Partnering With a Game Development Company: Insights to Know

Look beyond the ordinary and expand your business strategy to a whole new level. Change is rapid and it is time you keep up with it. The gaming industry is progressing fast and there is enough discourse about how interconnected everything is. 

But here’s the catch. 

The role of emerging technologies in the bigger ecosystem is not being acknowledged as such. The role of digital transformation in gaming continues to increase – ultimately accelerating the entire ecosystem altogether.

The concept of augmented reality being a core part of every other game is one point. There are a lot of other technologies playing an essential role as well. 

Harness all the news before you collaborate with a Mobile Game Development company for your own digital product. 

In this article – we will walk you through what is included in the gaming ecosystem and what future projections are going to look like. And of course, we will help you reflect on selecting the ideal game development company. 

Let’s start. 

Overview of the Gaming Process

Whether it is a console-based game or something a mobile app development Austin company is responsible for, the process is somewhat the same. The game development process can be divided into the following phases: 

• Pre-production
• Production 
• Post-production 

Let us explain. During the pre-production phase, you will be responsible for ideation and discussing if the concepts can be applied in a rational way or not. The goal here is to develop a blueprint and understand what aspects of a game would look like. 

It is equally important to understand your audience here and see what kind of gameplay they would like to see. The features and everything else you incorporate should be designed in accordance with what the user needs. 

Moving towards production – the process will be technical and there will be elements related to the kind of gaming engine used and how the architecture will be defined. Here, languages such as C++, Python, Java, and C# will be used by developers. 

And since gaming is based on both programming and art design, tools like Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, and Blender are included here to automate the process. During production, everything ends up being linked together. 

Programming and art design go together. And then eventually, sound design enters the equation as well. Understand how the sequence works and how each component of the production phase needs to align together to craft the right gameplay environment. 

And once the game is launched to the public, the journey gets more interesting. During post-production stage, the intention changes. Now, the focus will be on releasing updates and assuring a seamless experience for gamers. 

See reviews and reflect on them. Grasp how people receive the app and what their feedback is. There will be glitches and bugs. It is inevitable. No need to get scared though. It is part of the process. Trust everything. 

Debugging and getting rid of faults is part of post-production. Along with debugging, the goal of optimization will be included as well. 

Why does optimization matter? 

Well – as it implies – optimization refers to selecting one game and amending it to fit another scenario. In a nutshell, a game in general can be designed for desktop computers, consoles, and mobile phones. All three are equally important and apart from the fact that there are different dimensions, the entire architecture differs as well. 

Optimization is a long process. And that’s why you see a delay in game releases for particular devices often. 

But, don’t worry. If the roadmap is clear and there is an eCommerce app development company or any other specialized agency with you, completing tasks becomes easier. 

Steps to Take

Now, coming to the main part where you have to step out of your comfort zone and search for a partner that is willing to understand the scope of your project, take ownership, and provide insights in a communicative way. 

The process might seem overwhelming but once you know what the outline looks like, and what to expect, it will be easier to be prepared in advance. 

Research around & evaluate cost 

Do not limit yourself to a city or even a particular company. After the pandemic, it is easier to collaborate with an overseas company and in fact – we would suggest you do so. A company based in a region such as South America or South Asia would be less heavy on the pocket.

It is because of different hourly wages. 

Let us explain. So, a game developer based in New York will obviously charge more than one based in a city in Saudi Arabia or anywhere in Pakistan. And the best fact is that there is no compromise on quality either. And you need to evaluate where your audience is. 

A company with expertise in desktop games might not necessarily be the perfect fit for mobile games. In the ideal scenario, cross-platform development is what you should seek. 

Unity and Unreal Engine are designed for cross-platform development and are much easier to get familiar with. Both game developers and business strategists can easily understand the mechanism and what needs to be done. 

The level of communication and collaboration 

You need to be particular about the little details and assure that everything streamlines well. If we generalize how many people are usually involved in a gaming project from the initial stage to post-production, the number is around 200 to 250 resources. 

And the number can go higher depending on the complexity of the project and the timeline stated to you. With multiple phases involved, make sure that communication is established well and there is no unaddressed problem. 

Like most organizations, problems usually are not related to the technical aspects, but more to how a task is communicated. Lack of clarity can lead to chaotic situations. Companies usually assign someone with the title of Lead Game Producer who has the right expertise and understands how to manage different teams effectively. 

Concluding Thoughts

You are done with it. That is about it. The points we mentioned are based on both market research and the experiences of different companies with particular game development companies. The ecosystem is surely expanding and there are competitors who are striving hard to design the perfect game for the same audience. 

But nonetheless, you have an advantage on your side. You understand gaming mechanisms and how they co-relate with each other now. You know “exactly” what to expect and how to confront difficult situations.