The creation process of a video game requires the work of different types of professionals, such as technical operators, sound mixers and designers. The design process of a video game will vary according to the device manufacturer, the genre, visualization, and aimed platform.

However, although each type of game has different realization phases, the process of any video game takes 5 general steps: the creation of the game idea, the design, the planning, the production and the tests.

The creation of the game idea.

In this phase, the fundamental aspects of the video game are defined. These aspects are genre, playability level, and game sketches. To begin with, the designer will take a decision as regards genre. He will design the game in relation to the genre characteristics, or specify the differences. Then he will define its playability level. That is, the fun aspect of the game is identified. From this moment on, this aspect is emphasized as much as possible. Finally, the sketches are created. These initial ideas will form the basis for deciding the appearance and sonority of the characters and their environment.

Video game design.

In this phase, the elements that will make up the game will be determined. These elements include esthetic elements and those that allow the functioning of the game. For this reason this phase is subdivided into two parts.

Firstly, for the art design, the designers will take into consideration the game plot and, with this in mind, the way the characters will perform their roles. Secondly, the designers will also consider the sounds that will be used, including the characters’ voices, the surrounding sounds, sound effects, and background music. He will also determine the interface, that is, the way the GUI and HUG elements will look. Finally, the designer will consider the graphics. The decisive aspects of the game will be the dimensions, sprites, tiles and 3D models that will be used.

The design of the game mechanics will depend on the game general functioning. The genre and the way the virtual characters interact are the aspects to be analyzed in this phase of the process. The programming will configure the hardware that will be used to operate the game, that is, a PC, a console, a cell-phone or any other device. Each support requires a specific treatment and language.

Apart from this, in this phase UML diagrams are generated. These diagrams will determine the functioning, and the video game status as regards software. The end result of this design phase is a document that defines with precision the artistic, mechanical and programming specifications of the game.

Video game planning.

In this phase the procedures required to execute the game are identified. These tasks are distributed among the members of the team, the date on which the game will be executed and subsequent meetings are determined. The use of tools for activity organization, such as GANTT and PERT, is fundamental. If the planning is carried out properly, the chances that the game will be a success will be wider, as risks diminish considerably.

Video game production.

In this phase all that’s been planned during the planning phase is brought into reality, using as a guideline the design document. Software is coded; sprites, tiles and 3D models are created. Sounds, voices and music are recorded; and the keys to speed up the development are configured.

Video game testing.

This phase is very important for the creation process as this is when the mistakes made during the programming process are rectified. To do this two different types of tests are carried out: Alpha testing and Beta testing. The former is carried out by a group of people (artists, programmers, managers, etc), whose objective is to correct all the errors that the game may contain, taking into account the playability and the varieties it presents as regards design. Even when the planning process is flawless, the practical process generally presents problems. On the other hand, the Beta testing is carried out by an external group of players, that is, people that was not involved in the game development process. In this way, the group will work as an abstraction of the future target audience.