How Long Does It Take You to Complete a Game?

AnunnakiCreatorsAnunnakiCreators Member Posts: 54
edited December 2011 in Working with GS (Mac)
I have been trying to optimize my workflow for creating games as fast as I can and I have been asking members about their workflows.

• How long on average does it take you to complete a game?
• How many people (if any) do you have assisting you?
• How many games/apps do you have out to date?

Comments

  • SlickZeroSlickZero Houston, TexasMember, Sous Chef Posts: 2,870
    For me, an average is about 3 months. Could easily be stretched out to 6 with a little procrastination.
    I'm the only one.
    I have 3 apps out to date.
    Warning There was an error rendering this rich post.
  • mu-kowAPPSmu-kowAPPS Member Posts: 233
    My first game completed last night, 5 months in the making. 1 person (artist) assisting, only with art/buisness/concept/social media.

    Only thing I can say is to try to storyboard as much of your app as possible before even touching GS.
  • MotherHooseMotherHoose Member Posts: 2,456
    @mu-kowAPPS said:
    … Only thing I can say is to try to storyboard as much of your app as possible before even touching GS.
    1+

    MH
  • calvin9403calvin9403 Member Posts: 3,186
    my first app took me about 3 months(I think I can do it in 3 days now)

    but I don;t have time on my second one:(

    Calvin
  • macewanmacewan Member Posts: 214
    Currently I'm only working with templates to speed my development cycle. First game took awhile - months. Second game took up to two months. Both were purchased as templates. I think the rules have changed as to discussions about templates so I'll link to the official GameSalad template page. http://marketplace.gamesalad.com/#category=13

    Assistance for me would be from the template provider and an artist.

    At the moment I have two games out. Both were just updated. Time between submitting both games both times to iTunes and acceptance was 7 days flat. Both can be found here. http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/macewan/id449009869 *for what it's worth
  • imGuaimGua Member Posts: 1,089
    1. Years...
    2. 0
    3. 0

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  • Braydon_SFXBraydon_SFX Member, Sous Chef, Bowlboy Sidekick Posts: 9,273
    1. I haven't released my game yet, but I has taken me about 3 months. I have not always worked on my game during that time. Sometimes I take some time off, just to clear the air.

    2. I am the only one.

    3. I already stated in my first response.

    My GameSalad Academy Courses! ◦ Check out my quality templates! ◦ Add me on Skype: braydon_sfx

  • AnunnakiCreatorsAnunnakiCreators Member Posts: 54
    edited December 2011
    My first game took around a month. And my second game took 2 weeks. I guess from the sounds of it I am on a good pace. I guess the only difference is this is my "job". I don't work on anything else, but these games. Things that help me are:

    1. Art Library that I have build over a few years. Characters, backgrounds, objects that I have used in everything from flash games to current day apps.

    2. Learning traditional programming. I think even though GameSalad promotes that you don't have to know code, I think in order to fully take advantage of the software you will have to understand at least programming structure. Coming from xCode to GameSalad it was really easy programing wise to pick up on the software. But then again frustrating because I know what is missing that NEEDS to be added to the game engine.

    3. Keeping a library of code snippets that I have used in GameSalad. An example would be code for various menu styles. Pretty much after you make up your mock up its plug and play.

    4. Like previously stated STORYBOARDING, STORYBOARDING, STORYBOARDING. I remember stating out programing with out storyboarding or creating a programing algorithm. It's a nightmare. I think out of all the advice that someone gave me this was the best advice for creating apps.

    I am not really fond of templates. I just don't like using them, however, I like seeing how they have them programmed and improve on my own structure for that style of game. I think they should change the names from templates to structure plans. Because there is nothing worse then seeing someone use a template verbatim. Of course I am picky so its my personal view on templates.

