Studio 801’s Post

The benefits of outsourcing game development is an interesting topic now, during the optimization of resources in large studios

I was recently recommended for a game client development role in the online slots industry. I’ve been working in the game industry for over 22 years, with the 5 most recent in the domain of online slots. From the get-go, the recruiter asked if I was comfortable with game client development. I told them, yes, absolutely, and pointed to my experience. The question was asked again in my interview with management. “Are you comfortable with client-side development?” I confirmed it and even mentioned that just weeks ago, in my recent position, I was heavily involved in advancing a new proprietary game client engine. This is what I do. It's my bread and butter. They seemed satisfied, so they gave me an assessment. I went all in, delivering something I was genuinely proud of. Something that wasn’t just functional and ticked the boxes, but fun to play too. I dedicated a weekend to it. The feedback was great, and they set me up for a late-night interview with the lead developers due to timezones. We spent an hour talking about my work. They liked it, called it unique "in a good way", and asked if I was comfortable with client development. They assured me it wasn't a question of skill, as I had proven that, and that it was a question of comfort. I reassured them, again, that this was well within my wheelhouse. The interview seemed to go well. It felt like we were just talking shop. Ten days later, I got an email. "Unfortunately, while we are impressed with your skill set, we are in need of highly experienced developers on the client side only at this time." Please treat people’s time and effort in the hiring process with respect. We all deserve transparency and consistency. From the reason given, I didn't meet the criteria from day 1. Why drag me through the rest of the process?

"Outsourcing Game Development - A Smart Move for Your Project" In the game industry, creating a top game demands not only creativity but also strong technical skills and experienced resources. Outsourcing game Development is emerging as a smart choice with many pros and cons listed below: Pros: 🚀 Cost Optimization: Significantly save costs compared to maintaining an in-house team. 🕒 Time Efficiency: An experienced team will help shorten the project development process, avoiding unnecessary errors to ensure a quick and efficient outcome. 💡 Specialized Skills: Access to a quality development team with expertise that meets all technical requirements. 🎨 Creativity: Diverse ideas from an external development team create unique and rich products. Some cons: 🔍 Time and effort required to research and select a suitable partner for the project. 🔄 Familiarization needed to effectively manage and work with the outsourcing team. With the advantages and considerations mentioned above, game development services not only help save costs and time but also bring diversity and quality to your project. 🎮✨ #Papagroup #IT #Gamedevelopment

Are you interested in hiring top talent for your game development team? With Remāngu, new team members can jump into action without any delays, maintaining the quality of your game development projects. Remāngu is a cloud-based platform that offers an intuitive interface, allowing your team to work seamlessly from anywhere. It reduces the learning curve, leaves infrastructure management to the platform, and ensures seamless communication and file sharing. Our platform comes equipped with all the tools and software for game development, saving time on individual setups and ensuring everyone has what they need from the get-go. Try Remāngu for free and explore the possibilities for your game development projects! 🌟 More about the revolution of the onboarding process for game developers at the link below. #GameDevelopment #Remangu #CloudPlatform #Revolgy

As an engineer, the only thing on my mind was "How do I build this?" When you’re building, tech seems like the most important thing But here’s what running an agency taught me Every project starts with the client, not the tech The real challenge is finding the need. The build is just one piece of the puzzle Devs who know this deliver real value. Agree? #Founder #NoCode #AgencyOwner

Many times, non-technical Startup Founders tell me that their CTO is the team lead from the agency that develops their product. As in: - Founder provides them the product roadmap. - This "CTO" estimates effort and prescribes the "resources" required to build it. Does anyone see a conflict of interest here? I'll cut through the chase: Many such Founders will reach out to me a few months later saying they've spent 6-figure on this agency and the product isn't ready. However: - The team is already 10 people big. - But the product is lacking in quality. - And the development is lacking in velocity. A common team roster is: - 3 backend developers - 2 frontend developers - 1 designer - 1 team lead - 1 project manager - 1 scrum master - 1 QA Mis-aligned incentives lead to scope creep. That inflated scope leads to an inflated team roster. And that inflated team balloons costs without tangible output. A CTO that earns a cut for each team member in the team will add more and more team members. And bill for all of them! Most of the times a better solution would have been achieved with: - 1 Fractional CTO - 2-3 "core team" developers - Specific freelancers for occasional tasks And this is why it's so important that the Fractional CTO is independent from the developers hired for the team. Fixing dev shop "horror stories" is still my #1 scope of work as a Fractional CTO.

