Gain insights into mobile game development outsourcing, and the pros and cons

Mobile gaming is one of the largest entertainment markets. In 2020, the gaming industry generated $155 billion in revenue. By 2025, analysts predict the industry will generate more than $260 billion in revenue. It’s no surprise that companies want a piece of the pie and many companies have made plans to enter the gaming industry.

While it’s a growing market and there is more gaming content created today than ever before, mobile game development is not a cakewalk. The games themselves are getting more complex and there is more technology that goes into games with social and multiplayer games becoming the norm. For developing a quality game, there is the need for significantly more resources to develop, launch, update content and manage live ops.

Game developers are still in short supply and that’s why it makes sense for game development companies to outsource all or parts of their game development. This article delves into the best approach and strategies for outsourcing mobile game development. Additionally, we’ll outline the development lifecycle stages that prove advantageous for outsourcing and offer some general guidance on selecting the most suitable mobile game development partners.

Game development outsourcing involves enlisting development partners who undertake full-cycle development or handle specific game development tasks like programming, 2D and 3D art, animation, VFX, VR simulation, UX/UI design, testing, live ops and game marketing.

Game Design
This involves conceptualizing and creating interactive and engaging experiences tailored for mobile devices. It encompasses designing gameplay mechanics, visual elements, and user interfaces that ensure seamless and enjoyable gameplay on smartphones and tablets.

Game art design
Prior to commencing a project, you can assign the development of the game concept, game environment and character design, to a skilled art team. This helps the production team have a clear understanding of the scope of game development scope

Modeling
To create good gaming experiences, its vital to create remarkable game characters and assets, and environments, and it can be delegated the task of 2D/3D modeling to skilled and experienced gaming artists.

Game Development & Coding
Involves writing code that governs the behavior, interactions, and mechanics of a mobile game. The goal of mobile game coding is to bring the game design to life. Writing good code to create a bug free game can save much time and money.

UI/UX design
Designing an intuitive interface and creating an enjoyable user experience hinges on the expertise of the designers. This is because seasoned professionals understand the requirements of the target audience.

QA
Many development companies don’t have a quality assurance department or capabilities for accurate testing. It’s better to test games on real devices, but this method can be prohibitively expensive, as it requires many different smartphone models to buy.
Many game development companies lack an internal quality assurance (QA) team or the resources for thorough testing – including user testing, gameplay testing and device testing on various OS types and versions.

Full-cycle game development
Outsourcing mobile game development from end to end involves entrusting the entire game creation process, starting from concept ideation and design, through coding and testing, to a game development partner. Here the development partner has control across the project lifecycle can ensure a seamless development process and a flawless game.

Absence of In-House Team
Hiring and coordinating internal specialists involves time-consuming processes, while outsourcing offers a ready-made, proven and proficient team of qualified game developers, designers, backend developers, modeling artists, testers, etc. This approach can really help get the project off the ground and to market much faster. And if certain team members are unable to continue working on a project, they can be replaced with reserve resources.

Cost Effectiveness
Outsourcing game development often leads to cost savings due to lower labor expenses in regions where outsourcing is prevalent. Additionally, it eliminates the need for investing in specialized hardware, software licenses, hiring costs and office space, which can significantly reduce overhead costs. Moreover, the efficiency and expertise of established outsourcing companies can streamline development, further contributing to cost-effectiveness.

Time Constraints
There are instances when meeting game release deadlines becomes critical, and internal progress lags behind. In such scenarios, outsourcing to experts can expedite development, as dedicated companies are well-equipped for swift and accurate execution.

Complex Projects
For projects that are ambitious, skilled-resource intensive and technically challenging, like cross-platform games, outsourcing to specialized game development companies with seasoned teams becomes invaluable

Need for Short-Term Team Augmentation
Short-term augmentation of a mobile game dev team means adding extra skills and resources for a set time to meet project needs, boosting the team’s abilities to handle tight schedules, workload spikes, or specific tasks. This collaboration speeds up development and ensures project success without long-term obligations.

If you need a dedicated outsourcing company to bring your game to life, you can always count on us at Synqua Games:

• 15 years of experience;
• Qualified specialists;
• 100+ successfully completed projects;
• Certified Unity developers;
• Leading Mobile Game Development Companies
• Worked with partners such as Electronic Arts

Are you ready to kickstart your mobile game development project? Reach out to us at hello@synqua.com