The mobile gaming industry is changing. As the entire gaming industry undergoes seismic shifts in technology, strategy, and expansion, mobile games and mobile game development are affected by emerging trends and new frontiers in the mobile gaming market. The technology behind mobile games and the ways players access them is changing rapidly.

Discerning critical areas of development in the mobile gaming industry is paramount to ongoing success for any mobile game development studio. As the mobile gaming market changes, being forward-thinking and adaptable has never been more important.

Technological Advancements in the Mobile Gaming Industry

A major advancement in the mobile gaming industry has been implementing and refining cloud streaming services, such as GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Such technologies allow mobile gaming to become more than games created within the confines of relatively underpowered mobile devices and grow into a legitimate choice for players to experience their favorite games across the board. Cloud gaming helps close technological borders and makes games more accessible on mobile devices without being concerned with hardware constraints.

Cloud gaming technology coupled with rapidly progressing networking technologies, such as 5G, provides players a quick, responsive platform to not only play their favorite games but also engage in multiplayer with less latency and faster speeds. High-quality real-time multiplayer is more feasible than ever on mobile gaming platforms, and it’s almost certainly going to steadily improve in the future, making cloud and multiplayer gaming viable options for gamers seeking convenient gaming sessions on their mobile devices.

Mobile Gaming Market Expansion

The mobile gaming industry consistently expands in the traditional sense of reaching people all over the world, but it has also experienced exponential growth in areas usually reserved for PC and console gaming. Mobile e-sports have gained popularity and legitimacy in recent years, with games like PUBG Mobile hosting international tournaments showcasing the passion and skill of dedicated gamers. Mobile Legends is another example of a mobile game taking the e-sports phenomenon by storm, featuring several leagues and tournaments.

The mobile gaming market’s expansion has seen it become more integrated with the console and PC gaming communities as well. This blending of communities can be attributed to the success of cross-platform titles such as Among Us, Roblox, and Minecraft. As more games become playable across different platforms including mobile devices, the gaming community becomes more tightly knit and the mobile gaming industry benefits from its games being considered on equal footing to console and PC releases. This is something that more development studios will almost certainly look to take advantage of further into the future to foster strong communities and significant mobile releases.

Monetization Strategies in the Mobile Gaming Industry

With the advancement of the mobile gaming industry has come a diverse range of options for players acquiring games. Perhaps more so than console and PC game counterparts, mobile gamers are afforded a range of options including free-to-play games, single-purchase games, in-app microtransactions, reward video ads, and more. This presents development studios with several possible monetization strategies and avenues for continued player engagement with in-app store sales, fresh content updates, season systems offering limited-time events and rewards, and more.

Mobile titles like Pokemon Go and Old School Runescape celebrate major holidays with limited-time events, featuring free content, paid content, and novel holiday-themed gameplay. This is advantageous for development studios in producing further revenue and helping player retention, but also a novel way for players to engage with the game in a rewarding capacity.

Magic Media is a veteran services provider for gaming on all platforms including mobile, entertainment, and tech projects. We offer expert full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, and game porting among many other services. Contact Magic Media today, and let’s create magic!

With the Epic Games Store coming to mobile by the end of 2024, we’re going to see a huge change up in the approach to mobile gaming, game porting, and mobile game development. In the future, we’ll see the Epic Store as one of the main gaming elements alongside the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.

What does this mean for mobile game development? How will the arrival of the Epic Games Store on mobile affect the mobile game environment? What will change for mobile game developers who seek out the Epic Store as their chosen home instead of the Apple Store or the Google Play Store? Find this out and more as we dive into the topic.

Main Changes in Mobile Gaming

There are two main changes incoming that we can see that should be considered by mobile game developers.

• Transaction Fees

All mobile platforms have this fee for applications and games put on them. Not just on mobile, Steam and other platforms have them. The difference is, now you have options! On PC, you could disagree with Steam for example, and choose to put your game up elsewhere if you didn’t like their fees. On mobile, however, you were stuck with the main providers. Now, Epic Games have entered the arena and mobile game developers now have an additional option to choose from.

• Marketing Potential

On the Google Play Store and Apple Store, you were always at the behest of these companies for recognition. They choose who goes on the front page, what gets featured, who gets the top spot. Originally, games were competing here with other applications of all genres and types. On the Epic Store, you will be on a page for games, made by people who play games, for those who are looking for games. Game promotions are rare enough on the original two platforms but there’s only going to be one type of promotion on Epic – mobile gaming.

What Does This Mean For Magic Media Clients?

For our clients, prospective and current, we are already seeing a huge shift in the attitude to mobile gaming. It is quickly becoming far more lucrative and popular as a space dedicated to gaming is opening up on the mobile stores. The clickbait games, the ones hunting clicks with false trailers and gameplay demos, they won’t have a place in the Epic Store. Instead, there’s an opportunity to get your mobile game onto a platform meant for games and gamers. A home, not just a space within a larger store.

