Online VS PC Games Development

We enjoy playing games, but often forget the amount of effort that goes in making them. Some games take months, demand a large budget, and pay special attention to graphics as eye-candy attracts potential customers. Others shift their focus towards gameplay and storyline. Popular sports games like FIFA or NBA are pretty straightforward story-wise and sports fans who love betting on their favorite matches with the help of Bet365, for example, don’t expect anything different in these games. Other games, however, are much different.

There is a considerable overlap between online games and PC games, but we are going to talk a little bit what makes them different from each other.

The (In)Complete Product

PC games are often envisioned as single-player games. With that in mind, they tend to focus on the story of the game. If you buy a PC game that has no access to an online community, you can rest assured that playing the game will not cause you to lose any time on updates, patches, and bug fixes. Once you buy a PC game, that’s it – you own it. Some games have DLC, or downloadable content.

Online games often require constant maintenance. It is not just a code you can burn on a DVD, it is the code that changes constantly for the sake of keeping the customers engaged. In MMORPGs, there is a need to keep the game balanced and interesting. Some characters are stronger and better equipped to deal with missions than others and this begs constant tweaking of the characters’ abilities to prevent the game from becoming monotonous. While PC games are a one-time product, online games store most of their info on different servers and many of them are free with in-game purchases.

The Simplicity

Online games are, generally, more complex. However, there is an exception to that rule, in the form of browser and mobile games. Since browsers can’t handle as much data as computers, simple character designs and flash animation are what drives this product home. Some developers place their games on promotional platforms to gain exposure and learn.

Indie Games

Indie games are simple PC games. Over the years, game engines have become more affordable. This is how indie games came to be. Instead of hiring a large team of coders, designers, and modelers, if you want to make your own game, you can pay for the game engine and download the designs. Indie games pushed their way into the spotlight with the horror genre, but have since expanded.

Overlapping

Essentially, to make a game, you need an idea. After that, there is the issue of game mechanics and, finally, design. The process is basically the same, whether you want a 2D game or an intricate MMORPG. The only differences between the two come in the form of resources and how long you wish for your game to be in the public’s eye. Both PC and online games can be either simple or complicated.