How Outsourcing Assets Can Augment Game Development Cycles

Over the years, the video game industry has grown to unimaginable heights. People’s interest and appreciation of the medium have grown considerably since the COVID times; everyone wants to play games now. As such, more and more developers are entering the fray, and we see the kind of creative games we never thought possible these days.

Whether it be hyperrealistic visuals, immaculate storytelling, or crazy gameplay mechanics, gaming is a work of art that deserves more appreciation. I genuinely find it heartwarming that indie development has skyrocketed these days. Still, it’s a hard truth that one person has limitations. As such, small indie developers or even big companies sometimes need outside help, and that’s perfectly fine.

Enter Game Outsourcing Companies

When it comes to game development, we live in very competitive times. Everything needs to be perfectly refined for a game to stay relevant. This is an inevitable fate for a medium that becomes crowded. With so many games out there, you’re bound to encounter weaker ones, and when you do, your standards get raised little by little. Today, game companies have to live up to those lofty ambitions they promised to get our interest.

As such, it’s impossible to get every little detail polished out in-house, even for AAA developers. They need to outsource work like art design or QA, and there’s absolutely no shame in that. In fact, getting a second set of eyes on your project or hiring an extra hand will make your final product all the more closer to your dream work.

Outsourcing Work as a Solo Game Dev
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This is especially true for indie developers. Bright-eyed devs stepping into this massive field can get discouraged when the workload piles up and their product fails to keep up because of their lack of equipment or resources. This is why I recommend searching for a game outsourcing company.

A game outsourcing company is methodically built up for the kind of service it offers. They’ll have the latest technology, equipment, software, and trained personnel required for that service. You, as a developer, probably wouldn’t be as well-equipped in this field as they are. As such, why not opt for their services instead of investing potentially double or more in setting up your own equipment?

Why Art Outsourcing Should Be Considered?

If you ask me, visual assets are one of the most important things for a game today, and something most suitable to consider outsourcing to experts (that, and game QA, of course). Although I’m personally a gameplay over visuals kind of guy, it won’t be wrong if you call me the exception these days.

Photorealistic visuals sell, and that’s a fact. People love games that are cinematic masterpieces and paint their fictional/non-fictional worlds in the most beautiful ways possible. Background art, cinematics, character models, etc., have become more important than ever, and it’s understandable if an indie developer doesn’t have all the technology available to achieve perfection.

This is exactly why art outsourcing companies exist, which employ professionals and advanced technologies to deliver strong results. We live in an era where AI art in games is rampant, and people now want more unique art styles in their games. This is why you can’t cheap out on art these days, and it’s better to outsource it than to invest a fortune in setting up personal visual studios.

Plus, with your art in the good hands of talented artists from reputable outsourcing companies, you can rest easy and focus all your efforts and strengths on perfecting other factors of your game. You can polish the core concept, refine gameplay mechanics, re-evaluate character writing, and tie up story canons more effectively.

Development Times And Cost Effectiveness

Have I managed to pique your interest? If so, let me double down and tell you the benefits of outsourcing the development of certain assets.

The first and most important is the matter of game development time. As you and I are painfully aware, AAA development cycles are downright horrible these days. Games are announced way ahead of time, then no news for years, to the point you get tired of waiting and lose all hype.

Lengthy development cycles come with equally high production costs and sustainability issues. First, the game costs a fortune to develop. Then, it launches when the public has lost all interest in it and ends up underperforming, as expected. People who put their souls into it are crushed, and so are the gamers who had to wait a lifetime. No one is a winner.

AAA game development starter pack
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Now, consider shortening these development times by using a game outsourcing company. Since they’re hired help, they’ll be duty-bound to deliver the assets on the promised time. They do work at a cost, yes, but if you factor in overhead costs, operational budget, equipment setup, software licenses, and more, you’re actually saving money with this deal.

With your visual assets or quality assurance completed on time, you’ll be able to launch your game in a shorter time frame than the alternative, which will significantly help its reception. All in all, my greatest concern with today’s game development is the lengthy and unsustainable development cycles. If outsourcing can help reduce that, I’m genuinely all up for it.

Choose The Right Outsourcing Company

Let’s say you’ve decided to outsource certain assets of your game. Now comes the hard part. You need someone you can confidently rely on, who will deliver quality work on time. It’s important not to just choose haphazardly. The choice of the right outsourcing company will either eliminate your worries or end up doubling them if wrong.

First, evaluate what you need done and choose based on that. Is it concept art? Some video game art outsourcing companies excel at translating abstract ideas into concrete visual concepts. Professional artists balance creativity with technical feasibility by considering factors such as polygon budgets, texture limitations, and rendering constraints.

You can get your 2D or 3D assets created by specialized companies that provide character modeling, environmental assets, or animation services. Moreover, certain companies also offer technical services, such as ensuring that artistic assets integrate seamlessly with game engines, optimizing performance while maintaining visual quality.

When choosing a partner to work with, it’s important to scrutinize their portfolio, workforce, project history, and success rate. Understand how well they do their work based on past projects, and what their specializations are. Oh, and never forget to evaluate their quality assurance strategies and final asset validation procedures.

Once you’ve chosen the right company, you can begin fostering long-term partnerships in the industry if you’re satisfied with the outcome. Clear communication, frequent reviews, and collaborations beyond a single project go a long way towards helping you find valuable connections in this competitive landscape.

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Conclusion

In the end, all I’ll say is that one shouldn’t shy away from outside help, especially since it can be quite effective these days. The global game art outsourcing market reached approximately $1.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit $3.5 billion by 2032. This tells you that it’s growing because it’s working.

We need to accept the fact that we can’t do everything by ourselves. There’s only so much a studio can manage in-house. The smart thing to do is to find reliable partners to fill up the shortcomings, as it not only saves money, but gives you the chance to work with a wide variety of global talent, all the while fostering strong relationships. It’s up to you whether you opt for it, but I think it can be a refreshing and beneficial experience to divide the workload and give your best to your work.