How to hire game developers?

The gaming industry has boomed since COVID. Studios are busier than ever developing new hits and games. The industry grew by 23% over the course of 2020, and is expected to continue growing at an annual compound rate of 11% per year through 2024. Every day new ideas are born, another person decides to become a game designer, another game development team creates a future hit. In this circle of events you still have a chance to catch your spot under the sun.

Every video game requires planning. The main reason is because your ideas can change over time. You might start with an idea to create a hit mobile game, but it turns out that the game mechanics you chose or you want more suit a PC project.

Or, simply, you were planning to develop a game on Unreal Engine. But you hired a Unity game developer because he convinced you that with his help and experience your mobile game will be Top 1 in the App Store for a long time.

Starting game dev without a plan often will mislead you. The plan helps to avoid deviation and to transmit your ideas to your team better. Every video game starts with a game design document. Every tutorial, game dev course or lecture will tell you this. Start with documentation.

Just take everything out of your head and place it in one doc. Regardless of which game engine, game genre or gaming platform you might use, it’s always best to plan things out before reaching for help or hiring game developers.

Every game developer is sure that his idea will shoot out, and he will create the next hit that will bring in a lot of money. Once you have done the game design document the fun part starts. You start to count your resources, what kind of skills required for this project, and if you need to hire game developers. Realising the lack of your resources brings the best solution – ask the professional game developers for help.

There are two basic ways to find professional game developers - freelancers and game development outsourcing studio.

Freelancers can be found on various platforms where you can track the history of their work and view reviews. This option is certainly much cheaper, but it does not mean it is more reliable. By hiring freelancers, you are collecting different pieces, which is not the fact that they all fit together into one whole puzzle. Every freelance developer has a different style - work, execution, submission, and vision. You may be lucky enough to find common ground, or you may, unfortunately, end up with the opposite.

In addition, freelancers can grab hold of several projects at once and give preference based on mood or busyness. In general, according to their priorities, not yours.

That's why we suggest you consider the second option – studios. Outsourcing companies will be a slightly more expensive solution for you than hiring freelancers, but they will provide you with reliable game development services.

The foundation of successful outsourcing activities is both parties' profitable and professional interaction. Outsourcing Studio has it all covered and has a well-established game development team. The Studio will provide you with the needed game development services within the time frame. You will be aware of the processes; you will be able to adjust them and make changes. You will have a well-coordinated game development staff of experienced professionals who will follow your style, not their own.

For small companies outsourcing might be the key to a successful business model. Professional game developers with a featured experience can help to guide beginners to create their own model. Big titles also hire game developers from outsourcing studios. For them it is usually saving resources. External help needed for the development process of major projects so the core game development staff can be liberated for new purposes.

According to Brice (2009), 83% of UK video game developers including Blitz Games and Ubisoft Reflections have outsourced various aspects and elements of their gaming projects.

So, here are just a few reasons why you should hire game developers from Outsourcing Studio.

• Focus on your business

Outsourcing frees up time and resources to focus on your core business aspects and allows you or your team to concentrate on your main duties and the future strategy. By delegating game making tasks to the experts saves your effort, time and money.
You don’t have to waste your time and resources on finding dedicated game developers to your core team or learning all the development processes in the gaming industry by yourself. You use the easiest way.

• Reduce risks

Outsourcing part of your development will help reduce liability and associated risks. Getting the game development services of an already established group of professionals will help you avoid unpleasant situations and loss of resources.
Trusting experienced studios will help you to avoid the panic mode.

• Competitive advantage.

When you hire game developers, your game will increase its competitive advantage in the market, especially with the name of a studio whose portfolio is full of famous titles. This is undoubtedly another significant advantage.
As for us, we have worked with big names from the gaming industry. Check out our works to see more.

• Save on labour and operational costs.

Delegating development will save you much more time and resources than if you had to figure it out yourself or find new employees. Hiring an outsourced team is cheaper in the long run. Plus, you'll be able to devote more time to your business strategy and your part in game production.

• Access to new resources and skills gaining.

