Nowadays there is much more talk about outsourcing. The gaming industry is experiencing a serious boost due to a total lockdown. People have little entertainment other than video games. Therefore, now more than ever it is relevant to storm the market in order to declare yourself or strengthen your position.
According to the XDS 2020 report, 90% of developers already outsource work on part or even all of the 3D art to contractors. These are characters, props, weapons, vehicles, and more. At the same time, the demand for outsourcing will only increase. The developers strive to catch the right moment and demonstrate their product to people before they take to the streets after the quarantine ends.
Dealing with an external 3D art company does not happen by magic. First, you need to choose it. Then discuss and establish workflows. Who knows what difficulties you may face when approaching this procedure irresponsibly. But we know for sure that you will win by deciding to delegate some of the tasks to an external team. It doesn’t matter who you are, an industry giant or a humble start-up taking the first modest steps in the multifaceted gaming world.
5 Key Advantages of Outsourcing Game Development
Let’s shed some light on the key game art outsourcing benefits.
1. Effective Financial Management
Of course, no one says that a miracle will happen and you will suddenly learn to manage finances, even if you did not know how to do it before. But in general, one of the main video game art outsourcing benefits is the ability to increase the profitability of your future game by reducing several items of the most serious expenses.
First, different countries offer different rates for the work of developers and artists. The most popular destinations for value for money are India, China, and Eastern Europe. There are specialists who know a lot about the game business, while not overcharging for their services.
Second, working with an external team means there is no gap between hiring and getting started. Unlike a newly hired in-house employee, the contractor starts working right away. An outsourcing company does not need training, expensive software and a workplace, and also does not ask for a regular salary revision.
This is especially true for startups: instead of wasting time to fill all vacancies, it makes sense to assemble a small in-house team of key players, and hire the missing members through outsourcing.
2. Faster Game Development
You never need to rush, but you shouldn’t be too late either. Otherwise, you may face a situation where the game has been developed for many years, and by the time of release, it turns out to be not only hopelessly outdated in terms of graphics and engine, but also full of bugs that were overlooked due to the too leisurely pace of work.
We have already explained why the existing and new players in the gaming market are especially active now. No one knows exactly when the quarantine will end. But when this happens, people tired of isolation will break out of their homes and start spending time away from computer screens. And if mobile gaming may not be hitting hard, PC and console games will definitely see a big drop in interest.
Buying time with outsourcing is a good thing. The team immediately gets to work and completes tasks in accordance with the set deadlines. Management from its and your side allows you to strengthen the communication loop and avoid mistakes and missed deadlines. The professionalism of the external team and the desire to create a positive impression is the best guarantee that the release of the game will be on time.
3. Advanced Creativity
Among the purely rational benefits of game art outsourcing, there is a creative option. After all, what is game development worth without a creative impulse? Working with an external team is a great opportunity to broaden your horizons and see new ways to accomplish familiar tasks. This is especially important if, while developing a large number of mobile games one after another, you are faced with creative burnout and a lack of new ideas.
In addition to being able to grasp new concepts and the ways to implement them, you gain access to valuable insight into the specifics of your contractor’s market. An external team will tell you what is especially important for its country, how best to promote, and possibly give you an impetus for productive and well-grounded expansion.
4. Flexibility in Team Formation
For one project, you need two Unity developers, and for the other – just one, who is well-versed in Unreal Engine. Then it happens that you start working with the Corona SDK for a long time, and hired developers for other engines will just be idle. Great scenario, especially for a startup, isn’t it?
If you need specific knowledge for a certain work, but you are not sure that it will be useful on an ongoing basis, do not hire an in-house employee. Hire an outside team. First, it has experience working in the direction you need. Secondly, it will be able to advise you on the viability of your idea. Third, when the project is completed, you don’t have to think about what to do with the employee for whom there are no more tasks.
5. Improved Risk Taming
The gaming industry is full of risks and pitfalls. First of all, new games are in danger of being uninteresting to players. Promotion is also important: even if the game is good, the lack of advertising and at least initial announcements can play tricks with it.
Outsourcing companies are experienced teams that are an old hand at creating a huge number of games of various genres. They have worked with different scenarios, technologies, styles and directions, so they know much better what to avoid and what to strive for.
They are also well-versed in marketing aspects and will be able to advise on the best ways to promote. By trusting their experience, you reduce the likelihood of going blind and greatly reduce the risk of being overlooked or ignored.
Wrapping Up
The game art outsourcing benefits were and remain impressive: there is no point in denying the experience and improved capabilities of external teams. What raises questions or seems unsolvable will most likely find an elementary solution in a good game development outsourcing company.
When choosing a partner, pay attention to the number of years on the market, the variety of the portfolio and the availability of expertise in the direction you need. Spending a little time choosing a contractor will provide you with a huge array of benefits that will help you take your place in a competitive gaming environment.
