Game Development

Game development is the process of creating games of different genres (action, role-playing, sports, strategy, casino games, etc.) for various platforms – web, PC, mobile (Android, iOs), cloud, consoles (Xbox, Nintendo, PS4). Today, it is possible to develop cross-platform games. It can be AAA or indie games. No matter what type of game must be developed, they need to be programmed, designed, released and tested until you get a full game.
Generally speaking, game development is an area that covers all aspects related to the creation of video games, from conceptualization to graphic design, programming and releases. All this scope of work is on the shoulders of game developers. There is a special document they stick to in the game development process. This is a game design document (in the gaming industry abbreviated like GDD), that includes all the aspects related to the real gameplay. It is used to organize a productive workflow within the game development team.

Game development is a fairly well-established process, which has certain stages that all games go through when they are created:

Pre-production. Preparing for the production of the game is the first stage of work on the product. At this stage, the primary task is to build the high concept of the game, come up with character/environment design, create a prototype of the game. Not less important is to prepare a work statement and coordinate it with game developers.
Production. This is the stage when the largest number of professionals is involved – game designers, artists, developers, testers. Programmers write the source code, designers work on the gameplay and layout, artists draw graphics (3D models, and other game props). Sound engineers develop sound effects for the game. Level designers create levels, and writers write dialogues for scripted scenes and non-player characters. All this time, game designer complements and modifies game art to reflect the current vision of the game. Some features or levels can be removed or added. Artistic interpretation can evolve, and the plot (background) can change. A new target platform may appear, as well as a new target audience. All these changes should be documented and most of them should appear in the design document.
Testing. Among the most important tasks at this stage are the search and correction of game design errors, problems of game logic and elimination of critical bugs. At this stage, the game already has all the key features, there is enough content for a full-fledged play for a long time, and the collection and analysis of statistics are configured. The testing process goes according to the test plan when stress tests are carried out with the involvement of real players.
Release. After the game is created, tested and debugged, its release follows. Generally, the interest in this event is intensely fueled by the game publisher. The development team at this stage deals with the correction of technical bugs detected during operation and product optimization. Game designers are engaged in fine-tuning the gameplay under the real situation in the game world. It also involves the implementation of various in-game features that support new monetization schemes. Besides, there is the development and integration of new content into the product that supports the interest of players.
Support and maintenance. The last and inevitable stage is maintenance. The games, even after testing and repeated debugging, often come out with errors. Developers leave the opportunity to fix bugs on released games by installing patches.

To succeed in the gaming industry, you need to find specialists who have a real passion for game development projects and all the necessary skills to translate all your ideas into reality. So, how to find the best game developer? Primarily, decide on what type of engagement to choose – be it freelancing, game development outsourcing or in-house employment. Luckily, you aren’t limited to those experts who live in your region. Hire a game developer in the USA, Canada or European countries. However, someone with a good resume is not going to help you out immediately, and you need to dig a little deeper to attract the right talent.

Conduct interviews with each potential candidate thoroughly to check their levels of expertise. What should you ask a game developer about? It isn’t enough to have the desire to make games. To have good results finally, you should find out more about work experience, proficiency in software (Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, etc.) There are many different types of game development for mobiles, web, consoles, PCs, cloud. So, it is important to hire a game developer with the right skill sets.

It may happen that employers don’t have enough time to pass all the way through the hiring process. For that reason, they apply to external agencies like recruitment or game development outsourcing. There is no need to go through a quite complex process of hiring – just start working with the selected developers or trust the whole process to them instead of spending your time on it.

Outside of reducing time on hiring game developers, you can get other benefits of offshore game development – reduced operational costs and business risks, improved productivity and efficiency, increased focus on other key business processes. Based on the global tendencies, more and more companies choose offshore game developers to scale their businesses and accelerate the growth with exceptional talents available not only in their regions. For example, game development in Ukraine has a growing momentum due to flexible law and tax regulations. At the same time, the quality of services remains at a high level.
The reliable partnership with third-parties saves you time drastically. You do not need to go through the entire hiring process. It means that you don’t have to search for candidates on job websites and job search engines, selecting the most suitable ones based on specific requirements. Moreover, you do not need to spend your time and energy on the training and education of employees – instead of you, an outsourcing video game development company will do.