What Outsourcing Can Give Game Developers

Outsourcing Advantages

The primary reason game studios and simulation companies should consider outsourcing is the easy access to talent without undergoing the lengthy and costly recruitment process, you simply come to us, specify the number of talents needed along with their skill levels and specialties, and these professionals will promptly join your project. Another key reason is cost-effectiveness. Studio often gains better visibility on their expenses for specific parts of their projects when they outsource to us. Lastly, adaptability is crucial, for instance, if you introduce new pipelines or workflows, usually studios have to conduct internal and extensive training, Our talent adapts very quickly as they are used to working with various clients on different projects, each with its own unique pipeline. So, the three main advantages I’d highlight are cost-effectiveness, access to talent, and adaptability.

It's not just about being cheaper but also about efficiency. For example, hiring an artist directly can incur substantial recruitment costs, easily reaching $10,000 to $20,000 just to find the right talent. We've already found and secured that talent for you, eliminating the need for you to undergo a costly search. While the cost might be comparable to hiring in Europe or the USA, outsourcing with us bypasses recruitment and training expenses, translating to significant savings. It's about the value of time and resources saved, not just the raw cost reduction. In some cases, outsourcing can be cheaper, particularly in regions where the cost of living and taxes are lower, thus allowing for the discovery of exceptional talent at reduced rates. Our focus is on providing a diverse range of professionals, from technical 3D artists to programmers, ensuring you have access to all the talent you need without the associated recruitment and training overheads.

That's why we have such a diverse team. We have technical 3D artists, individuals who specialize in blueprints and animations in Unreal Engine, and programmers. It's more about offering you every talent you need.

Challenges

There are challenges related to adaptability. For instance, technology evolves rapidly – you might wake up to find something new has emerged. Keeping up with technology is one of our main challenges, which means we're always training our artists and ensuring alignment with our clients' pipelines and workflows.

Another challenge we face as an outsourcing studio is adapting to each client's vision. It's not a problem per se, but rather an exciting challenge. It's actually why we find outsourcing so rewarding; it offers a wealth of learning opportunities. For example, we have three clients, each with their own tools, pipelines, and workflows. Learning from just these three clients presents a significant learning curve for us, which is incredibly valuable.

As for our personal project, we handle everything in-house. This project is where we learn various things because our goal is to operate a full-cycle video game studio. Handling outsourcing for video games and developing our own games, including our programming, 3D technical arts, and everything else, allows us to learn a great deal. It will be quite rewarding when we release our game; we'll have gained much more experience and will be able to offer a wider range of services to our clients.

There are definitely aspects we'd prefer to outsource. I always find outsourcing 3D art particularly beneficial. For instance, creating repetitive yet time-consuming assets, like the details in a city – such as signs, bottles, garbage – they are things we'd likely outsource while focusing on the hero assets ourselves.

Specifically, for character work, we'd handle the main characters and some side characters in-house but outsource the NPCs. Outsourcing NPCs allows us to ensure they maintain quality comparable to the main characters without diverting too much time from those central assets. It's a strategy that's both cost-effective and quality-focused.

With outsourcing, we're looking for the best balance of cost efficiency and maintaining quality. Those are the two main considerations.

That's why many video game studios choose to keep the creation of hero assets in-house – they're crucial, and for iconic or significant characters, it's essential to manage them directly to ensure they meet the highest standards.

Communication & Organization

The main thing about communication is always being direct. If you can do something, say you can do it. If you can't, then say you can't. Honesty is crucial. Being straightforward and honest avoids 90% of problems when it comes to communication. It's always good to commit to what you can actually deliver. Some outsourcing studios might claim, "Alright, we can do everything," but in reality, they might not have the capability or experience.

For instance, we can do characters, but we are more focused on environmental art. We have some character artists for our internal video games, but they're still undergoing training. They are just not ready to meet the demands for character art at the level a client might want. So, we clearly state, "We have character artists, but we're not offering that service right now because we cannot guarantee the quality you require." That's one key aspect.

