From game development to 3D-app-development
Why do programmers eventually get tired of developing games, and why do they then find joy in 3D apps?
The transition from games to application development may seem like a long leap, but can actually be quick. One reason to switch may be that the games industry is quite a competitive market. The environment is never really consistent enough and there is no fixed end goal.
For example, there are often hordes of ideas that sound great in theory - but after implementation they come across quite lackluster. Other projects, on the other hand, turn 180 degrees and the intention to develop a 2D mobile game for Android led to a 3D computer game.
After a while, you just get tired of it. Not because developing games isn't exciting, most of the time you just want something more challenging and fresh. This article should give you some insights.
The ungrateful work of a game dev
One of the most frustrating aspects of working in game development is the unorganized development environment. Sometimes it feels like our time and effort is wasted. We often write lines of code that are never used later. There is such a wide variety of creative ideas to implement: flying monsters, swimming monsters, four-legged monsters, big monsters, small monsters. We work on these things for weeks, get them done, then a product owner says, "You know what ... these whole monsters are somehow stupid. We're not taking them anymore."
Quality over quantity
When you prioritize quantity over quality, your code can become very messy very quickly. This can make it hard for other developers on your team to understand what's going on. And then, on top of that, you need to add new features and gameplay mechanics. There's hardly any time left for anything else.
App development usually looks quite different. Cleaner, readable, and more organized code is often a top priority. This makes a developer's life much easier.
Education
App-Development is a valuable privilege that allows you to have access to great mentors and leaders who appreciate your personal development.
In the development of any sort of mobile games, it is usually the case that one works on projects as quickly as possible in succession. If users find a project to be appealing, then maybe the developer will stay on it for a little while longer—but any sort of further education or deepening is very rarely mentioned. The process is almost always like this: the game designer has an idea, the team discusses it for a few days, and then the developers try to implement the project as quickly as possible. Rinse and Repeat.
Unity at “non-game-development”
Unity is a great engine for mobile games, but it can be used for any 3D applications. The engine supports multiple platforms and is not too difficult to learn. You don't even need any programming skills to do some basic things. It's easy to get started, but hard to master - there's a lot to learn. With some other engines, you quickly reach a point where you can't go any further. With Unity, it only really starts after two weeks.
Creating a user interface can be quite easy if you don't have any special requirements. But a completely custom user interface requires a bit more work. The main programming language used is C#, but the transition can be relatively easy if you already have other skills with Java or C++.
Exciting and meaningful projects
App development work is usually much more interesting and challenging than game development. For example, an application that is intended to help people find their way around large buildings such as shopping malls, airports or hospitals: all the map material should be made available to the user as quickly and easily as possible when they enter the building. Spatial coordinates need to be set, points of interest need to be placed on the map, and the user's location needs to be accurately calculated at all times. One of the main concerns - and at the same time one of the biggest points of the project - is a stable software architecture for the entire project, which can also be maintained over many years.
To sum up
This article should only illustrate some interesting points and is by no means to be understood as a complete treatise on the subject.
Making the switch from game development to app development can be a long and difficult process, but it is worth it in the end. With 3D app development, you and your team will have many more opportunities open to you. There may be some challenges along the way, but these only make the journey more exciting!
