Looking to Become Indispensable Game Developer? Take a Note of Some Essential Software

By NIIT Editorial

Published on 21/05/2021

9 minutes

It has been decades that the gaming industry is wowing the users with a high level of entertainment. The significant evolution can be observed since the early days of computer games and the first versions of Nintendo and Atari. Gone are the days when pixelated screens and limited sounds were normal. Now, gaming has become way more realistic while imparting a lifelike experience to the gamers.

While the high-end games mesmerize people, the cost of creating the game encompassing all the intricacies has given birth to various complexities. Back then, investing millions into game development was unimaginable. However, with the technological advancements and change in time, games now cost tens and even hundreds of millions.

An Overview of the Gaming Market

Recent studies state that the global gaming market’s total worth was USD 162.32 billion in 2020. During the forecast period (2021-2026) it is estimated that the gaming market is about to reach the value of USD 295.63 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of nearly 10.5%. Game developers from across the globe are tremendously striving their best to augment the user’s experience by launching and rewriting codes for diverse consoles namely Playstation, Xbox, and Windows PC. Further, they are incorporated into one product provided to the gamers via a cloud platform.

The advent of cloud gaming is driving the market force and the recent advancements in cloud technology have completely transformed cloud gaming into reality. In cloud gaming, all the main computation work like game scene rendering, game logic processing, video encoding, and video streaming is done by the server where all the games are stored. Various renowned establishments like Onlive, G-Cluster, StreamMYGame, Gaikai, and many more are already offering great cloud gaming services, standing as a tough competition to the traditional market.

With that being said, gaming giants like Sega, Epic Games, Warner Bros, Ubisoft, Atari, Disney Interactive Studio, etc. are anticipating partnering with Onlive for distributing their games. Nvidia GeForce, in May 2020, too included 19 more games to their gaming library while announcing to add 18 new games further.

The other driving force of the gaming market is the adoption of other gaming platforms like Esports. Esports is a popular form of sports competition that is conducted using video games. This online gaming platform is witnessing a significant market demand currently and hence has managed to become a great driving force across the globe. Some of the examples are Riot Games with League of Legends and DotA 2. The origin-country in terms of revenues in the Esports business in South Korea. It also hosts one of the biggest tournaments in the world.

Furthermore, various startups are coming upfront, propelling huge market growth in this industry. One of the examples is a Canadian startup named Phoenix Rising Studio who is looking forward to becoming a new player in Esports with its ‘The Forge Arena’. One can easily download this game under similar models of Fortnite or Counterstrike.

Current Scenario of the Gaming World

The outbreak of the 2019 pandemic led to drastic changes in the entertainment industry. While people were confined to their homes, gaming became a go-to option to kill time and attain entertainment. According to a survey in March 2020, the gamers in the US were observed and they spent 45% more of their time playing video games during quarantine than before. Esports made billions during this situation. Even after the downturn of the pandemic, video game development has soared. It gained a lot of traction. Twitch, the world’s leading live streaming gaming platform, witnessed an upsurge in first-time downloads. While it rose to 14% in the US, Italy observed an astounding 41% increase.

Having said that, the demand for high-tech and intricate gaming is increasingly popular. And it’s fair enough to say that meeting such demands is only possible because of the extremely proficient gaming developers. They are assisted by various game development software that helps them in providing an exceptional gaming experience. Let’s have a look at some essential software that majorly contributes to video game development.

Essential Game Development Software

Quest

Quest is one of the basic game design programs that help people in making game applications. Especially, if you are a novice in this gaming industry then this is the perfect software for you. You can easily get free access to Quest through Windows and can export it to play online. One can even sell their Quest games as there are no commercial restrictions as such. To get started, use the design tool which will enable you to focus on creating a power-house narrative. Not only this, but Quest also lets you sharpen your in-game storytelling skills which is a plus. Moreover, this game development software allows you to create a text-based adventure game. This linear approach will help you in gradually learning all the game development intricacies.

Twine

This gaming software is an apt choice for people lacking skills or interest in coding. Twine provides you with the basic tools so that you can create your interactive fiction. Twine runs in your browser and on your desktop. The application can be used to create your own interactive stories and then export them directly as web pages. Once you are done with your story, you need to upload the HTML files to a web server and finally share them with the world. To support complex narratives, Twine takes care of features like variables and conditional logic. It also supports JavaScript, CSS, and images in case you would like to present your story as quite similar to standard interactive fiction.

Stencyl

Enough being said about text-based programs. Let’s discuss one of the most popular non-text-based gaming software. For people with non-coding backgrounds, this is a huge aid. Stencyl comprises a drag and drop interface that is easier to use, both functionally and aesthetically. People with some coding experience can explore Stencyl and augment the program’s capabilities to create code of their own. You can easily design the world by molding tile and terrain to your liking. Uploading your graphics for creating different game elements and actors and then tweaking them to make them perfect. Some examples are Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Construct 2

This is another impactful 2D game creation tool that enables you to publish to HTML5. Being designer-friendly for beginners, this program does not require any coding experience to complete the task. Construct 2 has tiered payment options but also lets you enjoy the free version where you can publish the game to the web. This gaming software has a showcase page that enhances the developed games using the program along with a tutorials page and a forum that will assist you in case of any issues you face. These are good resources for knowing how the other developers are using the software and to make you well-versed with the software.

RPG Maker

Rocket-propelled game (RPG) maker is the best fit to make RPGs. It has several different versions such as RPG Tsukuru Dante 98, RPG Maker 95, RPG Maker 2000, RPG Maker 2003, RPG Maker XP, RPG Maker VX, RPG Maker VX Ace, RPG Maker MV, and RPG Maker MZ. It is quite easy to use this program but even if you get stuck, there is a very helpful and professional community of users who will help you out. You can create pretty cool games by including music and stock character images.

Gamesalad

Here is one more option in the clan of free software. Using a drag and drop interface, Gamesalad lets you build a game speedily and you do not even need to put any effort into coding. Once you finish the game, the website might take about an hour and you can publish it to ‘almost every platform known to man’. You can check the coolest games in the ‘featured games’ section to have an idea of what other developers are using. Also, you can submit your creations to the Gamesalad team which will allow you to get your games featured on the program’s website.

Game Maker

Just like Gamesalad and other listed games, Game Maker also uses drag and drop and a code-free approach to design the game. You can either opt for a free version or a studio one which has a basic cost of $150 and keeps increasing if you want to explore more export options. Game Maker’s interface is easier to use yet has proved to be the most powerful too. If you combine the in-program ease-of-use with the experience backing the program’s forum community then this tool can do wonders in assisting you to make your code-free program.

The aforementioned are some of the essential software that will help you unleash the game developer in you.