2004 Web and Downloadable Games White Paper 

IGDA Online Games SIG 

IV.  Production and Design 

A. 

Introduction 

The web and downloadable segment of the game industry changes almost as rapidly as the web itself. 

Technology evolves, broadband usage increases, and every day, more and more players download their 

first game, or their fiftieth. In this section, we'll take a closer look at the production and design issues 

facing developers who are looking to make a successful title for this market. First, we'll explore the 

numerous constraints that affect the production of these types of games, the ways in which developing a 

title for this market differs from the development of a traditional retail title, and the risks inherent in these 

projects. From there, we'll take a closer look at game design issues, taking into account the target 

demographics, interaction patterns and interface, game mechanics and themes, as well as strategies for 

building player and brand equity.  

B. 

Production Issues 

There are numerous issues that should be considered when developing web and downloadable games.  

The following sections will discuss several of the most important ones.  

C. 

Project Constraints 

With their small scope, web and downloadable games provide a fantastic venue for exploring interesting 

core gameplay and the nuances of the balancing and tuning process. The lower financial stakes make it 

possible to explore a variety of innovative and unusual topics and game mechanics. However, even a 

small game can go wildly over budget and schedule without proper planning and management. 

Developers of web and downloadable game face numerous production constraints. 

1. 

Money 

Games developed for the web and downloadable market are typically smaller in scope than retail PC and 

console games. Project timelines are much shorter and budgets are smaller. Whereas it is not uncommon 

for a PC or console title to have a development budget of $5 10 million (US), downloadable games are 

typically produced for less than $50,000 USD. Publishers rarely pay advances for original downloadable 

titles, so the risk usually lies with the developer. Smaller budgets mean smaller teams in which each 

member must possess a diverse skill set. The implications of this are discussed in more detail below 

under  Process Differences .  

Marketing games (aka  advergames ) typically have a fixed budget that is restrictive relative to the 

desired deliverable. The clients who outsource these games are looking to get as much out of their 

budget as possible and may not have a particularly deep understanding of what it takes to develop a 

game. Skill games usually take the form of lightweight online games and have some additional 

constraints. 

2. 

File Size 

File size is an issue wherever digital distribution is concerned, and the mass market audience targeted by 

successful games in this space is especially sensitive to large downloads. The most downloaded titles are 

typically under 5 MBs, and there is a sharper drop off at 10 MBs. This is particularly relevant to those 

publishers who are looking to extend the lifespan of titles in their back catalog; titles that were originally 

designed for retail distribution are usually quite large in file size. The size constraints for web games are 

much smaller, with a 50 500KB initial download being the norm. 

3. 

Technology 

While hardware support is a concern for anyone developing computer games, it is particularly important 

for the casual market, where players typically are not interested in buying special equipment to make 

games run better. Developers should assume that their games are being played on machines that are a 

few years old and that were probably not even state of the art at the time of purchase. Sound and video 

cards are not as robust, processing speeds are slower, et cetera.  

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