How to Develop Your Own Console in Game Dev Story
In Game Dev Story, you’ll spend your time creating cutting-edge games for Intendro, Senga, and MicroX, but if you want to take your studio to the next level, you’ll eventually need to build your own console. It’s an expensive project that takes years of in-game planning, but it can completely transform the late game. In this guide, we’ll show you how to unlock a Hardware Engineer, what you’ll need before getting started, and how the console development process works. Let’s dive right in.
How to Unlock a Hardware Engineer
Before you can develop your own console, you’ll first need to unlock a Hardware Engineer. This isn’t a profession you can hire directly; instead, you’ll need to promote one of your existing staff through multiple career paths. Staff gain levels by spending Research Points, with each level increasing their abilities. Once an employee reaches Level 5, the Job Change Manual becomes available from the travelling salesman. You can purchase up to three Job Change Manuals per year, so you’ll need to plan your career changes carefully. Every promotion and job change also increases an employee’s salary. Before you start moving staff between professions, it’s worth having some extra money squirrelled away so you can comfortably cover the higher wages. To unlock the Hardware Engineer, an employee must reach Level 5 in each of the basic professions, including Programmer, Writer, Sound Engineer and Graphic Designer. Once those jobs have been mastered, they’ll also need to max out either the Producer or Director career path. After meeting those requirements, the Hardware Engineer profession becomes available, giving your studio the expertise needed to begin developing its own console.
What You’ll Need Before Building a Console
Building your own hardware is one of the biggest investments you’ll make in Game Dev Story. Before you begin, make sure your studio is in a healthy financial position, because the project takes both time and money. It’s also worth having a well-trained team. Your staff will spend a long time working on the console, so stronger employees can make the development process much smoother. If you’re only just breaking even each year, it’s usually better to wait. A few successful games beforehand can give you the cash buffer you’ll need.
How to Develop Your Own Console
Once you’ve hired a Hardware Engineer, the Develop Hardware option will appear in the Action menu. Selecting it kicks off one of the biggest projects in the game, so make sure you’re ready before committing. Console development is split into two stages. During each stage, you’ll need to fill two separate development fields, with each requiring 650 points to complete before the project can move forward. Your staff will slowly contribute points over time, so stronger employees can help keep things moving. Because the project takes so long, don’t expect to release many games while your team is focused on the hardware. It’s normal to lose some fans during this period, simply because your studio isn’t putting out new titles. As long as you’ve built up a healthy cash reserve beforehand, this temporary slowdown is well worth it. Once both stages are complete, your new console will launch and begin building its own install base. From there, you can start releasing games for your very own platform, opening up a whole new phase of Game Dev Story.
It’s Worth It
Developing your own console is a big investment, but I found it more than paid for itself over time. My favourite strategy was to launch the console alongside a sequel to one of my Hall of Fame games. A recognisable franchise helped drive strong game sales right away, while also encouraging more players to pick up the new hardware. Every game you release on your console contributes to hardware sales, so a strong launch title can give your platform a healthy start. Don’t expect to make millions from console sales alone, though. The real money still comes from your games. That said, because you own the platform, you’ll receive a much larger share of the revenue, and if your console builds a bigger install base than the competition, those extra game sales quickly add up. For your first attempt, I’d recommend sticking with the cheaper 16-bit console. It gives you the chance to learn how hardware development works without risking your entire budget. Build a library of successful games, grow your fanbase, and strengthen your finances.
There you have it, everything you need to know about developing your own console in Game Dev Story. It takes a bit of planning, plenty of Research Points, and a healthy pile of cash, but once your hardware hits the market, it’s a rewarding way to take your studio to the next level. Good luck in the console market!
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