Things to Consider Before Hiring Game Developers

The gaming industry is rapidly growing, and the numbers show that by 2028, the global gaming market is projected to reach $206.5 billion with a CAGR of +3.0%. As the industry grows, the demand for professional game development teams is also increasing, making the market more competitive than before.

To build your dream game, choosing the right game development company will decide the future of your project. Numerous teams and companies specialize in game development, but selecting the right partner is the most challenging decision to make. Many games have entered the market and failed due to a poor game design process and weak execution. 

That’s where Cubix stands out, a leading game development company known for strategically collaborating with its clients to align with their expectations, build a seamless gameplay flow, discuss optimization, and then build exactly what they have asked for. In this guide, we will help you make an informed decision before trusting a company and explain how to choose the best partner that will transform your game ideas into an interactive reality.

Why Choosing the Right Game Developers Matters

Developing a successful game is beyond just coding. It requires a combination of art, storytelling, design, sound, and psychology to create something meaningful. The right team will bring the right skills to the table, ultimately creating a long-term successful game. The experienced game developers will help you from the stage of idea generation to the post-launch support. They are proactive, work on potential challenges even before they arise, provide innovative solutions, and optimize performance.

 

Key Qualities to Look for in Game Developers:

The best developers understand both the art and science behind gaming, from coding smooth mechanics to crafting immersive experiences. If you are planning to hire experienced developers,  here are some important key points that are necessary to look for before making your decision. 

1: Clearly Understand Your Game Vision:

Before hiring, it is crucial to understand your expectations from the game. Ask yourself what kind of game you want? Do you want to build an immersive game, or do you just want a casual mobile game? Ask these questions by yourself first: 

• What skills are essential to build my game?
• What basic tools will the development process require?
• Do I need AR/VR or multiplayer features?

Once you are clear with the vision of your game, you can easily comprehend who your target audience is, what monetization model you want in your game, and how you want to connect with your audience emotionally. 

Many startups and businesses skip this phase, then struggle with unfulfilled expectations and poor game execution. When you are looking to hire developers, prepare an effective Game Design Document (GDD) highlighting your game idea, narratives, platform, design process, aesthetics, characters, and technical skills. Share it with the game designer to create a smooth path for your game execution.

2: Evaluate Their Technical Expertise and Game Engine Knowledge:

Technical expertise and game engine proficiency of developers will build the foundation of your game. Remember, it is the backbone, and it will decide the success of your game. 

Always Choose the Right Engine:

Unity: It is a video game engine. It is commonly used by game developers to support 2D and 3D developments, such as games and simulations. It uses cross-platform programming, C#, and open-source to develop games. Its popularity lies in its ability to offer a suite of tools for developers, such as animation tools, AR/VR technology, and graphics. 

You can also read about the Rise of Games Made with Unity Engine

Unreal Engine: It has the most real-time 3D tools. It is best to create VR games, consoles, and high-end immersive games. It is known for its design visuals and cinematic experience. 

Also explore Unity vs. Unreal Engine: Which is Best for Indie Developers?

Godot: It allows developers to create 3D and 2D games from a unified interface. It is also a cross-platform game engine. It is an open-source and free engine. If you want a fast-paced workflow, Godot is best.

Essential Technical Skills That Matter:

Besides proficiency in game engines, developers should exhibit expertise in:

• Demonstrate advanced programming skills: Python, Java, and C++. These fundamental skills prove that they can build a codebase for your game.
  
• To support multiplayer and cloud-based functionalities, the developer should have skills with backend technologies.
  
• Cross-platform Optimization to make sure that it performs smoothly across various devices.
  
• To enhance the gameplay dynamic, make sure they are well-equipped with physics, animations, and AI tools.
  
• For in-app purchase and AR/VR Games, integration of APIs and SDKs is necessary.
  

When hiring a development team, do not hesitate to ask for technical case studies and previous clients’ coding samples.

3: Techniques for Performance Optimization and Cross-Platform Compatibility:

In the gaming industry, if you want to be successful, you cannot limit your presence to a single platform; rather, your game should exist on multiple platforms. The platform can be: Android, PC, PlayStation, IOS, and AR, to provide players with a seamless and uniform experience. Therefore, when hiring, it is vital to assess the company’s compatibility.

Why Cross-Platform Expertise Matters?

• Reach a broader audience with minimal development costs.
• Maintain branding and consistency across platforms.
• Save time and effort with one core codebase.

A developer who is proficient in this domain will adjust assets, resolutions, and controls across platforms while also making sure that it remains smooth and intuitive. Developing for various platforms isn’t that easy; it requires unique skills to manage hardware, input methods, and performance. 

For Example, if you are developing a game for console and PC, it must emphasize high resolutions and precise controller input; similarly, if it is for a mobile device, it should be much more optimized for touch control with limited memory.

Also read our full guide on Cross-Platform Game Development

Performance Optimization Is The Key To Retention:

If your game lags or crashes while playing, no matter how much you have invested, your audience will find a substitute game. Optimization is a continuous process, and it ensures a consistent experience that keeps players engaged. Companies that have expert developers know how to get the best out of their game.

• While maintaining the quality, reduce the asset size.
  
• They evaluate loading time across various departments.
  
• Employ the Level of Details to enhance rendering.
  
• To improve performance, they optimize AI processes and Physics simulations.
  
• Use object pooling to mitigate memory spikes.
  

4: Evaluate Their Creativity And User Experience UX:

Technical expertise built the foundation of the game; meanwhile, creativity and UX will give your game a living experience. Game design, graphics, and aesthetics play a very important role because users might compromise on minor bugs, but if they are not enjoying your game, they will abandon it. That’s why it is very crucial that when you are hiring, you do not just look for skilled coders but rather hire developers who understand how to design for delight. 

