I was just wondering, if you have a long term game development team, when do you start thinking about a game that you want after the one you’re currently working on is complete? Or do you start planning before the game is complete?
Concepts? All the time.
Dev planning? Not until you know what you’re doing and largely who and what you’ve got to work with.
I have a hundred documents with game concepts scribbled down. I add to it all the time.
However, when you’re making a game, you should focus solely on that game. When you release it, you should focus on supporting it. You don’t want these other ideas distracting you or your team. People can quickly burn out on a game they stare at all day long, and introducing anything new will quickly become a welcomed distraction.
Deciding to begin another project is (or should be) a major decision. Only begin when you know your ready to take on another project and dedicate all of your resources to it.