Embracing the undeniable perks of outsourcing, especially in our current remote-centric era, is a clear-cut decision. However, the success of your outsourcing journey hinges on making the right call when choosing your partner.
In this read, we’re laying down some straightforward yet potent strategies to help you sift through the sea of game development outsourcing companies and land the ideal collaborator. We’ll dive into the importance of picking the right outsourcing destination from the get-go, explore the key factors to scrutinize in vendors’ portfolios and testimonials, and unravel how their array of services and employer brands can shape your ongoing partnership. These pointers aren’t just about snagging a pro vendor; they’re about locking in a long-term ally you can trust.
Select the optimal game development outsourcing hub
First, you will need to pinpoint the perfect country to outsource from. Your outsourcing destination choice will ripple through various aspects like budgeting, future collaboration potential, communication dynamics, cultural nuances, time zone considerations, and even the logistics of potential business trips.
Let’s break it down. Imagine you’re in the midst of crafting an MMORPG with a flare of Medieval Europe. Opting for outsourcing in the Asian region might not be the best move. Aside from the colossal cultural gap, most Eastern game development outsourcing companies might have a radically different take on what defines an MMO compared to their Western colleagues. Think gameplay mechanics (hello, grinding), in-game store dynamics, visual aesthetics, and gaming community preferences.
Moreover, the geographical location of your outsourcing hub can be a game-changer when you’re plotting out your budget. Salaries can fluctuate dramatically from country to country, and being in the know about these variations can be your financial ace in the hole. Here’s, for example, the average annual salary of Unity developers across different popular outsourcing destinations:
Once, you decided on the optimal game development outsourcing hub and picked a few candidates, it’s time to choose the best one.
Thoroughly examine their portfolio
Typically, the journey begins with a stroll through a candidate’s website, scanning home pages, and sizing up the game titles they’ve tackled. While flashy projects often take the spotlight, our advice is not to be swayed solely by eye-catching titles. It’s crucial to dig deeper and understand the specifics of their contributions to these showcased projects.
Imagine stumbling upon a game development outsourcing vendor proudly associated with Tekken 8 or Remnant 2, only to discover through further investigation that their role was limited to creating a few 2D illustrations. This revelation might not align with your needs if you’re seeking a company skilled in Unreal Engine development. Your ideal candidate could be someone adept at developing new features or fixing bugs in the mentioned games, based on UE.
Detailed project descriptions are typically found under sections labeled Case Studies, Portfolio, or Projects. Apply filters to zero in on projects relevant to your requirements, whether it’s VR, Unreal Engine/Unity development, art production, and the like. Scrutinize these projects to gauge if the candidate possesses the necessary expertise.
Occasionally, game development outsourcing companies may not provide extensive project descriptions, leaving you with nothing but a game’s banner. There are various reasons for this, such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), the contribution is too insignificant to create a full-scale case study, or the project is not released yet. In rare cases, it could be due to dishonesty.
On the flip side, it’s always a positive indicator when a company furnishes in-depth project descriptions. These details provide valuable insights into their work processes, approach to challenges, and the results they deliver to clients. Armed with this information, you can better formulate expectations for potential collaborations.
Validate clients’ testimonials
Flipping through the reviews of past customers stands out as a reliable strategy to gauge what you’re signing up for. Reputable game development outsourcing companies often showcase clients’ testimonials prominently on their home pages. While these testimonials typically lean towards positivity, there’s still valuable information to extract.
Pay attention to the qualities that are consistently praised in these testimonials. Consider whether these align with the characteristics you’re seeking in a vendor. A noteworthy detail is when those eye-catching game projects featured at the top of a home page are accompanied by testimonials from clients below. If a company proudly states they’ve contributed to Cyberpunk 2077, ensure there’s feedback from CD Projekt Red’s representatives verifying the satisfaction with the collaboration.
Don’t stop there; broaden your investigation to third-party platforms such as Clutch or GoodFirms. Some game development outsourcing companies maintain profiles on these platforms, offering additional insights into their past projects. Also, delve into their social media accounts, be it LinkedIn or Facebook. This exploration provides a glimpse into their communication with the public and helps validate whether the information aligns with what’s presented on their website. It’s all about cross-referencing to ensure a comprehensive understanding of a potential partner’s reputation and credibility.