Hot Take: "Solo Dev" vs "Solopreneur" Why the distinction is important... The myth of the "solo dev" has led many to aspire to be one...without really understanding what it is. Some don't believe high quality "solo devs" even exist. (We are rare, but we do exist!) Lets start with some definitions: Solo Dev: The sole creator of every unique asset* in a game or software product. Solopreneur: The sole owner of a game or software who delegates creation of any unique asset* to another person. Why this matters - 1) Funding Some VCs/Publishers openly discriminate against "solo devs", but are more open to funding solopreneurs. 2) Skills Showcase Solopreneurs are showcasing skills in leadership & teamwork (sourcing/hiring, directing, communication, etc), plus skills in any asset creation they do. Solo dev projects often don't require leadership or teamwork. For this reason, some recruiters dismiss this experience. 3) Fair Credit Calling a solopreneur a "solo dev" ignores the contributions of others who worked on a game. 4) Myth Making Overuse of the term "solo dev" drives the idea this is the only "legit" way to make games, which inspires toxic gatekeeping around what makes someone a "real" game dev. If you pay anyone (or use so-called "volunteers") to make unique assets for your game, you are a "solopreneur". Be proud of it! If you want to be a "solo dev", do it because it is what's right for you, your project, or your budget. Don't aspire to do it just to look "cool". ====== *The phrase "unique asset" differentiates assets created specifically for one's project from the use of publicly available assets (engines, libraries, plug-ins, fonts, asset packs, etc). Unique assets include code, art, audio, UI, levels, writing, etc. This does not include supportive services like marketing, accounting, legal, etc. #gamedev, #solodev, #solopreneur

Many times, non-technical Startup Founders tell me that their CTO is the team lead from the agency that develops their product. As in: - Founder provides them the product roadmap. - This "CTO" estimates effort and prescribes the "resources" required to build it. Does anyone see a conflict of interest here? I'll cut through the chase: Many such Founders will reach out to me a few months later saying they've spent 6-figure on this agency and the product isn't ready. However: - The team is already 10 people big. - But the product is lacking in quality. - And the development is lacking in velocity. A common team roster is: - 3 backend developers - 2 frontend developers - 1 designer - 1 team lead - 1 project manager - 1 scrum master - 1 QA Mis-aligned incentives lead to scope creep. That inflated scope leads to an inflated team roster. And that inflated team balloons costs without tangible output. A CTO that earns a cut for each team member in the team will add more and more team members. And bill for all of them! Most of the times a better solution would have been achieved with: - 1 Fractional CTO - 2-3 "core team" developers - Specific freelancers for occasional tasks And this is why it's so important that the Fractional CTO is independent from the developers hired for the team. Fixing dev shop "horror stories" is still my #1 scope of work as a Fractional CTO.

Studios struggle with finding good developers. Here's what team leaders keep telling me: "We find most of our contractors through our own network" People we’ve worked with before. People who know our people. We know them ➜ We trust them to get the job done. Amazing news! But then what? 1) You exhaust your network 2) You want to have better diversity  3) You need someone with a very specialized skill set Simple solution: Use Game Boosts extended network 1) 1500+ Game Developers in the database 2) The combined network of all the Game Boosters 3) Ads in relevant Linkedin, Discord and Slack groups 4) Headhunting for your specific needs by a game production veteran You can have a senior developer with the right skills and experience for your needs within days Can it be real? You are sitting on a gold mine. Best part? It’s almost effortless All I need is 20 minutes to understand what you need Then you can focus on your core tasks And in just a couple of days you'll have your next team member in your inbox But I only work with studios I like. You have to be people- and remote-friendly And you have to commit to taking action once I give you what you need Just like you expect the best from me So does the Game Boosters My job is making sure everybody wins And that great games get made Talk today. Win tomorrow. ♻️ Reshare to help someone super-boost their network

Why does an art outsourcing company need a development team? Besides the obvious reason - developing our own games, for example, #OceanKeeper 🌊 - they play a crucial role in various aspects of our operations. - Developers help improve and automate internal processes, significantly increasing the efficiency of the entire team. This saves time and resources that can be redirected to creative tasks. - Implementing some art assets into a game engine requires specialized technical knowledge. The team ensures integration, maintaining high quality and compliance with all technical requirements. - Often projects will have minor tasks that require dev skills. We can quickly respond to these requests, avoiding delays and ensuring swift project execution. Having them with us - it's a strategic decision that improves flexibility, productivity, and the quality of services provided.  And don't forget to play OK demo! https://lnkd.in/drK2SxkM #artoutsourcing #indie #gamedev