In 2022, the video game development industry has undergone a series of severe changes associated with the gradual transition to the new internet iteration — Web 3.0. Innovations in blockchain development, the cryptocurrency market, and metaverse building have affected the way audiences perceive gaming. However, is the discussion about dimensions still relevant?
Is it enough to develop a 2D game in 2022 and start harvesting all the benefits as your product goes viral? In this article, we’ll shed light on the debate over how many dimensions your game should occupy on the screens of players as well as how to prepare all the assets effectively to start developing.
In case you don’t feel confident enough about creating your three-dimensional game, you can always address a 3D art studio to make your game truly stand out. And now, let’s get started!
Insight Into the Role of Dimensions in Game Development
It’s no secret that initial gaming was limited to 2 dimensions only thanks to the lack of computing power of original hardware built primarily for a scientific purpose. Nowadays, even the cheapest smartphones with weak CPUs can render 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI). In light of the statistical data proving the evolution of mobile gaming, today, you can develop 2D or 3D video games for a smartphone and become equally successful.
Now the question of whether to opt for 2 or 3 dimensions is chiefly related not to hardware limitations but the genre and style of your future game, let alone a target audience. There are already a plethora of 2D games that have gone viral, bringing huge commercial success to their development. On this list, you may notice Stardew Valley, Rayman Legends, Cuphead, and the like, not to mention classic titles like Super Mario.
What Are the Development Differences Between 2D and 3D?
In terms of production, there’s a broad spectrum of differences between working with 2 and 3 dimensions in game development.
- Team building. If you purport to create a two-dimensional game, you won’t need to hire 3D technical artists, but you may require more 2D specialists.
- Already-made assets availability. Working with three dimensions may sometimes prove even more straightforward than preparing 2D graphics because online marketplaces are replete with well-polished game assets ready to be integrated into a game engine. Moreover, quite frequently, these are often free or sufficiently cheap.
- Time spent on optimization. In case you’ve resolved to opt for a 2D game, it’s easier to optimize it for various platforms, inasmuch as it will be ready for mobile, console, or PC gaming almost right out of the box.
- Pipeline complexity. In 3D game development, you’ll need to apply a more multifaceted approach because, unlike 2D art production as well as animation, 3D modeling requires you to carry out retopology, rigging, and skinning before starting to animate the joints.
- Financial resources. Even if you go with low-poly 3D graphics, the production is usually more expensive compared to 2D art preparation.
How to Choose the Number of Dimensions for Your Game?
Since 2D games are becoming more popular in the indie segment of the industry, 3D remains a more ambitious initiative. However, you can always choose to create one 2D and another 3D game to cover the needs of a larger audience of players. Professional studios like 3D-Ace are always ready to help you with art production, whether 2D or 3D.
To optimize your resource allocation for the upcoming game project, you can either extend your in-house team or outsource the production to an art outsourcing agency. As a rule, these already have everything set up and prepared to start working on the assets for your future masterpiece.