A special advantage for the small teams which create an indie game. Experienced and talented game developers with different backgrounds and skill sets, the process of connecting with them and use of their knowledge will make your game development process easier. Even if you hire their services for a one-time fee, you can always re-establish a working relationship again.

If you're reading this article, you have already found the proper Studio and can schedule a call with us immediately. Our qualified game developers have vast experience that allows us to help both world renown gaming companies and indie studios create great video games.

Before searching for an outsourcing studio, state your needs. Usually, you will need such professionals:

• Developers (gameplay, mechanics, UI, back-end, game programming etc.);
• Game designers (system designers, technical, game writers, UI specialists, etc.);
• Artists (animators, 2D/3D character artists, environment artists, prop makers, etc.).

Depending on game development, outsourcing studios can delegate specific tasks in a short-term or long-term contract. A client-oriented Studio will advise you on the correct number of people, times, and budgets to get things done.

Choosing a studio isn't that difficult if you follow some simple steps. Check their portfolio, and see reviews and companies the Studio has worked with. Hop on a call with them, pay attention to whether they ask questions, show genuine interest in your project, and (although clichéd) follow your gut feeling. Look for natural chemistry between you and the Studio.

Here’s a checklist that could help you hire the best game dev company:

• Activity in the market: To hire game developers, you should check their current standing in the market. They must not be too busy with other projects. They also shouldn’t be “just free.”
• How long have they been in the gaming industry?: Working with a new company is not advisable, especially when you have a bigger project.
• Portfolio: A portfolio is important. If they can’t show you a relevant gaming industry portfolio, they are probably not fit for the job
• The team: Before signing a contract with any game development company, know a little about their team and the hierarchy
• Work process: You should ask about their work process in general and how they will approach your product in particular
• Communication Level: It is not only the work but communication that matters too. The company should be able to keep you updated on the progress whenever you ask
• Guarantees: Ask for what guarantees the company offers. For example, your work will not be shared or used as a portfolio. Or anything else that you think is important for your project
• Pricing: Pricing should be properly discussed. In short, you should know what you will get in exchange for the amount you’re paying. Most top gaming companies offer different pricing tiers. This makes it easier for a client to make a decision based on their needs
• Test task: A test task can help you judge their skills. Keep in mind that if you’re planning to hire game developers that are really experienced, they may refuse a test task request
• Customer reviews: Look for the review - not on their website but somewhere neutral

The amount of tasks you want to outsource depends on where you are in the production process and what your needs and resources are. There are different outsourcing models which you can apply to your game making process. One model starts working right with the concept and storyboarding stage. Another lets you collaborate with an internal qualified team to work on the software development, game engines, quality assurance, sound design, or certain parts of the game world.

Let's take a closer look at those models when you’re looking to hire game developers.

Full-cycle development

You need to provide a concept, storyboard, and pre-production elements to your external team. In the meantime, they will handle all the art, sound design, programming, QA — everything that will skip you to the release stage. This model is the most expensive, but can be a good option for a game which has a supplement role to the core business or for the companies with lack of the in-house resources to manage the game development process. As an example, on request we built the TryHards game from scratch.

Specialised programming languages

Game production often uses of one of two core programming languages — Unity/C# and Unreal/C++. Outsourcing Studio with expertise in programming languages will bring you confidence that the development team will be able to deliver on your technology needs.

Art outsourcing

The game world contains thousands of art assets: characters, scenery, locations, weapons, prizes, and many other types of graphics. Provide the outsourcing studio with a list of asset needs and a brand style guide, and watch the process. This model is a great solution for teams with strong programming skills.

Co-development

Remember we told you about the access to new resources and skills gained? This model is about it. Your team may want to collaborate in-depth with an outsourced development team, which in result will bring you a great experience. This model also suits companies which have the technical expertise, but need more resources.

We've also written a Top 10 game development outsourcing companies guide which also will help you find reliable game developers.

With Argentics game studio, you will have support at each stage of game development, from a game concept, through effective production to post-release support. Contact us, and we'll make your project nail it!

When looking to hire game developers, we understand that you may have some questions. Feel free to ask them in the comments below.

Until next time...