The Bachelor's Degree in Animation and Video Games has been offered since 2010. It focuses on the development of narrative and visual design and art for animations and video games. Demand for this program grows every year, and 96% of graduates find employment in the field, as it belongs to an industry that continues to grow. The games we all know are constantly evolving and improving in quality, gameplay, features, and graphics—from classics like Snake, Tetris, and Super Mario Bros. to modern hits like Fortnite and EA Sports FIFA. Have you ever wondered what the process of creating a video game is generally like?
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“The first stage is pre-production,” says professor Álvaro Azofra. This stage begins (with nothing more and nothing less than) the idea: “it’s everything surrounding that initial idea: where the inspiration comes from, what kind of experience you want to convey, what it will be about—whether it will feature people fighting or dinosaurs flying”; and continues with the concept, which involves defining the narrative, the platform, the category, and the target audience. The concept “is a kind of refinement of the original idea, or the original brainstorming session, which will define as precisely as possible what the video game will be like.”
Once the video game concept has been defined as clearly as possible, the next stage is prototyping, which involves validating the gameplay and testing how the mechanics will work. “A video game prototype can be so simple that it doesn’t even have to be digital; it can be done with a pencil and paper, as long as this proves that the mechanics are correct and allows the game rules to be defined,” explains the professor.
Once the pre-production phase is complete, the production phase begins, which is divided into three areas: “art design: to make it look good; mechanical design: to make it entertaining; and programming: to ensure it works properly.” According to Azofra, these three tasks, which are divided among the game’s production team, lead first to the vertical cut: “the presentation of the game’s first screen or first screenshot. An experience of excellent quality, but just to see how it works.”
The vertical cut may also apply to the demo versions of some games, such as EA Sports FIFA, where you can play matches in excellent quality with certain teams and test the gameplay, but you cannot access the other offline and online modes included in the full version.
“Once the video game’s vertical cut has been tested, the production milestones are defined, which are the Alpha, Beta, and RC (Release Candidate) versions.”
In the Alpha version, the video game is nearly ready for release, featuring new screens, levels, and/or modes developed after the hard cut. The Beta version is where the popular “beta test” takes place: a more advanced version of the video game is released for a limited audience to test it for flaws and/or bugs (software errors).
According to Azofra, “In the beta version, the game is released with the disclaimer: ‘Keep in mind that it’s not finished yet; it may have bugs, and this ‘pre-release’ is intended to fix them.’ That doesn’t mean a video game is bug-free when it’s released—there’s always at least one left, like ‘when the dinosaur jumps on top of the ball, the game freezes.’ Many bugs are discovered by the users themselves once the game is available to the general public.”
Finally, the RC version is the final version, when the video game is ready for release and the marketing phase begins: “pre-launch, promotion, trailers, teasers, negotiations with the various retailers that will sell it, among other things. It depends on the size and prestige of the developer as to how early this phase should begin in order to reach the widest possible audience, because the goal is for people to be eagerly awaiting the game’s release on launch day.”
The instructor also points out that the creation and development of a video game do not end with its release; rather, depending on the specific case, the analysis and maintenance phase begins. This involves fixing bugs that may have gone unnoticed and the process of updates: continuing to enhance, expand, and refine the product over time. “After launch, we start receiving feedback from users: ‘The game freezes here,’ ‘It doesn’t work on this device,’ or ‘It doesn’t work with this graphics card.’ And, furthermore, we try to keep it relevant through updates, as is the case with Fortnite, which week after week introduces new events, new skins, and new missions to complete so that the game stays alive.”
“The Animation and Video Games program provides students with a comprehensive education in video game development, design, illustration, animation, and programming, along with the flexibility to focus on their preferred area. Some choose to focus on game experience and narrative, others on art design, and still others on both, with the goal of launching their own video game,” he concludes.
Learn more about the Bachelor's Degree in Animation and Video Games