Difference between revisions of "Prototype"

From Sega Retro

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* ''[[Sonic X-treme]]'' ([[Sega Saturn]])
 
* ''[[Sonic X-treme]]'' ([[Sega Saturn]])
  
[[Category:Definitions]]
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[[Category:General Interest]]
 
[[Category:Prereleases| ]]
 
[[Category:Prereleases| ]]

Revision as of 19:57, 18 August 2007

A prototype is a stage of design before the final one. Prototype video games are created during development for playtesting and bug reporting purposes. Usually, a prototype game doesn't leave the developers' offices, but occasionally one finds its way out and onto the internet.

Prototypical stages

  • Alpha - the first or a very early build, demonstrating the game's engine with one or two levels.
  • Beta - bearing some resemblance to the final game, often containing bugs or missing features.
  • Release candidate / prerelease - outwardly identical to the final game, but may contain minor bugs which have yet to be fixed. Prereleases are often sent to journalists to preview/review, and are sometimes released as demo or shareware software.

Examples of well-known prototypes

Available on the internet