The mobile gaming environment is changing and our dedicated mobile game development team at Magic Media Mobile Studio are preparing for a huge rush in the mobile gaming industry. Epic Games made a big move when they created their store on PC with huge partner deals and offers to game developers of all sizes. They’ll definitely be planning to do the same on mobile. For mobile game developers not looking to get involved with the existing Apple and Android store structures, an option will soon be available to you!

Magic Media Mobile Game Development Services

So, what can Magic Media and our mobile game development team do for you? Plenty!

Integration

A huge part of the process is integrating. A store is never just a store! It’s payment structures and interactions. You must ensure that items and purchases are all in the right place, interacting correctly, addressing player entitlements properly. Authentication must be proofed, account registration must be implemented and considered. Any existing profiles too, such as Apple ID or your Epic Games account.

Your mobile game store integration also includes any achievement systems, which involves calling the right APIs and granting the proper rewards. Cloud saves, account backups, progress saves, friends systems, and social features are all elements that fall under integration. 

Porting

Game porting is more than just the integration of a game onto a mobile game platform. It’s about the move, the technical and creative alterations required to get a game to run on mobile. It’s a complicated process, mobile game porting, given the limitations of the platform including the hardware and lack of existing control schemes from PC or consoles. If you’ve ever considered your game to be a good candidate for mobile gaming, now is the time!

Mobile Game Development

Our mobile game development team are industry-leaders in building engaging and interesting games for mobile. If you have a mobile game that needs some high-quality assistance or have an idea for a mobile game that you need game development expertize for, look no further than Magic Media and Magic Media Mobile Studio.

Legacy Games

Lastly, Epic Games arriving onto the mobile game development scene opens a huge door for legacy games. These are titles that are older, sitting on the Apple and Android stores, typically don’t have a team anymore or perhaps the team of developers have since left. 

Bringing that legacy game over to the Epic Store is a strong move, given the lower costs and game-oriented environment. Our integration expertize in mobile game development is perfectly suited to get your legacy game into a place where it is wanted and has a real chance to be featured!

To take advantage of our mobile game development expertize, get in touch with us today! Our services are high-quality and comprehensive meaning your needs can entirely be met under our roof. From full-cycle mobile game development to art production, animation, real-time VFX, cybersecurity, and much more. Together, let’s make magic!

Android game development and iOS game development are not just cornerstones of the mobile game development industry but significant parts of game development as a whole. Games for both mobile operating systems occupy a large portion of the gaming space, and despite their outward similarities, there are significant differences between Android game development and iOS game development.

Though both are mobile platform operating systems, the tools, rules, regulations, and processes for developing games for either platform have some stark differences while also possessing many similarities.

Differences in Development

Android game development primarily uses Java or Kotlin programming language, whereas in iOS game development, developers can expect to use Swift or Objective-C. The difference in language is crucial as they’re fundamentally different languages and demand expertize from respective developers. Though an experienced developer will understand the fundamentals, writing code for a mobile game development project as cleanly as possible requires in-depth knowledge of the languages mentioned.

A critical consideration for Android game development projects is the wide variety of screen sizes that Android devices come in. Due to the sheer variety, this can make testing and optimization more challenging and time-consuming. This is less of a concern with iOS game development, where Apple devices come in far fewer forms and screen sizes.

It’s also important to note that both Android game development and iOS game development projects are subject to different rules and guidelines on their respective app marketplaces. Apple’s App Store tends to be more exact in its rules and regulations for app submissions, whereas the Google Play Store is considered by many to be more lenient. Understanding the approval process and rules is equally important outside the expertize required for developing the actual game.

Similarities in Android and iOS Game Development

Despite some notable differences in iOS and Android game development, there are numerous similarities when it comes to any mobile game development project. Both Android and iOS game development projects are widely supported by many popular game engines, most notably Unreal Engine and Unity. This is helpful for developers working on Android and iOS cross-platform development mobile game development projects who can work from a single codebase that can be deployed on both platforms.

Another advantageous similarity is that both Android and iOS games require touch-based interactions. Though developers working on Android game development projects need to be more aware of screen sizes for testing and optimization purposes, the method of interaction for players remains the same. However, refinements would be needed to support screen sizes for various Android and Apple devices, this means that a single design is needed for both iOS and Android game development projects, which can be adapted depending on device needs.

Benefits of Developing for Both Operating Systems

The challenge of developing for both Android and iOS systems is arguably outweighed by the potential benefits. Android and iOS, by far, have the largest shares in the mobile gaming market, making both platforms the most sensible targets for mobile game development projects. Releasing a mobile for both iOS and Android isn’t a guarantee of success, but it can greatly increase the chances of it because of the significance of their combined mobile market share.

