Fighting Game Development Agency
At Pearl Lemon Games we develop and collaborate on a lot of different video games across almost every genre known to the game. However, if pushed, it would probably be fair to say that our work as a fighting game development agency is often some of the work we enjoy the most.
Maybe that’s because, for most of our team, those are the games we enjoy most as players. Or because the challenge of bringing a truly great fight experience to life is a unique one and one we really love to sink our teeth into.
Whatever the reasons, the one thing we do know for sure is that if you have an idea for a combat-based game, for any platform, and you need help bringing that vision to life, we are the best fighting game development agency you could turn to.
As a leading fighting game development agency, we are often asked what we think makes a great fighting game, and how we think the challenges of developing such games should be addressed.
These questions often come from people who have an idea for a great fighter but are unsure how, or even if, they should go about developing it, especially as to some, fighting games as a genre have seemed to lose ground to shooters. To help you understand how we ‘think’ as a fighting game development agency, here’s a look at some of our team’s opinions on fighting game development, and how we think we can help develop a great one.
Engagement Before Balance
Many video game creators view the genre of fighting games as overly challenging, and the idea of balancing all the factors that go into one looks like a daunting endeavor they are not eager to embark on.
These developers are putting the cart before the horse by doing this. Even if your fighting game is well balanced, it won’t matter if no one plays it. At E3, nobody exclaims, “Oh, that looks like a perfectly balanced fighter! I’ll absolutely buy that.
Whether or not the game appears to be enjoyable will determine interest and further sales. Naturally, presentation is important, but making a fighting game exciting and engaging is what attracts players and encourages them to recommend it to their friends.
Early emphasis on balance can have a negative effect on how your game evolves. When developing fresh ideas, worrying about balance can cause you to choose too conservatively at first. And as a result, your concepts end up being diluted as the development cycle progresses.
As the project progresses, game development will be about enhancing and bringing systems together. It IS challenging to gradually make an initially simple idea more complex, but as fighting game developers we love that. So bring us your wild and crazy fighting game ideas, we love a challenge!
You Need Great Animation
You need outstanding animation to develop an excellent fighting game. Actually, there is no way to get around this requirement. A simple animation is an option. Low polygon characters are possible. You could use small sprites. Animation with few frames is possible. Stepped animation is even an option.
However, poor animation is not an option. This is due to the close relationship between fighting game animation and game feel. The visual effects, sound effects, hit pause, camera effects, and other game-feel features provide the dressing for your fighting game’s animation, which serves as its framework.
Work with Pearl Lemon Games as your fighting game development agency and you can be sure that the animation work will be as smooth, cohesive, and engaging as it needs to be to engage players in believable combat they will enjoy.
You Need Memorable Characters
Some of the best fighting games are indies, and as indie game development is right in our wheelhouse, we work on indie fighting game development most often. And while involved, spiraling storylines are rarely a part of a modern fighter game, the characters do still really matter.
Character individuality must be infused into the fighting gameplay itself. Design and animation are not merely for attaching hitboxes and going from point A to point B. Designing your character’s attacks, moves, and even resting animations should reflect their personality or preferred gameplay style.
For example, players would expect a fighting monk’s character would be adaptable and fluid. They might anticipate that a character in a steampunk robot costume would move more stiffly. Without ever reading a single word of the story narrative, it’s crucial that these distinctions are conveyed in-game because they enable players to connect with your characters and pick their favorites. Which is the basic premise of every great fighting game.
At Pearl Lemon Games, we listen to our client’s ideas, especially on characters and character development, and do our best to bring those ideas to believable life. We also work with seasoned creatives who can provide new inspiration and ideas if we start to run out.
Our game historians (yes, we have those) can help us understand what has made the most successful fighting games so popular and how we can develop a fighting game taking some of those as inspiration without ever creating a cheap clone. And our available army of game testers tells us if we are getting it right as the fighting game development process progresses.
You Need to Consider Going Cross Platform
The best fighting game development no longer happens in a vacuum or should be limited to development for a single console or game type. Mobile, VR, and (obviously) PC are as suited to the fighting game experience as the big-name consoles, and developing a cross-platform fighting game is increasingly the best way to go, especially for small game publishers looking to compete with the big boys.
Cross-platform fighting game development allows you to reach – and engage – the widest possible audience for your game. You can also build a loyal fan base if they can fight their way through your game in just the way they prefer when they prefer it.
In the past, cross-platform fighters have been too expensive and complicated for many small game publishers to even consider developing. However, when you work with an experienced fighting game development agency like Pearl Lemon Games, that is no longer the case.
Our fighting game development teams have the skills and vision to develop a cross-platform fighter that can be deployed to mobile marketplaces, played on VR headsets, booted up on PCS and Macs, utilized as a console fighter, and even as a browser-based game. We are experienced in developing games using every popular game engine and in choosing the ones best suited to each individual project.
You'll Need to Market Your Fighting Game
No matter how fantastic a fighting game is, it is worthless if nobody knows about it. Even the best fighting games can often fall flat in the marketplace because of poor marketing strategies, which are just as crucial as the game’s development.
Pearl Lemon Games is fortunate to have access to the abilities and talents of the teams at the Pearl Lemon Group’s other member companies, including an outstanding sales team at Pearl Lemon Leads, one of the best public relations firms in London, Pearl Lemon PR, and the many talents at one of London’s leading digital marketing agencies, Pearl Lemon. And you can, as a Pearl Lemon Games client, benefit from all of their talents too.
They will assist us in helping you with spreading the word about your fighting game in ways you never imagined, bringing it to the attention of the widest variety of players, gaming communities, gaming influencers, marketers, and more.
Ready to talk about working with Pearl Lemon Games as your fighting game development agency? Contact us today and let’s get that conversation started!
Fighting Game Development Agency FAQs
A great fighting game should focus on engagement before balance, have great animation, memorable characters, and should be designed for multiple platforms. Also, a successful game needs to be well marketed to reach the widest possible audience.
Even if a fighting game is well balanced, it won’t matter if no one plays it. The excitement and engagement factor is what attracts players and encourages them to recommend the game to their friends.
Excellent animation is crucial to a fighting game’s success. It is closely related to game feel, and elements like visual effects, sound effects, hit pause, camera effects, and others are part of this animation framework.
Memorable characters infuse individuality into the gameplay itself. The character’s attacks, moves, and resting animations should reflect their personality or preferred gameplay style, creating a connection with the player and enabling them to pick their favorites.
Yes, we believe that the best fighting game development should not be limited to a single console or game type. We have the skills and vision to develop a cross-platform fighter that can be deployed to various platforms like mobile, VR, PC, Mac, consoles, and even as a browser-based game.
We understand that even the best fighting games need a well-executed marketing strategy. With the talents of our associated teams at Pearl Lemon Leads, Pearl Lemon PR, and Pearl Lemon, we can spread the word about your fighting game to the widest variety of players, gaming communities, gaming influencers, marketers, and more.
If you’re ready to bring your fighting game idea to life, you can reach out to us at Pearl Lemon Games here. We’re eager to hear your ideas and get the conversation started on developing your game.