Looking to Outsource Mobile Game Development Here’s What You Need to Know!
- Angry Birds: Rovio, the Finnish company behind the popular bird-flinging game, outsourced some of the development work for its games to UK-based Mindscape, an outsourcing partner with expertise in mobile gaming.
- Clash of Clans: Supercell, a Finnish mobile game developer, outsourced some of the development work for its popular game to UK-based Tencent, an outsourcing partner with expertise in mobile gaming.
These real-life examples illustrate how outsourcing mobile game development can bring benefits such as cost savings, expert knowledge, and access to resources. However, they also highlight the importance of effective communication, cultural awareness, quality control, and IP protection when working with an outsourced team. By following best practices and addressing these challenges, you can ensure a successful outsourcing experience for your mobile game development project.
Benefits of Outsourcing Mobile Game Development
Outsourcing mobile game development can bring several benefits to your project, including:
- Cost savings: Hiring an in-house mobile game development team can be expensive. By outsourcing to a third party, you can save on salary and overhead costs. This can free up resources that can be allocated elsewhere in your business.
- Expertise: Mobile game development is a specialized field with unique skills and knowledge required. Outsourcing to an experienced mobile game developer can bring expertise and fresh perspectives to your project, helping you achieve better results.
- Time savings: Building a mobile game from scratch can be a time-consuming process. By outsourcing to an experienced team, you can save time by focusing on other aspects of your business while the experts handle the development work.
- Access to resources and technology: Outsourcing to a third party gives you access to their resources and technology, including tools, frameworks, and libraries that may not be available in-house. This can help speed up development and improve overall quality.
Challenges of Outsourcing Mobile Game Development
While outsourcing mobile game development can bring many benefits, it’s important to be aware of the challenges as well. Some of these include:
- Communication: Effective communication is crucial when working with an outsourced team. Miscommunication or lack of communication can lead to delays and misunderstandings. It’s important to establish clear communication channels from the beginning and maintain open lines of communication throughout the project.
- Cultural differences: Working with a team from a different country or culture can present challenges in terms of communication, work ethic, and expectations. It’s important to be aware of these differences and take steps to overcome them, such as providing cultural training or working with a translator.
- Quality control: When outsourcing mobile game development, it’s important to ensure that the quality of work meets your standards. This requires effective quality control measures, including regular reviews and testing of the work.
- Intellectual property (IP) concerns: Outsourcing mobile game development can raise IP concerns, particularly if you’re working with a third party in another country. It’s important to establish clear agreements regarding ownership of the code and intellectual property rights upfront.
Best Practices for Outsourcing Mobile Game Development
To ensure that your outsourcing experience is successful, it’s important to follow these best practices:
- Clearly define project scope and requirements: Before starting any outsourcing project, clearly define the scope and requirements of the work. This includes identifying specific features, functionality, and timelines for completion.
- Conduct thorough research: Do your homework when selecting an outsourcing partner. Look for a team with experience in mobile game development, a good track record, and positive client reviews.
- Establish clear communication channels: From the beginning, establish clear communication channels with your outsourcing partner. This includes regular check-ins, updates, and feedback sessions to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
- Develop a project plan: Create a detailed project plan outlining timelines, milestones, and deliverables. This will help keep everyone on track and ensure that the project stays within budget.
- Monitor progress closely: Keep a close eye on progress throughout the project to ensure that it’s meeting your expectations. Regular reviews and testing of the work can help identify any issues early on and prevent delays.
Real-Life Examples of Successful Outsourcing in Mobile Game Development
There are many companies that have successfully outsourced their mobile game development projects, including:
1.