Why We Prototype — Efficient Production Practices
While visuals, audio, and post-processing complete a game, prototyping is the core design time to make sure the game works and is fun. It is a fantastic time to add the core systems to the game and try different mechanics and strategies for your intended project without the extra hassle that the production stage brings in.
It is better to find the bugs early before they bleed into other faucets of the game!
Prototyping can also be used to determine if the project is worth completing. If the prototype is not engaging or fun to interact with, you can scrap a project in this stage you you did not spend all of the production time and money to end up shelving the product.
Video game development is expensive, with AAA titles often costing over $50,000,000 USDs to develop. Publishers do not want to waste that money to push out a poor product, or scrap a project that has been heavily invested in.