    My goal is to create an app within a week. This goal is not meant for all games of course, but for a classical style arcade game this sounds reasonable in my mind. Ex. games like Space Invaders, Fall Down, Pac Man the ones where you start out on an easy level one and it progresses till the game becomes near impossible (or flips I think that would be neat to do for a game). When I go to do this I want to track my progress to help others out. I'm sure everyone would like to cut their development time from 3 months to 2 or 1 lol.
  • DigiChainDigiChain Member, PRO Posts: 1,288
    So Anunnaki... what games are you actually creating? Please post some links.
  • cobras61cobras61 Member Posts: 41
    i finished my app in 3 days
  • AnunnakiCreatorsAnunnakiCreators Member Posts: 54
    The two apps that I made is in my profile. Arm Wrestling Champ. I was getting used to what all GameSalad can do/can't do by redoing a flash game I created. This app took me the month of November. The next app Save Rudolph I wanted to see how quickly I can make an app from scratch and test holiday themed apps in the app store. The Mac App store version is already done and submitted, just tweeting some bugs I got when porting it to the iPhone version.

    Cobras61 thats amazing! Mind sharing some secrets on your speedy time and what game you created so fast?
  • zapposhzapposh Member Posts: 65
    First game: 6 weeks of pre-production and production, then 2 weeks of only testing. Work alone.

    After this I drew the line and contemplated for a moment if it was worth a shot making games quickly. I almost immediately came to the conclusion that most "quick shots" are reheated clones of reheated clones of yet again some more clones, usually with some sort of personalized graphics.
    Now, if you're passionate about making games and receive great pleasure in doing so, and want others who buy them to feel that way too about what you've created, then IMHO, this is absolutely NOT the way to go.

    I don't say it's not possible to make a great game in a week, but even if you have the simplest visuals and concept in the world, even then you need to go through an immense time of testing and fine-tuning the best possible gameplay method.
  • CloudsClouds Member Posts: 1,599
    First game, three quarters of an hour.

    "Box Move™"©

    Move a box left and right in this exciting new box moving game, minutes of fun for all the family.
  • applaudmobileapplaudmobile Member Posts: 208
    edited December 2011
    3 weeks up to 4 months

    Work on my own - art, music and "coding"

    3 apps to date - Scupper board game (looked nice, boring to play), Repeeto (mild success not bad for 2nd app), Skware (fun game IMHO but lost in app store oblivion) - 2 games in pipeline

    @tynan minutes of fun - haha
  • JPickardJPickard Member Posts: 477
    I don't know yet. One year and counting...
  • firemaplegamesfiremaplegames Member Posts: 3,211
    @zapposh +1
  • POMPOM Member Posts: 2,599
    edited December 2011
    "Box Move™"© :D
    That's a good one !

    Siriously now, it takes a lot of time to make a good game, and even longer to make a great game .
    Testing alone took me more than a month in my recent game, and that's before bugs fixing and fine tuning..

    I think that a simple game can take about 3 months, but complicated games can even take a full year to make!
    I'm currently making a very big project and my prediction is that it will take about 6 months (totally) to complete it.
    Few more months to go ;)

    Roy.
  • ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
    Could make a game from as little as a week to as much as a year... All comes down to quality for me.
  • AnunnakiCreatorsAnunnakiCreators Member Posts: 54
    It's all about branding to me. Some people reach for the highest apples in hopes for an "Angry Bird" hit. Other's try to capitalize off the apples already off the ground. Right now I want to optimize gathering the apples off the ground.

    For the quick apps there is no point in reinventing the wheel, scrollers, puzzle games, and arcade style games have always been "hits" because they are addicting and fun to play. Luckily for us they are easy to make, this is where my optimization question comes in :) Get quick apps out, while working on my main project, which would obviously have no time limit. And believe me I do have some big dreams here, seriously what kid doesn't grow up wishing they could make games?? I had a book of games I was going to make chalk full of winning ideas!

    Everyone has heard if you build it then they will come. Unfortunately the Field of Dreams Theory doesn't apply here. Whether you have the world's greatest app or not it will all come down to marketing in the end. It would sound better obviously to say I have release 10 games to date then this is my first game. This will also let be build an app network so when I go to release the "main app" I have several other apps that might only have 100-1000 users directly pointed to my new app via a splash screen.

    Thanks for all the great responses so far guys!
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