Developing a successful game studio in Game Dev Tycoon involves strategic planning, skill development, and timely investments. One of the most significant milestones players can achieve is unlocking the R&D lab, which opens up advanced research options and boosts your studio’s capabilities. This guide walks you through what the R&D lab offers, how to unlock it, and tips to maximize its benefits for your game development journey.
What Does the R&D Lab Provide?
Once unlocked, the R&D lab becomes a crucial asset for expanding your studio’s technological and marketing reach. It offers several advanced research avenues and tools that can elevate your game projects to the next level:
Internet: Grants access to research projects like MMO and Codename: GRID. These technologies are vital for developing large-scale multiplayer games or expanding your market share in specific console segments. For insights into effective learning strategies in game development, explore learning resources how to learn game development effectively.
Hardware: Provides access to the Hardware Labs, an essential step if you plan to create your own gaming console or develop hardware-integrated games. This is a significant move toward diversifying your studio’s offerings.
MMO Development: Enables research into Massively Multiplayer Online gaming technology, which can be used to create complex multiplayer experiences or enhance your game engine capabilities.
Codename: GRID: While the PC market share is relatively modest compared to other consoles, researching and unlocking GRID increases PC’s market share and generates a steady monthly income, helping your studio grow financially.
Conventions: These events serve as powerful marketing tools. You can organize your own conventions to promote upcoming or existing titles, bypassing waiting for major events like E3 or G3. Note that this feature becomes available after year 23 or once your studio reaches 1 million fans.
AAA Research: Unlocks the development of advanced 3D graphics technologies (V6 and V7). To access these, you need to have previously researched the last version (V5) and have a game scoring an average of 9, demonstrating high-quality development standards.
License Game Engines: This feature unlocks the “Software Development Kit” research, allowing your studio to license or sell your custom game engines for extra income. However, this option becomes available only after building at least 10 unique engines.
Marketing Campaigns: Facilitates large-scale marketing efforts to promote your current AAA titles, significantly boosting their sales potential.
How Do You Get The R&D Lab?
Unlocking the R&D lab requires meeting specific financial and staffing milestones:
- Your studio must reach a total net worth of at least 10 million.
- The game will notify you when the prerequisites are in place, including the need for a Design Specialist. You can train existing staff or hire from the market to fill this role.
- To qualify as a Design Specialist, a team member needs at least 700+ design points in their core attributes. You can provide “Design Specialist” training to staff, which costs 100 research points. After completing this training, the employee is promoted to a Design Specialist.
Once these conditions are fulfilled, the game will prompt you to invest in the research lab for a set price. Building this facility marks a new chapter in your game development enterprise, allowing access to advanced research and marketing tools.
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Unlocking the R&D lab is a pivotal step toward making your simulation studio more competitive and innovative, enabling you to tackle more complex projects and expand your market presence effectively.