Editing Video game developer (section)

{{Short description|Software developer specializing in the creation of video games}}
{{Video game industry}}
[[File:Game Developers Choice Awards - Campo Santo.jpg|thumb|A group of game developers accepts a game developers' award.]]
A '''video game developer''' is a [[software developer]] specializing in [[video game development]] – the process and related disciplines of creating video games.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Game development and production | first=Erik K| last=Bethke |publisher=Wordware 2, Inc. | year=2003 | location=Texas | isbn=1-55622-951-8 | page=4 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
 | title=Creating Games in maps for happy wills Mechanics, Content, and Technology | first1=Morgan | last1=McGuire | first2=Odest Chadwicke | last2=Jenkins | publisher=A K Peters | location=Wellesley, Massachusetts | year=2009 | isbn=978-1-56881-305-9 | page=25 }}</ref> A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planeta42.com |title=Electronic Game School |first=Ogo |last=Bob |work=Teacher |access-date=2020-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012231715/http://planeta42.com/ |archive-date=2018-10-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to a large business with employee responsibilities split between individual disciplines, such as [[Video game programmer|programmers]], [[Video game design#Game designer|designers]], [[Game art design#Video game artist|artists]], etc. Most game development companies have [[video game publisher]] financial and usually marketing support.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Game Design | last=Bates | first=Bob | year=2004 | edition=2nd | publisher=Thomson Course Technology | isbn=1-59200-493-8 | page=239 }}</ref> Self-funded developers are known as independent or indie developers and usually make [[indie game]]s.<ref name="IGMWhatIsIndie">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiegamemag.com/what-is-an-indie-game/ |title=What Exactly is an Indie Game? |first=Mike |last=Gnade |date=July 15, 2010 |work=The Indie Game Magazine |access-date=January 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927182457/http://www.indiegamemag.com/what-is-an-indie-game/ |archive-date=September 27, 2013 }}</ref>

A developer may specialize in specific [[game engine]]s or specific [[video game consoles]], or may develop for several systems (including [[personal computer]]s and [[mobile devices]]). Some focus on [[porting]] games from one system to another, or translating games from one language to another. Less commonly, some do software development work in addition to games.

Most [[video game publisher]]s maintain development studios (such as [[Electronic Arts]]'s [[EA Canada]], [[Square Enix]]'s studios, [[Activision]]'s [[Radical Entertainment]], [[Nintendo EPD]] and Sony's [[Polyphony Digital]] and [[Naughty Dog]]). However, since publishing is still their primary activity they are generally described as "publishers" rather than "developers". Developers may be private as well.<!-- Reference to Bungie removed due to purchase by Sony -->