About Session
Applying just a few best practices for code and design to a game during development, regardless of project budget, can make a huge difference in the amount of work required to bring the game to new platforms in the future. Changes to allow for the potential of wider platform distribution isn’t just a win for the future of a project, but also manages technical debt that is beneficial to even single platform projects as they near release.
Abstracting platform specific details from game logic with specific flexible approaches, especially with logic pertaining to users, save data, and platform features, makes current development faster and future platforms a viable commercial decision. Whether working with a specialist team or tackling the work within your own studio, making small changes early and being aware of the process, releasing a project on additional platform can be a process measured in weeks rather than months, cutting costs and helping streamline release marketing.
This talk would go over common pitfalls and complications when bringing a project to multiple platforms, primarily console development but also mobile and desktop platforms. Using the multitude of experiences Laundry Bear has accumulated while helping to bring dozens of games to market, the talk would address the most common issues that arise during the entire process. Starting with common technical and design issues and how to avoid them early, followed by techniques to minimize technical debt to allow smooth post launch support, and finally an overview of key release management steps and timelines from content lock to release.
