Common mistakes of the novice app developer to avoid
If you are into gaming and technology, then the odds are that at one point or another you have contemplated making your own game app. They are popular, they are in demand, and what would be greater than having a game that actually provides you with revenue? You get the software, you develop your app, but the game does not do well. Why is this? Here are three common mistakes that the novice game app developer makes which keeps them from ever selling their game app.
1. Your game is like all the rest available
The number one thing that stops a game from being desirable is that it is too cliché. Regardless of whether or not the game is 2D or is based on 3D models, if it is too much like another game, people will simply go with the more popular option. Do you remember Flappy Birds? After its popularity there was an overabundance of games available which mimicked the game app. However, most of these games have fallen by the wayside.
Choose a game that has something unique and addictive to play. Yes, you can build upon something which has already been created so long as you do not infringe on copyright laws. As a matter of fact it is advised that you do so and add that unique twist. What you want to avoid is mirroring a game app. Most gaming platforms have a forum of some kind for their developers. Do not be afraid to use the forum to find out what gamers want. The phone gaming market is different from the traditional gamer market (such as PS4 and x-box). Where the traditional gamer wants the open world concepts and very high 3D interactivity, the phone market will want something engaging but not taxing on their data plan. Use the forums to find what people want, create a storyboard, and move forward.
2. You forgot to debug the program
An app has to work. Period. And although the program may function well, games which have long loading times may be perceived as faulty. This is the first area you need to check. Secondly, If you have a game application that only works on one platform but crashes on other programs, it will be a failure. Always test your game out on various platforms with various processing. Try if you can to test your program on 2G, 3G, and 4G phones both Android and iPhone to ensure that you maximize the amount of people who can use your app.
In addition to you personally testing the game app, use an actual debugging program. There are several which are available. Of course, the more professional the software is, the finer tuned your program will be. Finally, do Alpha and Beta testing on your app so that real world users can notify you of any bugs. Once notified fix the problem quickly. Lags in development and fixes can quickly ruin your game app.
3. The content used for the development of the game has a high polygon count
If you think of your phone as a miniature computer (which in most cases it is) and you keep the processing and the storage in mind, it makes since that the game has to be optimized to the phone. Yet, in many cases the novice game developer will use the best looking 3D models but not the best suited models in their games. Unity and other game engines have reduced the probability of using objects which are too high poly for a phone.
As a game developer, choose low polygon models from the beginning. Most 3D CGI purchasing sites allow for you to specify that you want a game 3D model, character, tree, prop, or effect. The lower the poly count the quicker the game will perform. Remember, the more stuff that is in the game the slower the game will perform. The last thing that you want is for your game to be glitch, for the character to have unnatural movements, or for the phone to freeze up/lock up on the user.
The bottom line
The key to having your successful game is the same as any endeavor that you take on. Do it to the best of your ability. Plan what you want to produce, research to see if there are similar games on the market, think of a unique twist on the game which will make your game more desirable than that which is available, and develop it fully. If you are using a free game development software, take the time to understand how that program works and the requirements of the 3D models and assets so that your game is optimized for performance.
