Today, when it comes to the prospects of this or that type of development and potential earnings in game development, product development is considered the most attractive.
Often it means that in any case, the team will develop their project for game art outsourcing. And here it doesn’t matter how it will be financed: with its own earned funds (if the company has already achieved success), with its resources (indie development), or for someone else’s money (crowdfunding or investment project).
It was this thought that somehow entered the minds of many. Say, developing your project is an axiom that is not subject to any doubts. The future in product development seems too sweet.
At the same time, it should be noted that outsourcing is also a rather attractive direction in game development, which may well bring good profit.
Any art outsourcing development is a set of interactions between a customer and a client. It will be successful only if this interaction is professional and beneficial for both parties. And in all this harmony there is one problem: both the customer and the contractor need the most acceptable conditions for cooperation. But, as practice shows, in many situations, the concept of “mutually beneficial terms” may differ. That is, in fact, very often the desires, requests, appetites, and views of the customer and the contractor do not coincide or are opposite.
If the customer has enough money and is ready for small concessions, and the performer’s appetites are adequate, there will be no problems. But when the balance is not found, all the fun of game art outsource begins.
Availability of Money and Resources
As we said above, in an ideal situation, a potential client has a sufficient budget for development, and the client has enough resources for it. In our world steeped in debauchery and lies, there is nothing ideal, so the first problems begin already at this stage.
Search for a Potential Partner
There are also many challenges in finding a potential partner, each with their own game design portfolio.
Naturally, those cases are taken into account when it is necessary to establish some kind of large-scale production. We are talking game outsourcing company, not about small jobs, because finding a couple of freelancers is not such a global problem.
Choosing a Potential Partner
The paradox and absurdity of the situation are that, like, both potential partners have already found each other and are on the verge of making a choice. But at some point, it turns out that each of them has their list of requirements for each other. Also their position on these requirements, their views on the ideal partner. As a result, both sides try to dock, but do not dock together, because someone does not suit someone in something. And they don’t choose each other. And they return to the second stage (search for a partner).
The Presence, Formulation, and Discussion of a SetTask
It is no secret for all developers to do the job efficiently, it is necessary to obtain the maximum amount of necessary starting materials that are important for solving problems.
Art outsource development is, in fact, a partnership in which both parties should strive for maximum results. And each of the parties assumes responsibilities that must be fulfilled.
This does not mean that the performer can write a dozen stupid questions every day and shift some work to the customer. But this means that the necessary dosed attention of the customer to his brainchild will be required.
In an ideal world, all documentation and other prerequisites are present. And in such a situation, the performer only needs to jump in a chair, scream with happiness, and professionally do his job.
In the real world, God forbid, that there was at least something concrete, from which one could push off. This will allow for analysis, think over a development plan, at least roughly preliminary calculate of the required budget.
Discussion of Working Conditions
Possible types of cooperation were described above, but it was not discussed in what situations it is relevant to use them and what are the pitfalls.
In what situations are these or those types of cooperation applied:
- The rationality of work according to this model is justified if the customer does not have its high-quality management, or the remote management works ineffectively.
- The rationality of work on this model is justified if the customer has a professional manager, or there is a need to independently manage resources.
How to Get Around the Pitfalls
If we approach the issue rationally, then there is a way out with game outsourcing companies. The main factor to consider is the amount of work outsourced. If it is small, then the conversation about partnership closes by itself. If this is a full-fledged game or a group of games, i.e. the scope of work is quite large – the terms of cooperation can and should be discussed.