This development cycle is how we developed our iOS based game Space Trap I which is now in App Store.

Conceptual Stage

Idea is conceptualized on many dimensions.

Very important is its fun and entertainment
Easiness (Easy or Hard- requiring extreme intelligence)
Target audience (Action warfare, Racing or Puzzle games)
Any constraint you may have based on your skillset (Making high scene oriented movie like games)

It is like thinking on storyline of a movie or theme love-story, action, sci-fi.

You may think out-of-box or make formula movie

Prototyping Stage

Prototyping helps in

It is adds another dimension to the game of the revenue model.

Prototype can actual be released to smaller sample audience for getting feedback

The idea can still be thrown of window, if it does not appeal. The investment is still to minimum till prototyping.

All the teams start working on the game.

Ideas are still conceptualizing but at more details level,
Development is now more full scale with all miscellaneous screens, in-App purchases etc., animations
Design team churning out design assets
Testing team - testing game on all dimensions of bugs, robustness, user friendliness, game play etc.

It is interactive process with new ideas, implantation, testing and refinement.

After all testing, game is submitted to Appstore which approves after approx. 1 week. Now you are ready for release.

Marketing is test of all hard work.

You advertise on available channels, forums medium …

Test out different geographies, channels, demographics, sources…

Analytics/Tracking

- Cohort Analysis (along multiple dimension) for target spending and target audience

- Cross platform tracking

Metrics

- Engagement Metrics

- Retention

- User acquisition

- Monetization

- User acquisition cost (CPC, CPI)

- Conversion rates

- …