Hiring a Game Developer? Know All about the Game Development Process before Hiring

The gaming industry has seen sustainable growth over the years, and it continues to be a profitable venture due to the COVID-19 impact on indoor activities. As per Newzoo's report, the worth of the video gaming industry was $159.3 billion in 2020. Such growth makes it harder for game companies to hire game developers, as there is fierce competition for these positions.

The gaming industry has undergone a fundamental change in recent years. Computer games no longer rely on traditional programming but instead use newer technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and others, which are the focus of exciting research by programmers.

This article will cover all the important aspects to consider when hiring a game developer for your team. We will also discuss different approaches to finding dedicated game developers that fit your needs.

Diving deep into game development

Game development involves both creative and technological elements. Thus, there are two different positions necessary to build an online game: game designers and game developers. These names may look similar, but these two provide design & creative flair, respectively. They work simultaneously to make a game interesting.

Game designers conceptualize a wide variety of elements, including game rules, game-play elements, and graphics. They create characters and plots, and they design levels to complete the game.

On the contrary, game developers are responsible for turning a game's design, including its layout and any images, into a product that can be played by end-users. They do this by using programming languages such as C++, Java, & others.

Game development is an extremely broad process that employs game developers, analysts, testers, and publishers. Mainstream games are funded by publishers, take several months to complete, and are produced by mainstream developers. Independent game developers build small games over a short period of time.

What does a game developer do?

Game developers are often multi-talented and can juggle both front- and back-end development. They specialize in a number of computer programming languages.

Game developers are involved in the aspects of game creation that include gameplay mechanics, level creation, character development, audio assets, and of course, creating the storyline.

A game developer's work duties are as follows:

• Reviews game design plans
• Interpret the design & code the game into a product
• Ensure the game functions properly
• Performs troubleshooting in case of any errors
• Conducts a logical approach to problem-solving
• Create documentation of the game development process

What are some game developer roles?

Game development is a three-pronged occupation involving the creation of content, technology, and business aspects.

• Software engineers write code directly and use programming languages to convert the game design into functional game code.
• The content creators are a team of 2D artists, animators, 3D modelers, musicians, and writers who work to make the game more marketable. Their job is to make sure that all the elements and characters in the game look and sound good, and perform as well as or better than placeholders.
• Game designers oversee the creative vision of a game, working with software engineers to ensure that it is a workable product.

Top skills of a game developer

A game developer must work collaboratively with designers to ensure that no part of the layout will be overlooked. In addition to writing an extensive amount of codes, a game developer must also:

• Be a great problem solver
• Must have excellent imagination and creativity
• Must be able to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Must have a keen eye for detail

When looking at game programmers for hire, businesses should also be on the lookout for patience. After all, the development process is often tedious—so an ideal candidate would be someone with a cool head and steady hand.

Coding, designing, and testing are required skills. However, timely execution is another important asset in the game development process. Irrespective of what type of game you are creating, it will have deadlines.

Publishers usually aim to release games in time for holiday revenues or to meet the launch of a new platform or movie. Because of this time-sensitive approach, video game developers must have excellent time management skills.

Game technologies to choose before hiring for game development

To develop games, you need developers with experience with specific game engines, such as Unity and Unreal, and programming languages, such as C++, JavaScript, Python, and competencies related to graphics.

The C++ language is the de facto standard for computer-game programming. However, it is more difficult to learn than other languages and requires greater expertise from programmers. Nevertheless, many game developers master the C++ language because it allows them to control a workable design for better performance in gameplay.

The popular game titles Halo, Far Cry, and Call of Duty are written in the programming language C++.

Java is a versatile computer programming language, used primarily for Android app development. As the native language for Android apps, Java is second only to C++ in popularity among video game developers.

JavaScript and HTML5 are used in conjunction to create games that run on websites or web applications. These two technologies can be used to increase the visual appeal of a development project.

Many modern video games are created using a combination of technologies. Some games leverage existing game engines. For example, Far Cry used the Dunia game engine, which was created alongside the game itself.

Why hire a dedicated game developer?

