At TapData, we believe in process. A standardized process is a traceable process is a measurable process is an improvable process. Our process incorporates best practices from a variety of disciplines including software engineering, interactive computational media design / user-centered design, and game design.

We also believe in communication. We provide or clients with complete, up-to-the-minute access to our internal project management and development systems at each stage of the development process.

Our process goes through the following steps:

• Game Conceptualization
  • Investigate genre and "best of genre" games to determine key gameplay elements
  • Devise novel improvements and innovations in genre
  • Incorporate key gameplay elements and improvements into cohesive gameplay concept
  • Perform user/expert reviews to ensure concept validity/attraction
• Game Design
  • Project concept onto game design: fill in details about gameplay, UI, AI, etc.
  • Make gameplay/UI "paper prototypes"
  • Perform user/expert reviews to ensure design validity
  • Form preliminary art concept / art order
• Gameplay Prototype *
  • Incorporate key gameplay elements with placeholder art and UI
  • Perform user testing to ensure design validity
• Technical Design
  • Translate game design into technical specification
  • Form final art order
  • General design is platform-independent
  • Appendices list platform-dependent specifications
• Implementation **
  • Execute technical specification according to coding standard
  • Write gameplay logic unit test cases
  • All platforms are developed for simultaneously
• Testing ***
  • Unit tests run on gameplay modules
  • Comprehensive system testing performed on whole work, in accordance with publisher and carrier guidelines
• Delivery
  • Via web-based publisher interface
  • Delivery method can be customized on a per-client basis
• Approval
  • Provide full support for NSTL / carrier test/acceptance processes
• Porting
  • Due to our process, libraries, and tools, porting to new devices is extremely straightforward and can be performed by TapData at a fraction of the industry standard porting price.
  • If an external porting house is preferred, our projects are easily exported to a stand-alone environment.