In game development, managing costs while delivering high-quality products is always a challenge. But partnering with external teams through game co-development has become an increasingly popular solution. It allows studios to reduce costs, boost efficiency, and maintain flexibility without the ongoing need to hire and manage large in-house teams.
At Devoted Studios, we’ve worked with many studios and seen how co-development can be an effective strategy for saving money while keeping development on track.
Let’s take a closer look at how game co-development can lead to significant savings and why more studios are turning to this approach today.
So, What is Game Co-Development?
To make sure we’re on the same page, game co-development is when a studio partners with an external team to handle different parts of the game’s development. This could include tasks like art creation, programming, or testing, with the external team working closely alongside the primary studio. This collaboration brings in specialized expertise and resources, helping get the game to the finish line faster and more efficiently.
And that’s exactly what we do, we specialize in co-development, offering a Strike Team approach that helps studios expand their teams with experienced artists, programmers, and designers who work seamlessly with in-house teams.
How Does Co-Development Save You Money?
One of the biggest concerns for game studios is staying within budget while delivering a high-quality product. That's where game co-development comes in.
Cutting Development Costs
Game co-development can seriously lower your development costs. According to a 2022 report by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), studios that brought in external teams saw an average 30% reduction in development costs!
So, why does this happen? Well, here’s the breakdown:
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Lower Labor Costs: Hiring full-time employees for every role can get expensive. With co-development, you only pay for the expertise you need, when you need it. No long-term contracts or salary commitments. -
Global Talent Access: With co-development, you’re not limited to local talent. You can tap into talent from all over the world, where labor costs might be more affordable.
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Faster Turnaround: Extra hands mean faster progress. More people working on different parts of the project means you can finish quicker, which often translates into cost savings.
Reducing Long-Term Overhead
Another great thing about co-development is how it helps reduce long-term costs. Traditional game studios often go through hiring and firing cycles, constantly recruiting new staff for each project. This leads to recruitment costs, onboarding, and the hassle of letting go of staff once the project is over.
But with co-development, you don’t have to worry about all of that. You bring in external teams for specific projects, so you don’t need to keep a big, full-time workforce. This means you avoid the stress of high turnover, recruitment fees, and long-term salary commitments.
Co-Development Boosts Efficiency, Too!
In game development, efficiency is key to staying competitive. Co-development helps studios streamline their processes and ensure that every part of the game gets
Focus on What You Do Best
One of the best things about co-development is that it allows studios to focus on their strengths. For example, let’s say your studio excels at gameplay and level design but lacks the resources for high-quality art production. Instead of struggling with hiring a full-time art team, you can partner with a co-development team that specializes in art. This lets you focus on what you do best while letting the external team handle the parts where they shine.
It’s like having a team of experts work on different areas of your game, making sure every aspect gets the attention it deserves!
Scalability and Flexibility
What happens when a studio needs more help during crunch time? Easy! With co-development, you can scale your team up or down based on the project’s needs. You’re not locked into a long-term contract with full-time employees. Need extra hands for a few months? No problem!
This flexibility is perfect for indie studios or even large companies that need to quickly adapt to project demands.
Let’s Hear What Studios Say: The Real Benefits of Co-Development
Still unsure about co-development? Hear from some of our clients who have experienced the advantages firsthand:
Sean-Paul Manning
Art Director, Elodie Games
Speaking on behalf of my team we are very fortunate to have the Devoted team as a partner in development on this project. We’re a very small team with limited time and resources - Devoted has been able to force multiply our abilities and close our gaps with their team of experts.
Ian Fielding
Studio Head, Super Evil Megacorp
Devoted Studios has been a great partner to help us bring our artistic vision to life. From concept, modeling, and animations - we value their support and look forward to continuing our partnership with them in future projects.
Should You Consider Game Co-Development?
In the competitive industry of game development, game co-development is a fantastic way to save costs, boost efficiency, and reduce long-term overhead. If you're working on an indie game or a large AAA project, co-development can provide the flexibility, expertise, and cost savings you need to succeed.
At Devoted Studios, we’ve helped studios like yours streamline development and stay on budget, all while delivering high-quality results. Ready to dive into co-development and see how it can benefit your next project? Get in touch with us today, and let’s start collaborating!
