The video game industry is currently the most lucrative branch of the entertainment business as a whole. The amount of revenue it generates year in and year out is larger than both the music and the movie industries put together. Furthermore, the advancements of technologies and the steady flow of new video games means that companies must always be ready to release new games.
Therefore, game development can be a challenging and tricky thing to do the right way. In order to help their cause, a lot of video game companies outsource things related to game development. There are numerous benefits of this and it can be done efficiently in several easy steps. If you want to learn more about this, keep reading this article and also make sure to visit Melior Games.
Advantages of Outsourcing Game Development
1. Cost-Effective
The most basic and key reason why game developers decide to outsource some aspects of their game development is to save their money. By employing cheaper labor from countries that provide it, like India or China, these companies get the work they need for a lot less than they would if they paid their own employees or someone from their own country. In addition, if the company lacks a certain skillset, outsourcing is much more efficient than employing someone new. Furthermore, no new software and hardware are needed since those whom you employ will use their own.
2. Time-Saving
Since companies are able to gather larger teams of professionals like producers, developers, designers, and artists, it helps them do the whole thing quicker and save time apart from money. Similarly to the above-mentioned case, looking for and hiring new employees is very time consuming and expensive. This is why outsourcing is so popular in the gaming industry.
3. Flexibility
By adding a foreign team to work on the game, the employees will be more free to do their own jobs and contribute to what they are good at. By hiring the right outsourcing team, those fully employed at the headquarters will be more flexible. You can keep the new team for as long as you need them, and release them after they have completed the project. After all, there are some truly amazing developers out there ready to work for game companies. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Necessary Steps
1. Do your Homework / Research
In an industry as diverse as gaming, you cannot know who does what and how well until you do an extensive amount of research. You have to know what those you wish to outsource to are capable of doing. Delivering something new and intuitive is extremely hard in a saturated market, which is why you should know what each company and individual can bring to the table. Research goes a long way and the info you get will allow you to move onto the next steps quicker and more easily. Once you learn a bit more about the market and the opportunities you can go with, it is time to start picking out candidates.
2. Experience and Track Record
Developing any kind of video game brings together multiple different skills, which is why the people who will work for you have to have a certain blend of several crucial skills. Coding, math, and all the different tech and software aspects have to be something the people you decide on must be familiar with. Look for those with lots of experience who have some popular and widely-popular video games in their resumes. If they have proven themselves time and time again and have some hits associated with their names, there is no reason why not to give them the job. Teams that have done amazing work in the past will probably be advertised as full teams of people meaning you will not have to get anyone else besides them. They work together well so why split them up?
3. Communication and Negotiations
Outsourcing game development is a crucial step in making your game and fulfilling the dream your company had. Therefore, interaction and discussing every little detail along the way is of the utmost importance. If the outsourcing team cannot deliver on this front, it is smart to look elsewhere. Frequent communication has to be the norm in order to bounce ideas off of each other. You as the main developer and them as the outsourced team must be on the same page at all times. Instant communication needs to exist in case some issues arise. Both audio and video calls are needed within seconds in certain situations, so easy access to such coms should be provided. Defining the contract in technical and commercial terms must include points about regular feedback of both sides, so do not settle for someone who cannot provide it. Regarding the contract, make sure to put down in writing all the things you find important, and all the ways you want this ordeal to work. All the people, technologies, and time windows should be defined and talked about before being signed.
4. Do not go for Cheap
Once you start scouring the market for the right individual, team, or company to outsource, you will see how much the prices of their services vary. Obviously, you do not want to go with the cheapest option nor those less than average. Chances are that the least expensive solution will also be the one of the lowest quality, therefore hindering the overall appeal and success of your video game. Experienced teams with top-tier professionals who have worked on great games will be pricey, but you should never try to save on something this important. Talent costs money and it always will. If you want your games to be great hits, do not cheap out when outsourcing and get the best experts available. Similarly, do not go for those who are simply way more expensive than the rest since it does not have to mean they are the best. Once you view the price, go back to doing research and their track record and check how communicative they can be.
