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Choosing the Best Game Development Service: A Guide to Game Dev Companies

Statistics have shown that the gaming industry is growing rapidly in the past few years, mobile and online games have market values of billions of dollars. Such growth brings high demand for professional services in game development to create unique and compelling gaming experiences.

Developers used to create games as a hobby in their spare time, while today it takes a whole team of talented people starting from the concept designers and ending with programmers, artists, testers, and launch support team members.

Companies can hire specialized game dev companies to outsource and get access to such professional skills. Come with me to explore what is game development, how game development outsourcing services are operated and see the benefits of game development outsourcing.

What are Game Development Services?

Video game development services refer to the process of creating games from designing to implementation across all platforms and game types. Game development can be broken down into phases and the process of creating a game is similar to the process of software development. Video game designers initially create ideas and build game designs that are physically playable.

It is followed by the creation of assets and coding of game mechanics in selected games engines, which is arguably the most challenging. Quality assurance testing then takes place to find as many bugs as possible and ensure that performance is optimized. After launching, developers continue to offer support, bug fixes, enhancements and conversation to other platforms. It can either be that the publishers opt to subcontract some of the stages or hire a studio to oversee the entire process. 

Video Game Development Services:

 

Video game development services refer to the process of creating games from designing to implementation across all platforms and game types. Game development can be broken down into phases and the process of creating a game is similar to the process of software development. Video game designers initially create ideas and build game designs that are physically playable.

It is followed by the creation of assets and coding of game mechanics in selected games engines, which is arguably the most challenging. Quality assurance testing then takes place to find as many bugs as possible and ensure that performance is optimised. After launching, developers continue to offer support, bug fixes, enhancements and conversation to other platforms. It can either be that the publishers opt to subcontract some of the stages or hire a studio to oversee the entire process. 

Game development can be described as a vast area of work that is composed of several components that are of tremendous importance for the creation of a game and its success in the market.

Concept and Design

Game projects are initiated with a focus on the target platforms, genres, and possible ways of generating revenue. The creators write design texts that include story arcs, character’s backgrounds, game mechanisms, puzzles, and level designs. Prototyping tools enable a fast way of creating mockups to demonstrate ideas. The design phase is important to ensure fun factors are defined before a lot of coding work gets done.

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Development and Coding

Maintainable code is the focus of the field of development. Developers select and modify standard tools, such as the unity gaming development engine or create their own game engine. Code brings together 2D and 3D models as well as game logic, physics, AI, interfaces, and networking. Development teams have well-defined practices regarding source control, documentation, and collaboration.

Quality Assurance and Testing

Before the project comes to their end, QA begins by checking for flaws in the software ranging from gameplay crashes to poor UI designers. Test cases ensure specifications are met and mimic real-world implementation on the target devices. Testing confirms not only whether games operate as they should but also guarantees that the end user experience is going to be a fun and bug-free one.

Post-launch Support

Almost all Unity games need some updates after its release because players face some problems or want new additions. Players receive bug fixes, performance enhancement, protection against hacking, and new content in the form of patches and updates. Continuing revenues after launch are porting games to other platforms.

Advantages of Outsourcing Game Development

Access to Specialized Talent

Outsourced game studios provide a pool of specialists in various specialised fields, including multiplayer support, microtransaction implementation, virtual reality gaming, and mobile optimization. Developing similarly specialized in-house teams also requires significant investment in new human resources and training.

Reduced Cost

Outsourcing game development can give excellent results as developers at a BPO company increase the performance of the game and incredibly reduce the development cost. The overall expenses of equipment, software licenses, employee wages and maintaining staff are reduced 40% to 60% according to the statistics.

Quick Launching

External teams adjust schedules by following best practice procedures, team flexibility, and continuous development with the help of distributed teams. All these factors help in the quick launch of a game and then its maintenance.

High-End Game Development Services

Gaming development companies provide services that include concept development, design, programming, testing, and maintenance. The teams they possess are specialized for various types of games and different platforms. Key benefits of partnering with a game development BPO include:

Expert Resources: BPO gaming development companies employ highly expert group of designers, developers, QA specialists, etc.     

Cost Saving: Outsourcing to cheap labour markets cuts the general project expense.

Less Time To Market: Most of the development procedures are already in place ,time to market is shortened.

How Game the Service Function?

BPO Gaming development companies establish separate teams for every client undertaking and offer creative direction, project management, QA control, and production to ensure timely Unity video game development. Resources are guided by quality criteria, project deliverables, and market needs while budgets are adjusted between projects as needs arise.

1. Program managers interact with client teams and internal teams that have been put in place.

2. Documentation must be done adequately to facilitate seamless transitions to meet deadlines.

3. Independent QA teams perform quality checks on the games that are developed at the end of each phase.

4. Adherence to standards such as ISO helps to maintain consistency in the execution of tasks across projects.

How to Select the Right Game Development Service Provider?

In selecting an appropriate game development outsourcing company, it is important to check their  reputation, customer base, technical and genre specialization, and expertise in Unity game dev, capacity to adapt as needs shift, and ability to provide excellent work that meets the deadline.

1. See experience and referrals from clients especially within the realm of game development.

2. Check the technical aspects of the game development service provider company when it comes to the specified platforms and genres.

3. Ensure the communication transparency of the game development service provider company.

Step by Step Guide

These steps involve identifying project goals and expectations, provider selection, reviewing experience and capability, referencing clients, understanding engagement models and costs, reviewing communication tools and finalizing contact terms for the partnership to thrive.

1. Determine project specifications as well as the cost and time scope of the project. 

2. Consult and list down some of the best companies that have experience in handling such projects.

3. Review previous customers to verify others’ perception of skills and performance history.

4. Assess their engagement and pricing structures against your requirements.

5. Talk to the potential partners to assess their technical skills, the manner in which they communicate the ideas etc.

6. Ensure that employment, consultancy, services, supply and other requirements are reviewed thoroughly to ensure ownership of IPRs and the right to audit.

Step 7: Begin with minimal and non-strategic parts to outsource in order to test these capabilities.

Challenges a BPO Service Provider Faces

Challenges that face an outsourced game development company include imprecise definitions, design choices that affect other parts and functionality issues, technicalities that may affect proper functioning, times involved with QA, tight deadlines, and trying to launch on a specific time.

  1. Lack of communication due to cultural differences or misunderstandings.
  2. Extra costs incurred as a result of continual modification of the requirements.
  3. Delays in issue resolution as a result of time zone differences.
  4. Lower levels of ownership compared to direct implementation.

Solving the Challenges A BPO Services Provider Faces

A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Spend considerably in discovery and design phases so that it is easy to reduce the number of changes in specifications.

2. Choose gaming companies with a flexible approach because they can easily reroute their resources whenever the need arises.

3. Ensure that you have a mutual understanding of the project scope and procedures for reporting any deviations.

4. Address communication breakpoints by appointing dedicated representatives and having check-ins.

Conclusion

Video game production requires the collaboration of numerous professionals to create entertaining products that can be creatively innovative, of high quality and commercially viable. By collaborating with an expert development service firm like Minds On, publishers can achieve success. By adopting game development BPO services clients manage risks, keep costs under control and deliver market-oriented games that go to the intended platforms on time and within the given budget.

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