Video games are holding still, and the demand for game development is on the rise. The video games segment will hit a sales volume of $100.56 billion by 2024. For 2022, investors invested over $11 billion in game development from private companies and the trend continues. But where does all that money usually go?

When it comes to game development, finding and hiring specialists for project execution can be a resource-intensive process, as the cost of hiring a new employee through an HR department can be three to four times their salary.

To avoid excessive expenses, it's important to explore different hiring options and consider working with a professional game development company to find the right specialists. In this way, you can make sure that you are getting the best value for your investment. So, let’s jump to the point!

GAMES WE MADE

What Should Game Developers Bring to Your Project?

Whether working on a large-scale project or a small indie game, game developers bring a valuable perspective and set of skills to the development process. So what can a developer do for your game project? Explore the key tasks below.

Building a development strategy. In order to execute an effective game development with a deadline, professionals need to think carefully about the plan of action. Since only developers know the process in the smallest detail, they have to build a workflow. Usually all the necessary information such as: technical requirements, concept art, gameplay mechanics, plot, etc. are collected in one document called GDD - game design document. It serves as a blueprint for the development team and provides a clear understanding of what the final game should look like and how it should play.
Game Logic Creation. One of the key challenges in game logic creation is ensuring that the game is challenging but fair. The developer must strike a delicate balance between making the game too easy, which will result in player boredom, and making the game too difficult, which will result in player frustration. This is why game logic creation often requires multiple iterations and playtesting, to fine-tune the rules and conditions and make sure the game is both engaging and fun.
Front-End & Back-End Game Development. Any game consists of two parts: the front-end and the back-end. There are specific experts assigned to each part. Front-end developers are in charge of aspects that are visible to players and allow for interaction with the game. On the other hand, back-end developers focus on the server, database, and all the behind-the-scenes elements that keep the game running, but are not directly seen by users.
Unit & Integration Testing. Unit testing helps catch bugs early and saves time and resources in the long run, while integration testing ensures that the different parts of the game are working together correctly and helps ensure that the game as a whole is functioning as expected. By using both unit testing and integration testing, game developers can create high-quality games that meet the expectations of players.

How To Define a Professional Game Developer

With the abundance of aspiring game developers, it is important to understand what qualities and skills define a professional game developer.

Relevant experience: Consider the developer’s experience in your desired genre or platform. He must have experience with the type of tasks that involves your project.
Appropriate tech stack: Ensure that the developer has the technical expertise required to develop your game, including experience with the technology you need such as game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine/Unity) and programming languages (e.g., C++/C#).
Portfolio: Experienced professionals who have worked on numerous projects should have a portfolio that contains at least 3-5 relevant projects. Pay attention to the styles and genres of games he have developed and make sure they match what you are looking for.
Strong collaboration skills: Good communication and collaboration involves working in a team of different professionals. Make sure the developer you choose has a communication process in place between the developers who work on different parts of the game and the testers who will be returning reviewed lines of code for fixes.
Reputation: Check the developer’s reputation by getting feedback from previous clients and reading ratings and reviews on popular platforms. A good reputation is a strong indicator of a company's quality and reliability.

If the developer you choose meets all of the above requirements, then you have a good chance of stopping to choose and hiring a developer.

Different Types of Game Developers For Hire

Finding professional developers can be a challenge. From the necessary skills to deliver your project, to reliability and a reasonable salary. Here are 3 types of developers for hire that we suggest you explore to make the best choice.

Freelance Game Developers. Hiring freelance game developers can be a cost-effective solution for game development projects because they often charge lower rates compared to full-time employees or game development companies. With the rise of remote work, freelance game developers can be hired from anywhere in the world, giving access to a larger pool of talent, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Since there is no direct supervision of freelance game developers, quality control can be more challenging. Also freelance game developers may have multiple projects at the same time and may not be as dedicated to a particular project as a full-time employee. These disadvantages are significant in effective game development, that’s why we don’t recommend this type of developers.
Full-time Game Developers. Having a dedicated full-time team of game developers also has its advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, having a consistent team in place from the start of the project to its ongoing updates, maintenance, and testing is beneficial. However, assembling a full-time team of game developers can be costly, as it involves a dedicated HR department and the expenses associated with it, such as hiring and recruitment costs. Additionally, full-time game developers require a proper work environment, equipment, a competitive salary, and various benefits and perks. Furthermore, replacing a departing developer can incur additional expenses and disruptions to the project.
Dedicated Gaming Specialists. There are companies that offer dedicated professionals as a service to other companies, providing a combination of the benefits of full-time developers team and freelance work. are already equipped with the necessary hardware and software., and while they are not privy to the internal processes of the client company, they work closely with your team to achieve the best outcomes. In one case, you can hire game developers from a particular outsourcing company and pay them an hourly rate, similar to working with freelancers. In other cases, you can negotiate a custom agreement or pay for the time and materials used. The challenge in working with an outsourced game development company is choosing the right partner among the many other game development companies.

Rely on game development with outstanding results from Publex

We are an superior game development studio providing full-cycle development services, game art and animation production of the highest quality. Operating for 5 years, the company has assembled a strong team of professionals and successfully implemented various game projects.

Due to a wide portfolio of mobile, PC, and console games Publex specialists have in-depth experience with different genres, platforms and game engines, including their specific features.
The company provides a wide range of game services: full-cycle game development, game design, level design, UI/UX design, 2D art and animation, 3D modelling, games on Unity and Unreal Engine and more.

Contact us to find out more details and discuss the future of your project with Publex.