counterparts. In this case study, we examine the benefits of using a planned, engineered approach to creating a fun and interactive piece of software. This research centers on an original game, developed by the author. Established object oriented software engineering was applied at every step of the development process. End-user testing will measure the game's fun factor, with results being analyzed to determine the relationship between the engineering behind the game and its final playability.

Game Development Practices and Developers' Attitudes - An International Survey

Changing Faces of Game Innovation. GaIn and GIIP Research Project Report. TRIM Research Reports.

Presented here is a report of a survey directed at game developers about different aspects of game development. Practices for idea generation and idea management vary quite a lot at different companies and also among different individuals. This applies among other things to sources of ideas, creativity techniques, and recording practices. The second part of the survey is about developers’ attitudes towards innovation, measured with a set of Likert-type statements. Generally it seems that their attitudes are mostly positive and even enthusiastic, even though some feel skeptical in one way or another.

Software Engineering in Games

Our seminar lecture focuses on the process of making games. As with any other piece of software, we can break up this development process into different development phases, which (in the simplest case for a software project) would be: Analysis, Design, Implementation and Testing. Thus, our goal is to compare general software projects to game projects using these four phases, including one another phase, present only in game development. Starting with the definition of every development phase, we will use case studies and statistics to further stress the difference between a 'general' software project and a game. Furthermore, we will deal with the important subject of game engine licensing, looking at the performance statistics, advantages, constraints and industry feedback. We will then conclude our talk discussing the latest developments in the game industry, where an increasing amount of players take over level and character design. In this context, we will also have a look at player communities and try to guess at future developments in this field.

Game development software engineering process life cycle: a systematic review

Software game is a kind of application that is used not only for entertainment, but also for serious purposes that can be applicable to different domains such as education, business, and health care. Multidisciplinary nature of the game development processes that combine sound, art, control systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and human factors, makes the software game development practice different from traditional software development. However, the underline software engineering techniques help game development to achieve maintainability, flexibility, lower effort and cost, and better design. The purpose of this study is to assesses the state of the art research on the game development software engineering process and highlight areas that need further consideration by researchers. In the study, we used a systematic literature review methodology based on well-known digital libraries. The largest number of studies have been reported in the production phase of the game development software engineering process life cycle, followed by the pre-production phase. By contrast, the post-production phase has received much less research activity than the pre-production and production phases. The results of this study suggest that the game development software engineering process has many aspects that need further attention from researchers; that especially includes the postproduction phase.

Video Game Development and User Experience

Human-Computer Interaction Series, 2009

In order to design new methodologies for evaluating the user experience of video games, it is imperative to initially understand two core issues. Firstly, how are video games developed at present, including components such as processes, timescales and staff roles, and secondly, how do studios design and evaluate the user experience. This chapter will discuss the video game development process and the practices that studios currently use to achieve the best possible user experience. It will present four case studies from game developers Disney Interactive (Black Rock Studio), Relentless, Zoe Mode, and HandCircus, each detailing their game development process and also how this integrates with the user experience evaluation. The case studies focus on different game genres, platforms, and target user groups, ensuring that this chapter represents a balanced view of current practices in evaluating user experience during the game development process.

Game Development Research

Journal of Game Technology and Innovation, 2023

Game development is a multidisciplinary field that integrates software engineering, graphic design, storytelling, artificial intelligence, and user experience to create engaging digital experiences. This research explores the core principles, challenges, and innovations in game development, with a focus on contemporary trends such as procedural content generation, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI) in games. Through a combination of literature review and analysis of recent industry case studies, this study identifies key factors that contribute to successful game development, including iterative design processes, robust project management practices, and the adaptation of user-centered design principles. Additionally, it examines the economic and psychological impacts of games on players, addressing issues like monetization, accessibility, and inclusivity. Findings suggest that successful games rely heavily on continuous player feedback, adaptive gameplay, and meaningful narrative structures. Future research directions are suggested, including the potential of AI to create dynamic, personalized game experiences and the implications of VR and AR on player engagement. This research provides insights for game developers, designers, and researchers aiming to enhance player satisfaction and foster sustainable innovation within the industry.

Computer Game–Discussing Development Process

2006

Developing game is anymore essentially a personal effort. The game development process is an important issue. In fact, games are becoming more and more complex task, involving multidisciplinary teams composed by member with specialised knowledge and skills. In this paper, we propose a framework, based in the information systems development literature and aplied to game development. This framework is also illustrated in a case.

Requirements engineering and the creative process in the video game industry

… , 2005. Proceedings. 13th …, 2005

The software engineering process in video game development is not clearly understood, hindering the development of reliable practices and processes for this field. An investigation of factors leading to success or failure in video game development suggests that many failures can be traced to problems with the transition from preproduction to production. Three examples, drawn from real video games, illustrate specific problems: 1) how to transform documentation from its preproduction form to a form that can be used as a basis for production, 2) how to identify implied information in preproduction documents, and 3) how to apply domain knowledge without hindering the creative process. We identify 3 levels of implication and show that there is a strong correlation between experience and the ability to identify issues at each level.

Emerging Research Challenges in Computer Games and Software Engineering

Chapman & Hall/CRC Innovations in Software Engineering and Software Development Series, 2015

This last chapter highlights future R&D opportunities in CGSE. Some are found in the preceding chapters, while others are emerging research trends at the intersection of CG and SE with each other, and with other disciplines. A starting question to ask is how CG development different from SE [MZN14]? More broadly, an overall question for the student or professional reading this book is how will future computer games succeed/fail with/without SE tools, techniques, and concepts? For example, if SE is mostly irrelevant to the successful development, deployment, and sustained evolution of computer games, why is this so? Is (a) traditional SE no longer relevant overall to upcoming generations of game software developers, or is (b) there something about the ways and means by which computer games, game development projects, and game development organizations operate and engage players that eludes recognition and comprehension by SE researchers and educators? While the former (a) seems unlikely and unpopular to contemplate, the latter (b) points to opportunities for future research in SE. The challenges are thus yours to consider and address.