Game Porting – is it an art, a science, or a bit of both: Insights and Success Stories from Devoted Studios

Let's Talk About Developer Porting

At Devoted Studios, we recognize the importance of developer porting — transferring games from one console to another — to expand a game's reach and enhance player experiences. With our extensive expertise in this area, we've successfully navigated the complexities of porting for various titles.

Why is Porting Essential in Today's Gaming Landscape?

Here are some stats that highlight the importance of developer porting:

• Market Reach Expansion: Games available on multiple platforms can reach up to 40% more players, significantly increasing potential revenue streams.
  

• Sales Boost: Cross-platform releases often see a 20-30% boost in sales compared to single-platform releases.
  

• Player Retention: Games that offer cross-platform play experience 15% higher player retention rates.
  

• Revenue Growth: According to Newzoo, the global games market is projected to generate over $200 billion in 2024, with multi-platform games contributing a significant portion of this revenue.
  

• Consumer Demand: A survey by Statista revealed that 60% of gamers prefer titles that are available on multiple platforms, emphasizing the importance of accessibility.
  

• Competitive Advantage: Developers who effectively port their games to various consoles can capture a larger share of the market, outperforming competitors who stick to a single platform.

What Challenges Have You Faced While Porting a Game?

Whether you're a developer, a publisher, or an avid gamer, share your insights and experiences. Let's discuss the pivotal aspects of game porting and how we can continue to push the industry forward.

Devoted Studios' Expertise in Developer Porting

At Devoted Studios, we pride ourselves on our ability to tackle the most challenging technical porting projects, particularly those involving bringing games to various consoles. Let's explore some of our noteworthy achievements in this domain.

Gearbox’s Unity-Powered Roguelike Risk of Rain 2 (Nintendo switch porting)

Risk of Rain 2 presents players with a thrilling multi-platform experience, featuring intense gameplay, diverse environments, and strategic challenges.

In our collaboration with Gearbox, we took on the task of porting Risk of Rain 2 to multiple platforms. Our responsibilities included optimizing network performance for multiplayer compatibility and enhancing rendering across all versions of the game.

1. We significantly optimized CPU and GPU performance, resulting in smooth gameplay on the Nintendo Switch platform.

2. Through meticulous shader, scene profiling, post-process, and material optimization, we achieved an average performance increase of 57% across all levels of the game.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach immerses players in a thrilling horror experience, challenging them to survive against terrifying animatronic adversaries.

Our team at Devoted Studios undertook the porting of Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach to various consoles, including porting to Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One/X/S.

Our tasks involved optimizing performance and porting DLC content to ensure a seamless gaming experience across platforms.

1. We achieved a stable frame rate of 30 FPS on the Nintendo Switch, employing advanced optimization techniques such as texture management and lighting adjustments.

2. Our efforts led to improved performance on past-generation consoles, with visual enhancements comparable to the PC version's ultra settings.

Our collaboration with Steel Wool Games on the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise continues to flourish. We are currently involved in porting "Ruin," a massive DLC for Security Breach, to several platforms, including the PS5 PSVR2 and Xbox. Additionally, we are working on ports for other titles in the series, such as FNAF: Help Wanted, for various platforms.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted (2019)

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted offers players a captivating VR experience, immersing them in the terrifying world of the iconic horror franchise.

Our team was responsible for porting Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted to the PSVR 2 system, ensuring optimal performance and visual quality for next-generation hardware.

We successfully optimized the game for the PSVR 2, enhancing its visual quality to meet the standards of next-gen hardware.

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2

Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 continues the immersive VR experience of its predecessor, delivering new thrills and horrors to players.

Our upcoming project involves porting the game to Meta (Oculus) Quests 2, 3, and Pro, with plans for additional platforms in the future.

While the project is currently underway, we are committed to optimizing the game for the Meta Quest platform, ensuring smooth performance without compromising quality.

Spellbreak

Spellbreak offers players a unique and immersive battle royale experience, combining spellcasting with strategic gameplay elements.

Our team was tasked with the full-cycle porting of Spellbreak to the Nintendo Switch, including asset optimization and UI adaptation for the platform.

We successfully optimized CPU and GPU performance for smooth gameplay on the Nintendo Switch, ensuring a seamless integration of core content and features.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Devoted Studios' expertise in developer porting is evident in our successful collaborations and achievements across a diverse range of projects. We remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries of game porting and delivering exceptional gaming experiences to players worldwide.