All games start with an idea.
An idea needs to be solid. But how do the creators know that the idea is a solid one? Obviously, they themselves will think it is a solid idea but creators are biased. So what do you do? Make a prototype, of course! A prototype is the bare minimum of what the game is, in such a way that it conveys the idea of what they're trying to get across for the testers to digest it in a tangible way. This is vitally important to make sure that the base mechanics of a video game won't belly flop in the pool of mediocrity.
Of course, once the idea feels pleasing enough to go ahead, that is when the developers should adopt the MDA framework to further refine the product.
An idea needs to be solid. But how do the creators know that the idea is a solid one? Obviously, they themselves will think it is a solid idea but creators are biased. So what do you do? Make a prototype, of course! A prototype is the bare minimum of what the game is, in such a way that it conveys the idea of what they're trying to get across for the testers to digest it in a tangible way. This is vitally important to make sure that the base mechanics of a video game won't belly flop in the pool of mediocrity.
Of course, once the idea feels pleasing enough to go ahead, that is when the developers should adopt the MDA framework to further refine the product.