Points to look at when you hire a mobile game development company

Gaming industry is undoubtedly a blooming business but mobile games seem to be unstoppable. With COVID-19 hitting the world, the business of mobile games has soared higher. According to industry officials, the outbreak of the pandemic has caused online games to pick up momentum. The lockdowns happening worldwide have resulted in stay-at-home and rely on online entertainment. Arcade Game Development Companies especially, have seen a drastic fall in their popularity whereas mobile game development companies are enjoying the exact opposite- growth in revenue, users, and usage. Skill-based games in particular are grabbing all the attention. Given the scenario, there is no dearth of mobile app development companies but out of the vast crowd, it’s quite challenging to choose the right one who can deliver results within the stipulated budget and time. It is also important that the chosen company should have experience of the latest technology and correct business outlook. On the other hand, few factors like loyalty, reputation, trust, etc too should be considered.

Points to remember:

1) Analyzing the portfolio:

The portfolio is the best signifier of quality, one can learn a lot of details about the desired company. It helps in assessing the production limit of the company. Generally, game developers provide details along with the necessary information of the games they have developed before. One needs to go through the profile to check if it fulfills the criteria of creating a game according to one’s taste.

2) Understanding your game requirements:

Many companies may provide ready-made templates that are quick and cheap and suit a simple game development. But for your game to have advanced features, custom-made apps are required. The expertise required in this case can only come from companies who are into developing high-end games or for example Unreal or  Unity game development agencies in this regard. These agencies will help in chalking out a customized plan circling around your ideas and target audiences. The professionals will make sure to run rigorous testing before the launch to avoid any technical glitches.

3) Years of experience:

The years spent in a particular field decide the expertise in that particular field. The work received from an experienced team will always have quality and also signals their adaptability. In a field like gaming, where technological advancements happen now and then, it is very important to adapt according to the present requirements and only a seasoned player can deal with such a situation. If your business is mid-to-large sized then it will be beneficial to avoid freelancers. Since experience plays a key role here, it’s better not to rely on a fresher with your big projects.

4) Skill sets for Android and iOS:

Before approaching the companies, you must stay clear about the facts regarding different operating systems. If your app needs to run both on android and iOS, then speak accordingly beforehand.

5) Manpower: 

Team size also enhances the company’s capabilities. A Large team will have more people with different expertise so adapting to challenging situations won’t be a problem in this case. Also, the requirement to choose multiple partners too gets eradicated once you approach a large team.

6) Good communication:

Any collaboration needs to have good communication. When you decide to hire a company, ensure smooth communication beforehand. Simply handing over the job is not enough; regular feedback, timely updates of the progress, and post-game development feedback too need to be articulated in a hassle-free manner.

7) Previous client portfolio:

A company gains reputation through the number of renowned clients it has worked for. If a company has worked with several top companies, then definitely it’s a reliable choice. Other than this, it would be nice to gather feedback from the previous clients about the target company. Positive reviews are sure indicators of trust and reliability. 

8) Confidentiality:

Confidentiality is one of the key aspects between two parties. The idea or innovation of one’s mind shouldn’t be shared with another contender. Therefore the company should definitely sign an NDA stating clearly not to pass on the ideas to any other third party.

9) Transparency: 

There should be a methodology regarding faster and transparent communication. Within a game, chatbot technology must be used to address a client’s questions, complaints, etc.  AI technology can be used in this regard.

10) Maintenance and Support:

A problem might occur even after the successful completion or launch of the game. The company should collaborate for a longer time so that the client gets maintenance and support at any point in time.

The above-mentioned terms and conditions are undoubtedly important but before relying on somebody else, it is better to keep our own ideas clear about certain things such as the game budget, gaming platform, genre of the game, plot and characters, game mechanics, monetization factors, etc. Apart from these, one should have some research done on the production part of the game as well like graphic, design, animation, programming, sound design, testing,  and also about post-production formalities. Otherwise, there are chances of getting duped.