When we switch on our PCs or gaming devices, it’s hard to imagine that it’s a billion dollar industry. $18.4 billion in 2017 alone, to be exact. With graphics, sound, and storylines all equally important to serious gamers, it takes a small army of people to put a game together. Although one person can wear many hats when it comes to game designing and developing, it requires various departments to see it through to the end.
The One-Man Show
It’s hard to believe that some of the most iconic games of our time were the brainchild of mere individuals. Games such as Braid by Jonathan Blow and Minecraft by Markus Persson didn’t require an entire fleet of staff members to conceptualize and only required one person at the helm to see it through from start to finish. Today, these games rank among some of the most played games of all time. Others that didn’t make the list, include Dust and Fez.
Teams That Do It All
From games that relied on only one person to see it through to the end, to teams that not only work on the games but can also conceptualize the film side of things. Guys such as former bigwig at Sekretagent Productions, Dooma Wendschuh launched video games like Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Assassin’s Creed. After the success of these games and others, they had the opportunity to dabble in film and allow their production team to zero in on roles and responsibilities that could easily transition between the two.
More Than Just The Standard Team
Just like films with big budgets and even bigger production teams, there are games that have the same sense of grandeur. Games such as Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption are known for their massive production teams. More than 1,000 crew members worked on these games and it’s usually a combination of smaller studios that come together to work on the different parts of the games. The investment in the development paid off, as these games are some of the most popular games around the world.
It doesn’t always take the biggest production crew or budget to make a game work. All it takes is to conceptualize something that will entertain for hours. Simple games that are highly playable tend to have a solid fan following and include the likes of the most popular game on the planet, Tetris. This is great motivation for those who want to get their work out there, but are concerned about the production process.
