The Iceberg Economics of Game Development - Wrap Up
Unless you are building a single player, offline game with premium monetization on just the PC platform, the cost to design and build the core gameplay is just the tip of the iceberg.
CATCH UP
If you have come along for the ride, thank you. If you just started here, please feel free to go back and read any or all of these.
Whatever path brought you here, there is a hi resolution diagram below that captures all the things mentioned in the series. I hope it can serve as a guide to anyone wanting to avoid forgetting critical steps in their game development journey.
The format of the diagram reflects how much there is to game development outside of the core of the game. I expect this diagram to evolve as additional items get brought up, so it will only get busier. And it is already heckin' busy.
To state this clearly - there is often way more work outside of the core gameplay development than you think. Whether it is outer loop features, human development, privacy laws, brand management, or live service infrastructure, doing it wrong will hurt. The only question is, "when does the procrastination bill come due."
WRAP UP
To be fair, every outer slice on the wheel deserves a rich unpacking of detail. I suspect there is at least a novella in every one of the fifteen major groups. But doing that would mean embarking on a book.
Don't get me wrong, my brain wants to go down that road. But I felt that these ideas needed airing now because of the current game development environment.
So, here it is, the complete Iceberg Wheel of game economics. 🙂