Game development involves a long process of programming, coding, testing, and other forms of work. With an industry as large as this one there is no question that game developers are uniquely talented people. When developing a game, developers work in several stages:

• planning;
• pre-production;
• production;
• testing;
• pre-launch;
• launch; and
• post-production.

Any other stage in game development will be chock-full of testing for bugs, not to mention game design itself is figuring out mechanics, modeling, and prototyping. Fewer people mean a greater workload for you, which means more stress and a greater chance of burnout. Working with people who have more experience and know-how is crucial for realizing a worthwhile return on your investment.

What are the advantages of game development?

If you are interested in developing applications and are not sure which route to take, the gaming industry is a good place to start. The industry has shown exponential growth in the past ten years, and it will likely continue growing in the future due to several factors.

Larger investments

By 2023, the game development industry is expected to bring in $196 billion in revenue; video game revenues have increased tremendously as technology advances, and nowadays, huge sums of money are being spent on game development with a strong return.

In late 2020, Microsoft began offering cloud streaming services through its Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships. Around the same time, Google launched Stadia, a cloud gaming service.

Other industries have now recognized that the gaming industry is bigger than the music and movie industry combined, and they are scrambling to capitalize on this new opportunity.

Technological progression

The gaming industry has been on a growth spurt over the past couple of decades, with improvements in technology directly responsible for its success.

Virtual reality has become an increasingly important field. In virtual reality, gamers can have highly immersive 3D gaming experiences. These interactions could be expanded to include voice and gesture integration.

At the same time, cloud gaming is emerging as a substantial market with a lot of potential for growth. Though Stadia has been receiving criticism recently, cloud gaming technologies such as GeForce Now and PlayStation Now have proven very successful.

Merchandise appeal

Fandom is not exclusive to popular works of literature or media. When there are popular video games, for example, it can be easy for companies to make money by selling merchandise to fans of the game.

Consumer base

The gaming industry has expanded significantly in recent years, as evidenced by the high market penetration of mobile games among usually non-gaming demographics. People of all age groups are playing games, young, old, even toddlers.

The video game industry is growing and continues to draw new investment from both large and small companies, and you can get in on the ground floor with a small initial investment.

Free to start

Game engines are often free to download, freeing up developers with varying skill levels to use these environments as they like. But often, there's a catch: some offer only a subset of the features found in more expensive engines, while others are only available to developers working on games set in a specific genre or aimed at a specific audience.

For example, Unity has a Personal & Professional version. Unity's Personal version is free. However, once an individual or company earns over $100K annually off their Unity game, they must pay $125/month for the Professional version of the software.

Startup friendly

Some game creators choose to develop a title entirely by themselves. Although this is not necessarily the recommended practice, some successful games were created by such solo developers.

Transferable skills

Game development requires many similar skills as other types of development, and these skills are transferable. This means that you can hire from a larger pool of applicants, and you have flexibility in managing your expectations for developers.

How to hire a game developer?

Once you decide that you want to dive into game development, one of the first steps you should take is finding developers who can close the deal. Game development is a general niche, and you may wish to narrow down what game engine would be most beneficial to you. After that, you can find developers who specifically work with that engine.

You will have the best luck finding freelance game developers who have worked with the Unreal and/or Unity engines. These developers are in high demand because of the functionality of these game engines. BioShock and Lara Croft are examples of notable games made with these engines. In order to evaluate a game developer’s skills, ask for a portfolio or resume of his or her previous work and/or contributions to other games. You can measure performance and creativity in their body of work.

The game industry is a growing and profitable market. New companies can expect better and wider opportunities for growth in software design, content creation, and game development. Games are being deployed in numerous industries, fueling technological advancements in the process.

Marketplace for offshore development talent

If you wish to build a team of qualified game developers with pre-vetted skills, Turing can be the perfect fit. Turing provides you access to a large pool of developers from around the world with a pre-vetted skillset of Silicon Valley standards. Turing’s AI-backed Intelligent Talent Cloud helps you to source, match, and deploy the top developers from around the world. You can hire game developers remotely and build a team capable of taking your services to the next level.

Turing’s vetting process is thorough and ensures that the listed developers are effectively proficient in their areas of expertise. Game dev teams can be assembled within a very short time frame, complete with all the requisite skills required to develop your game.