Assess the range of services
Picture this: you’ve discovered a stellar vendor for crafting illustrations for your project. They’ve exceeded expectations in communication and execution, ticking all the right boxes. However, as your project grows and your needs evolve, you find yourself requiring 3D models or animations for the initial 2D art. Unfortunately, your go-to vendor specializes solely in 2D art production. Now, you’re back to square one, on the hunt for another reliable game development outsourcing partner.
This is why it’s crucial to anticipate not just the growth of your project but also the evolution of your partnership with a vendor, especially if you’ve found a gem. If your plan involves outsourcing art production, seek a partner with a diverse range of art outsourcing services.
Evaluate the employer’s brand
As your project expands and the vendor’s involvement deepens, the necessity to scale teams and recruit specialized talent becomes inevitable. Having a partner with a solid employer reputation and the capability to swiftly engage an experienced recruitment team is a significant advantage. Aligning yourself with a game development outsourcing partner boasting a recognized company and employer brand provides peace of mind, ensuring reliable support whenever needed.
Outsource with N-iX Game & VR Studio
N-iX Game and VR Studio stands as a vital component within a larger organization boasting 2,200 software engineers, a 21-year market presence, and a distinguished employer brand. Our studio is your one-stop destination for a comprehensive range of game development outsourcing services, offering expertise in full-cycle and co-development, Unreal Engine, art production, VR game development, and more. We take pride in the long-term commitment to our customer’s projects and the success stories we make along the way:
Cooperation with Supermassive Games
Supermassive Games, known for their captivating narrative and hyper-realistic video games, is a developer behind The Dark Pictures Anthology series. Since 2021, N-iX Game & VR Studio has solidified its role as a crucial technological partner for Supermassive Games. Our skilled engineers actively contributed their expertise to shape recent Supermassive Games’ titles like House of Ashes, The Devil In Me, and The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR. Drawing on our profound knowledge of the VR industry and extensive experience in Unreal Engine programming, art production, and game design, our team has played a significant role in bringing these immersive games to life.
Cooperation with PIXO VR
Our partner PIXO VR is dedicated to revolutionizing the existing labor market and enterprise training methodologies through the widespread adoption of Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality solutions, collectively referred to as Extended Reality or XR. Their offerings encompass efficient and secure mechanisms for the distribution and management of XR content on a global scale. Notably, PIXO Apex stands out as a pioneering platform, providing essential services such as hosting, account management, and data analysis specifically tailored for VR training solutions.
This innovative approach to employee training introduces immersive, hands-on experiences within risk-free simulated 3D environments. Applicable across various industries, it serves as a versatile tool for training the next generation of the workforce and enhancing the performance of existing employees.
N-iX Game & VR Studio started cooperation with PIXO VR back in 2018 when they reached out to us to create 3D models. As of 2024, PIXO VR has become one of our most trusted partners as we have delivered around 11 full-cycle projects and co-developed over 9 more for PIXO VR. Now a large team of Unreal and Unity programmers, technical director, game designers, and artists serve as a true extension and a strong technical support of their internal team.
Cooperation with Trese Brothers Games
Trese Brothers Games stands as a premier indie game development studio known for crafting engaging desktop and mobile RPG and strategy games. With over six games across major platforms, they’ve successfully garnered the loyalty of more than 3 million gamers. Their first 3D game Cyber Knights: Flashpoint has recently launched into Early Access. It’s a tactical RPG in a neon-soaked cyberpunk with a turn-based combat system, dynamic story, sophisticated and challenging missions, and an endless variety of builds.
In 2019, Trese Brothers were looking for an experienced game development outsourcing partner capable of delivering the entire 3D art creation pipeline, someone who would bring their expertise and become an integral part of their core team. Since then N-iX Game & VR Studio has become their supporting pillar when it comes to concept art, modeling, animation, and visual effects creation, as well as game and level design.
