Game development is a risky business that requires a lot of financial backing. While developing the whole game yourself sounds exciting and creative, smaller studios have tight budgets and might not have access to the latest technological tools either. Co-development in game production is the right answer here, as it addresses both the financial and technological challenges. By teaming up with an external studio that has the right expertise, you can make game development much more efficient and competitive.
The global video game industry will reach $363.20 billion by 2027, a rapidly expanding sector with many opportunities for successful developers. If you play your cards right, you are set to win big.
This guide will discuss the idea of co-development, how it beats outsourcing, its benefits, and much more.
Also known as collaborative outsourcing, co-development in game production means collaboration between the primary studio and one or more assisting companies. This assistance is not restricted by any means, and its level of support depends upon the requirements of specific projects.
Instead of offloading the whole project to another team, as in outsourcing, co-development ensures the collaboration of creative minds to create an appealing and marketable final product.
Creating an appealing game isn’t just about technical skills and having the most advanced tools. It is also about blending creativity and collaboration in a way that produces something exciting for players. In a co-development partnership, both parties are rewarded if the game does well in sales, thus there is a even stronger incentive for the co-development partner to do its work at the highest level possible!
Let’s understand how co-development beats outsourcing to create class-leading games.
The most obvious and significant advantage of joint development in game production over outsourcing is the collaborative environment it creates for both parties. This partnership results in higher-quality games that are better in every aspect. Since both game studios continuously work on shared expertise, the overall development process becomes much more refined.
Here is how this support takes form:
The partners involved in the development project make choices after thorough consultations, and any concerns are addressed swiftly. Thanks to this, all gaming components blend seamlessly with each other, producing a final product that is actually ready to compete in a fierce market.
Several real-world examples showcase how co-development can lead to visually stunning games. For instance, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt produced by CD Projekt Red was brought to North America thanks to the studio’s partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive.
Another reason to pick co-development in game production over outsourcing is the creative control over the entire project. In outsourcing, you hand over the game to another studio, and its teams only perform predefined tasks. On the contrary, co-development is meant to ensure the active participation of the main studio throughout the creative process. It makes the development process more efficient and smoother, requiring far fewer revisions.
Active engagement also gives artists the creative freedom they need to express themselves truly. Teams can create mood boards to determine the overall feel and style of the project, making the development workflow more exciting for both parties.
Shared ownership and consistent engagement lead to successful projects like Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. In this case, Naughty Dog and BluePoint Games collaborated, utilizing BluePoint’s expertise in remastering. Thanks to active engagement from BluePoint, the remastered version kept the original game's artistic vision intact.
Co-development in game production is usually more efficient and sustainable than outsourcing because the former is more streamlined and flexible for any changes that might be required down the line.
Here is how co-development beats outsourcing by integrating various skills and technical abilities from both teams:
After learning why it is superior to outsourcing, let’s discuss some of the major benefits co-development brings to the table.
Those working in game development know how time-consuming and expensive it can be. However, by getting a helping hand from another studio in some areas, developers can streamline their workflow and focus on core activities like game design and marketing. It cuts down the time spent by a significant margin and provides cost-effective solutions for areas such as localization and art production.
Partnering with 3D game developers means you get a team of experts who have spent years mastering their craft. These include game designers, artists, sound engineers, programmers, and more. The vast knowledge of these experts is readily available when you partner with their studio.
In addition to the expertise, quality game development studios invest heavily in the latest technologies to stay ahead in the industry. If you are an indie developer with limited resources but great ideas, teaming up with a resourceful studio can give you access to all the latest technologies, such as the game engine, AI tools, VR, AR, and MR.
It is estimated that the number of people using AR and VR will reach 3728.0 million by 2029. Partnering with a high-tech studio ensures that you can effectively meet this demand and stay ahead in the industry.
The best studios already have a stacked portfolio, meaning they have worked extensively in the game development sector. They have helped develop popular projects and are still going strong. Partnering with a studio like that means you benefit from all the knowledge and expertise they have accumulated over the years to create truly compelling games for your customers.
Reliable game outsourcing studios can dial up or down the scale of their operations depending on the project requirements. This is convenient for small studios that do not have the means to hire new employees or purchase the latest technologies. By partnering with a more resourceful studio, they can scale their operations up or down and quickly adapt to changing requirements over the game development lifecycle.
While we often focus on shiny new projects that create waves in the market, many games fail and don’t recoup their investments. The gaming industry is already reeling from a financial crisis, with 10,000 layoffs in the US, the UK, Canada, and Japan alone in 2023. Given this backdrop, it is easy to see that game development is risky, and not everyone has the resources to digest losses.
The best way to mitigate risk for most small and medium-sized studios is to partner with other industry players. It helps them avoid costly mistakes and boosts their chances of success.
Your relationship with your co-development partner can make or break your game. Here is how to form a successful relationship and ensure a smooth development path.
Understanding your project is the first step in finding the perfect co-development partner and building a strong relationship with them. Although there is no hard and fast rule, one can divide game development into two general types: pre-defined and ad hoc.
A predefined project is one in which you have the art bible, the story bible, know which technology to use, how assets will be organized, and the like. After pre-determining all these things, you can ask your co-development partner to follow your vision and complete the project accordingly.
In an ad-hoc project, chaos leads the way, and you let the creativity of both teams guide the process instead of pre-defining everything. You do have a concept, but there is no art bible, story bible, no finalized sketches, and the technology isn’t locked in. Although it sounds unsatisfactory and difficult, it has benefits, and some of the best games have been made this way.
Before you start a co-development in-game production project, your team should be fully prepared for it. They should know how to accommodate the needs of the other studio in the workflow and process their input.
Make your team knowledgeable about the benefits of co-development so that they give their best. If there is any internal resistance and you start a co-development project, it is bound to face significant delays.
Co-development requires you to prepare your tools beforehand, and that applies to both pre-defined and ad-hoc projects.
These are the key things you must address beforehand:
The ideal co-development in game production partner doesn’t agree with everything. They register their concerns according to industry trends, market forecasts, suitable technologies, and the like. Honest feedback like that is critical to the game’s success.
As you have seen, co-development is perhaps the best thing you can do for your game development efforts. You will overcome many of the financial and technical challenges while getting world-class input from the experienced team of the external studio.
Cominted Labs can be your co-development partner - Apply with your project to work with our 3D & game dev team. Trusted by over 50 leading companies, we are experts in creating 3D characters, animation, 3D props, VFX, texturing, and whatnot.
Book a 30-minute intro call and begin an exciting co-development in-game production journey with us.