It's also about understanding our capacity. Sometimes, studios might exaggerate their capabilities, saying, "We can handle 90% of your video game's 3D assets," when that might not be the case. We're a small team, and we thoroughly check – double, triple check – before committing to the volume of assets we can deliver. Being honest in communication helps avoid the majority of problems.

Overtime & Crunch

For us, it’s all about how we communicate our capabilities to the clients. For instance, if we want to avoid crunch time or overtime, we clearly tell our client what we can achieve within an eight-hour day, not 12 hours or more. When estimating that an asset will take eight hours, we give our artists the freedom to use those hours creatively, rather than pressuring them to rush through their work. It’s crucial to communicate your capacity to the clients effectively.

Since we're a 100% remote company and conduct our weekly meetings online, I always encourage our artists to manage their time well to avoid overtime, emphasizing that everyone deserves to have a life outside of work.

Choosing Projects

Choosing between projects is all about compatibility. For instance, as avid video game enthusiasts, working with companies like Rockstar, Naughty Dog, or Sony is an opportunity we wouldn't want to pass up due to their exciting projects. Such projects generate a lot of enthusiasm among our artists. Telling my team we're working on a project for Sony, for example, boosts motivation and creates a positive work environment in our studio. We tend to choose projects that excite and make our team happy.

There are many projects in the market that, while financially motivating, might not be as engaging or interesting, and we acknowledge they may not inspire our team as much. However, for us, it's also about the end credits in the video game. It’s incredibly meaningful to our artists to see their names associated with high-quality games, it means the world to them. That's why we prioritize projects that not only excite our team but also promise to deliver the best quality outcomes. This dual focus ensures we remain passionate about our work and committed to excellence.

AI

AI is a fascinating trend, some view it as a necessary tool for video game development reducing costs and accelerating production, while others see it as a threat, believing it eliminates many gaming jobs. The way we interpret AI raises a lot of questions. In most of our contracts with various clients, it’s explicitly forbidden to use commercial AI tools rather than internally trained AI, I am unable to reveal which of our client companies engage in or refrain from utilizing AI tools due to non-disclosure agreements.

These AI usage restrictions come from large companies concerned about the origins of AI-generated data, which might unlawfully use assets from other creations. For our part, three of our clients prohibit AI use in our contracts. This makes us cautious, unsure of how other outsourcing studios or game developers approach AI use. While AI is generally not used with our clients, we find it intriguing yet are bound by contract to avoid it. However, internally, for our video game projects, if we need to develop characters or gameplay mechanics and can't proceed traditionally, we might consult GPT models for blueprint ideas, ensuring we're not infringing on others' intellectual property.

My main concern with AI is its potential to use data belonging to other artists without permission, which I believe is unethical. Yet, if AI, like GPT, is used to generate code or assist in non-infringing ways, I see it as acceptable. However, the fear remains about the impact on jobs within the industry. For instance, concept artists might find their roles diminished if AI can generate base designs, reducing the need for a large team of artists.

While some companies develop internal AI tools and train them with their data, the broader implications for employment in creative roles remain worrisome. It's a complex issue, determining whether AI's role is beneficial or detrimental.

Outsourcing Trends

Another significant trend is the opening of new markets. Initially, we started our company with a focus on outsourcing for video games, but we've found ourselves branching into other markets, which has been a pleasant surprise. For example, video game technology is now being utilized in simulations, including AR simulations. We have a client who applies this technology in cruises and vehicle training, such as for autonomous driving vehicles.

The application of video game technologies has introduced us to new markets and clients, which has been fantastic for our business. Finding ourselves in different areas and markets has been beneficial. It has led to increased profits for us.

Another trend, besides AI, is the rapid advancement of technology. For instance, the development of Unreal Engine 5 has been incredibly impressive. So, I would say technology, AI, and new markets are the main trends.

Hamza Aatmi, CEO & Art Director at Grid Paper