How Much Time Is Required to Develop a Mobile Game?
If you’re an aspiring mobile game developer, you might be wondering how much time it takes to create a successful game. The answer is not straightforward and depends on many factors such as the complexity of the game, the team size, and the resources available.
Factors Affecting Mobile Game Development Time
1. Game Concept and Design
The first step in developing a mobile game is to come up with a concept and design the game mechanics, levels, characters, and graphics. This stage can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months depending on the complexity of the game and the level of detail required.
2. Development Team Size
The size of the development team can also impact the development time. A larger team with experienced developers will generally be able to complete the project faster than a smaller team with less experience. However, it’s important to note that having too many people on the team can also lead to communication issues and delays.
3. Development Tools and Technology
The tools and technology used during the development process can also affect the time required to complete the project. For example, using a game engine like Unity or Unreal Engine can speed up the development process by providing pre-built assets and features.
4. Testing and Quality Assurance
Testing and quality assurance (QA) are crucial stages in the development process that ensure the game is bug-free and functions as intended. The amount of time required for this stage depends on the complexity of the game and the level of testing required.
5. Marketing and Distribution
Once the game is developed, marketing and distribution are essential to reach the target audience and generate revenue. The amount of time required for this stage depends on the budget and resources available.
Estimating Development Time for Mobile Games
Based on the factors mentioned above, here’s an estimate of the time required to develop a mobile game:
* Concept and design: 3-6 months
* Development team size: 3-5 people
* Development tools and technology: 2-4 months (depending on the complexity of the game)
* Testing and quality assurance: 1-3 months (depending on the complexity of the game)
* Marketing and distribution: 1-3 months (depending on the budget and resources available)
Adding up these estimates, we get a total development time of around 7-20 months for a mobile game project. However, it’s important to note that this is just an estimate, and the actual development time can vary depending on many factors such as unforeseen issues or delays in any stage of the process.
Real-Life Examples of Mobile Game Development Time
1. Angry Birds
Angry Birds is a popular mobile game developed by Rovio in 2009. The development team consisted of around 15 people, and the game was designed using the Unity game engine. The game was launched on both iOS and Android platforms and quickly became one of the most downloaded games of all time. Angry Birds took approximately 2 years to develop from start to finish.
2. Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is a mobile augmented reality (AR) game developed by Niantic in 2016. The development team consisted of around 300 people, and the game was designed using custom-built AR technology. Pokémon Go was launched on both iOS and Android platforms and quickly became one of the most popular games of all time. Pokémon Go took approximately 2 years to develop from start to finish.
3. Ingress
Ingress is a mobile augmented reality (AR) game developed by Google in 2013. The development team consisted of around 50 people, and the game was designed using the Unity game engine. Ingress was launched on both iOS and Android platforms and quickly became one of the most popular AR games of all time. Ingress took approximately 3 years to develop from start to finish.
Summary
Developing a mobile game can be a long and challenging process, but with careful planning and execution, it can also be incredibly rewarding. While the development time for a mobile game can vary widely depending on many factors such as the complexity of the game, the team size, and the resources available, the average development time for a mobile game project is around 7-20 months.
FAQs
Here are some common reasons why mobile game development projects take longer than expected:
- Lack of clear project goals and requirements
- Inadequate team size or skill level
- Unforeseen technical challenges or bugs
- Poor communication and collaboration within the team
