VR Game Improvement: Different Stages, Facts and Costs of VR Game Development

A whole new world awaits you there if you ask yourself about using virtual reality and how it can improve our lives. However, most are still in the early stages of development and launch, with the exception of virtual reality (VR) games, which have created a comfortable space and marketplace for users and developers alike. According to Grand View Research, VR Game development is creating a buzz in the gaming industry.

Given how successful it has been, virtual reality games are sure to be popular in the future as many of them test the waters. This process often begins by considering the costs associated with developing virtual reality games. Fundamental analysis of duration and cost is essential for effective resource management after project commencement.

In this blog post, we will break down the costs of developing a virtual reality game into easy-to-understand steps to help you make the right decision.

Different stages and costs of VR game development

Idea phase

Idea and vision are two aspects that make or break a game before it even begins to develop. A lot of time and energy is spent doing the necessary research, gathering facts, player research, project feasibility, competitive technology, etc.

The game document created as a result of this phase serves as a charter for the entire project. Ideally, customers, lead engineers, lead designers, senior executives and project managers are involved in this phase. The development wheel is only activated when the idea phase has generated trust among customers, managers, and manufacturers.

Prototype

This is the pre-development phase where pre-design and development is done to conceptualize the project. Conceptualization of this prototype or model is needed to lay the foundation for the final product. It usually involves developing the game's plot, characters, game landscape, and basic principles or guidelines.

Programmers, designers and other artists are some of the people involved in this phase. Decisions about game graphic design are of the utmost importance when developing game documents. Virtual reality games have popular graphic categories such as 360 camera, 2D graphics, 3D graphics, photorealistic images and many more.

Development

The most time-consuming and expensive phase in any game development cycle (marketing sometimes exceeds this price but is considered a post-development expense) is development. A large team of designers, artists and developers worked together to bring this game to life.

- Custom Development Tools - Specialized software and tools for developing expensive virtual reality games. Apart from that, resources like Gohar VR, Unity, UE4 and others. You need experienced developers who have experience working with them to get the most out of the various features of this technology.

- Hardware expert - Virtual reality games have a huge cost to buy hardware (devices like HTC Vive, Gear VR, etc.). The increasing complexity and complexity of games often requires hiring hardware experts for virtual reality.

- Audio experts - background music, show sounds, character voices, etc. add charm to the game, add emotion and elements of reality to the game. The choice between using standard sounds or creating originals by audio artists determines the price of game audio.

- The cost of server or cloud storage space is also an additional cost for developers to develop games.

Test

The importance of comprehensive testing cannot be overstated for any stage of development, let alone for something as complex and large as a virtual reality game.

A team of game testers - generals and specialists - have been hired to push the game to its limits and produce comprehensive bug reports. Virtual reality game testers should also have experience working with dedicated virtual reality hardware. Testing is also a time consuming and expensive development phase (less than the development phase), but it is very important. For some virtual reality games, this can easily add up to 25% of the total project cost.

After development

A successful start to the game does not mean the end of the cost for the customer.

- Publishing and Marketing are two important chapters for spending in this category. Online and offline advertising, promotional events such as game marathons, competitions, festivals, etc. are among the most expensive activities.

- Version - the loyal audience of the game always demands something new - new levels, characters, accessories, etc. - which require extensive game updates or new version releases in general. These updates are billed according to the hours set by developers, testers, and so on.

- Non-development costs - accounting, legal, patents, translations, permits, licenses, etc. fall into this category.

- Ongoing costs - Technical support for users, game support and maintenance are some of the common cost factors involved in keeping the game experience error and problem free after launch.

Non-development fee

Apart from the costs incurred in the game development phase, other key factors also play a key role in determining the cost of developing virtual reality games. As:

- Developer's geographic location

- Development studio reputation

- Years of experience in virtual reality development

"The timeline is broken."

- Desired game quality

- Game genres (single player, multiplayer, AAA, etc.)

- Activate special functions

Software development costs vary widely around the world. Offshore software development has become a cottage industry in India, Asia, and Latin America, where developers often work for a penny for a dollar, and with the quality of the work they do. India is currently the center of game outsourcing.

Conclusion

Average prices for basic virtual reality games can be around $10,000, with medians ranging from $30,000 to $100,000 and AAA or multiplayer virtual reality games in the millions. This total development cost increases as the customer visualizes a more complex or better project.

Virtual reality game development costs cannot be determined without details such as game classification, development platform, features, etc. There will always be last minute changes or unexpected expenses. However, this does not mean that it is impossible to get a suitable number. According to the sources, unreal game development is creating a boom in the gaming industry!