Role Of Creativity and Design Skills:

Game development is a blend of technology and Art. While hiring, ask the developers about their approach towards creativity in problem-solving. Ask how they ensure alignment in every element of the game, such as from developing a character to its journey in the game, then deciding on the background music, and its relevance to the game’s theme. These tasks will reveal their mindset, creativity, and problem-solving skills. 

• Visual Hierarchy:  Grabbing the player’s attention with colors, lights, and movement of characters.
• Typography and layout:  Making sure that the HUB components, Dialogues, and Menus are appealing and visible. 
• Fluidity in Animation:  It refers to ensuring responsiveness and natural appeal in the movement of characters and objects in the game
• Cultural Sensitivity:  It is very important because the audience is not limited to any specific geographical location. It focuses on creating visuals that are not offensive to any group of people.
  

Balance Cost and Quality Wisely:

Even the most innovative game idea can collapse without a realistic budget and resource strategy. A professional game development company maintains an equilibrium between cost and quality. Determining resources, game cost, and quality can effectively transform your concept into a market-ready product.

Do your own research before hiring developers and decide on a game budget. Remember, experienced companies may charge higher but provide value for money. Game development costs vary depending on complexity, production quality, and technology used, from a few thousand for 2D games to millions for immersive ones.

• Pre-production costs: They include concept design, building a prototype, storyboarding, and documentation.
  
• Production expenses: It includes costs for coding, Asset creation, animations, and sound engineering.
  
• Testing & Quality Assurance: This includes costs related to testing and continuous identification of bugs and inconsistencies.
  
• Marketing and launch assistance: It includes costs related to game launching, marketing, and influencer collaboration.
  

5: Portfolio Evaluation:

Before finalizing the decision to work with a game development company, one of the most important steps is to thoroughly evaluate their portfolio. The Company portfolio not only demonstrates their coding skills, but it also reflects their creativity, problem-solving skills, technical proficiency, and ability to create engaging gaming ecosystems. A portfolio is the record of their previous clients’ projects, and it showcases what they have created in the past, how much they have improved over time, and the range of tools and technologies they have mastered. When reviewing, pay attention to the following:

• Diversified Genre: Assess if they have created games in various genres such as AR/VR, RPGs, and simulation
  
• Platform Variety: Evaluate if they have developed games for mobile, console, and web platforms.
  
• Designing Excellence: Check if their graphics, UI/UX, and animations align with modern standards.
  
• Post-launch Performance: Assess if their previous games were a success by reviewing their key metrics, such as downloads, rating, reviews, etc
  
• Proven Scalability: Review if the company has managed projects that showcased scalability and real-time performance. Cubix’s “Boss of the World” is a strong example of scalability in practice. The game was designed to withstand massive global traffic without compromising on its speed, performance, and players’ satisfaction. 

6: Examine Ongoing Support and Maintenance:

When you launch your game, remember – it’s not the end of your game’s journey.
Post-launch support will determine if your game is a success or a failure. Weak ongoing support for your game can easily lose its player base; therefore, for the long-term success of your game, make sure your game development company consistently monitors performance, does quick updates, and integrates real-time feedback. This continuous fixing will keep your players engaged and ensure that the game is evolving with market trends.

Post-launch Supports Guarantees:

• Bug fixing: It includes the identification and fixing of inconsistencies, crashes, bugs, and glitches in the game that may occur after launch.
  
• Content Updates: To keep players’ engagement level high, new features, characters, skins, events, and levels should be added regularly.
  
• Server Maintenance: After launch, as more people download the game, the traffic increases. Regular maintenance will ensure that the game can handle peak loads and traffic.
  
• Security: Regular updates on security are crucial to prevent data breaches and protect players’ personal information.
  
• Feedback Mechanism: Making changes in gameplay mechanics based on real-time players’ feedback ensures retention.

Why Choose an Experienced Game Developing Company Like Cubix

Cubix has built a solid reputation as a reliable game development company by consistently delivering something unique and original for its previous clients. Our success lies in our expert game developers, who passionately work day and night to transform game ideas into reality.

We don’t just develop games. We focus on building memorable experiences for game players. Our company supports its clients in every aspect of the game development, from the early concept and development to live operations and Post-Launch updates. Our mission is to help clients build a game that attracts, sustains, and engages users for a long time.

Final Thoughts:

Indeed, the success or failure of your game mostly depends on your choice of developers, and that’s exactly why choosing Cubix can make all the difference. The Gaming industry is evolving, and it has become challenging to choose a partner who understands your vision and also possesses the right expertise to develop. It requires a lot of hard work, from evaluating technical skills and reviewing their portfolio to assessing creativity and post-launch support. Every factor matters a lot. When hiring, take your time and follow the above steps to shape the success of your game.

FAQS

1. Who Should I Trust With My Game Development Project?
Trust developers who have a decade of experience in building high-quality games. You can partner with Cubix because they ensure to provide their clients with expert designers, developers, and artists.

2. What Skills Should I Consider When Hiring Game Developers?
Create a balance of soft and technical skills to hire the best team. Both skills are equally important; thoroughly test their skills during an interview with real-world problems to solve. They should be acquainted with modern tools and technology to provide you with the best game.

3. How much will it cost to hire a game developer company?
It varies depending on the scope of your project, such as which type of game you want (AR/VR, 2D, OR 3D) and which platform you are using (PC, console, or mobile). Do your research and have a game cost in mind.

4. How Long Will It Take To Develop A Game?
It depends on the complexity of your game. If it is a basic mobile game, it might take 3-6 months, while if your game is AR/VR, it will require at least 12  to 18 months.