Outsourcing: Devs must learn from publishers?

In a feature written exclusively for Develop, Ivan Davis of Catalyst Outsourcing has offered a detailed guide to making the most out the services outsourcing vendors provide.

"Publishers certainly don’t let developers just get on with making the game, and there is a good reason for this." stated Davies, when discussing the fact that, in his opinion, too many developers stay too distant from their outsourcing partners.

"They monitor the progress, they check quality and they make sure they get what they are paying for," he added. "This is exactly the same for outsourcing. Regular visits, frequent communication and milestone-based quality reviews are essential to productive outsourcing and getting what you want.

"You have to invest time for it to be a success, and therein lies a problem. Outsourcing is predominately seen as a way of saving time and money, so companies may be reluctant to employ another resource to manage the process."

In the same Davis sights the economic downturn and self-canibilising nature of ‘super-developers’ as the reason for the increasingly popular practice of creative outsourcing; something which 83 per cent of UK game developers now do, according to a Tiga report.

To read the full feature, click here.