The world of gaming is a fascinating realm where creativity meets technology. As the creator of the Civilization strategy game Sid Meier so aptly put it, "A game is a series of interesting choices." Indeed, with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in mobile apps, gamers are now presented with countless opportunities to make immersive and engaging choices. With over 3.24 billion gamers worldwide, according to Statista, the gaming industry is growing relentlessly.
Game Design vs Game Development: What's the Difference?
As a leading game development company, Whimsy Games has extensive experience in both game design and development. In this article, we'll delve into the world of game creation, exploring the creative process of game designing and the technical process of game development.
What is Game Designing?
Game designing is an analytical and creative process that involves planning, building concepts, creating characters, settings, levels, and internal details. It's akin to scriptwriting in the film industry, where screenwriters create the idea of a movie and inhabit its reality with characters. Similarly, game designers build a game reality as a foundation for future development. They collaborate closely with technical specialists throughout the development period, focusing on visual creation and graphic styling.
Key elements of game production implemented by designers include:
- Analysis of the target audience
- Working on the idea, concept, and script
- Defining the game's genre and virtual world
- Inventing characters
- Setting goals for the game
- Establishing levels, restrictions, and rules
- Working on gameplay details
What is Game Development?
Game development transcends mere coding; it's a comprehensive blend of art and technology. It involves integrating game porting services to extend a game's reach across multiple platforms, enhancing its accessibility and audience engagement. Developers employ specialized software to craft intricate computer graphics, breathtaking special effects, and robust functionality.
Multiple responsibilities of game developers include:
- Writing efficient code
- Creating or using an appropriate open-source game engine (Unity, CryEngine, etc.)
- Tracking and eliminating bugs
- Animating all elements of the game relying on physical laws
- Designing and implementing displayed features (interface, menus, etc.)
- Ensuring everything works properly
Key Differences Between Game Design and Game Development
Raising the question of game designer vs game developer, we find that they differ in many ways. While both share a single niche and final goal, they have different qualifications, goals, and responsibilities.
Different Qualifications
Game designers are creative engines of game production, understanding the target audience's needs and having tons of ideas to make the game successful and interesting. Developers are technical gurus with high-level hard skills, providing all levels of production.
Different Goals
Design aims to find a perfect concept, create an amazing world, and make gameplay outstanding and meaningful. Development translates design ideas and makes them real, aiming for flawless technical performance that matches the original idea.
Game Development vs Game Design: What's the Difference?
To summarize the distinction between game design and game development, here is a comparison table:
| Job | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Game Designer | Analytical and creative process of planning, building concepts, creating characters, settings, levels, and internal details. |
| Game Developer | Comprehensive blend of art and technology, integrating game porting services to extend a game's reach across multiple platforms. |
Salary
Gaming industry specialists' salaries differ depending on experience, job title, education, company size and location, and specialization area.
The average annual and hourly salaries for game designers and developers are:
- Game Designer: $65,000 - $80,000 per year, $31.25 - $38.46 per hour
- Game Developer: $70,000 - $90,000 per year, $33.85 - $43.08 per hour
By understanding the difference between game design and game development, you'll be better equipped to navigate the world of gaming and unlock the secrets of AI in mobile apps.