Furthermore, releasing a mobile game on iOS and Android provides more revenue streams and more opportunities for financial success. Like console and PC titles, mobile gamers are more than willing to pay for high-quality gaming experiences. Even for free games, cross-releasing mobile titles on both Android and iOS opens up opportunities for success through microtransactions and consistent live operation efforts.

Magic Media provides extensive expert services for projects in the gaming, entertainment, and tech industries. Our services include full-cycle game development for all platforms, real-time VFX, game trailer production, and dozens more. Get in contact today, and let’s create magic!

At Magic Media, we prioritize delivering industry-leading quality services to our clients and that is how we stand out from the competition. With a global team composed of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and skill sets, we offer a wide range of services, from full-cycle game development to specific art production, game VFX, and video production. But how do we achieve this level of quality? What is it really like working with Magic Media?

Let’s dive into the internal processes of Magic Media’s workflow with our clients. Spoiler alert: there are no hidden technologies or secret formulas! Instead, we rely on a passionate and talented team who work collectively to deliver the results you desire. Let’s have a closer look.

Magic Media’s Outsourcing Process

When you choose to work with Magic Media, you can expect a high level of commitment, investment, and passion from our team. Our experts seamlessly integrate into your game development process, immersing themselves in your team and workflow.

To ensure this seamless integration, we have established our own processes that align with how we work. Our game development process is marked by constant communication, agile approaches, and rigorous quality assurance.

Project Initiation for the Game Development Process

Before we begin creating, coding, or utilizing our expertize, the first step in the game development process is project initiation. This is where our team leaders and yours come together to understand your requirements, goals, and desired outcomes. Together, we establish a project plan and communication pipeline to ensure an effective and streamlined operation.

Planning and Scope Definition

During this early stage, we also define the planning and project scope. If we are assisting as co-developers, it is crucial for us to have a clear understanding of the project’s direction. We discuss deliverables, timelines, and budgets. Together, we create a detailed project plan, identifying necessary resources, team members, and setting milestones.

Agile Development Approach

When it comes to the actual development work, we adopt an agile development approach. This approach is highly effective for game development, given its iterative and incremental nature. It also aligns well with our flexible, adaptive, and continuously improving work style.

Game Development Built on Communication and Client Collaboration 

While delivering high-quality services is important, ensuring that our work aligns with your vision is equally crucial. From the beginning of the project, we provide a single point of contact to ensure your voice is heard, and requests are efficiently communicated. You have access to our entire team, and we maintain regular check-ins through meetings, emails, and other project management tools.

We offer micro and macro check-ins at any point to track project progress, address challenges, and ensure we meet your expectations. Through these regular check-ins throughout the project lifecycle, you will have a clear understanding of our progress and how we align with your expectations. This direct line of communication allows us to address any concerns or queries promptly.

The Game Development Process and Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a constant aspect of all our video game outsourcing services. Whether we are delivering art, development, or game trailers, our team has internal processes in place to ensure the promised quality is achieved.

Before any work reaches your screen, we conduct comprehensive testing, bug fixing, and iterative improvements to meet our high standards and yours. We strive to deliver our work to you with the utmost quality, meeting established milestones.

Market Research

We are committed to continuously improving the quality and efficiency of our work. Regularly assessing the game development process is crucial to stay ahead of modern trends, tools, and methodologies.

Our teams actively research market trends, investigate target audience preferences, explore new technologies, and keep an eye on our competitors. This research ensures we stay current with player interests and maintain efficient game development workflows.

With these insights, we implement new practices. Our talented game development team, consisting of artists, animators, developers, designers, and more, constantly test new technologies and methodologies. Alongside user feedback, our experts are always prepared to deliver engaging and marketable games.

Team Composition

At Magic Media, we tailor each team to suit your project’s specific needs. We don’t just provide a concept artist; we provide an artist who is genuinely interested and passionate about your game’s genre or style. Our diverse and global team ensures that we always have the right person for your project.

We don’t just want to deliver experts who can create industry-leading results. We want to provide you with an outsourcing or co-development team that is genuinely interested and enthusiastic about being a part of your work.

If you are interested in utilizing our expertize in full-cycle development, co-development, game porting, art production, game VFX, or any of our comprehensive services, please get in touch with us today. We are always ready to create magic together!

Mobile game development is one of the cornerstone service offerings of the Magic Media group. Though PC and console games have a significant share of the gaming market, mobile gaming is massively successful and continues to grow in popularity year after year. As such, Magic Media is proud to offer mobile game development services for all our clients regardless of project scope and genre.

No two mobile game development projects are the same, but through our extensive experience, Magic Media has developed a broad approach to these projects that can be modified as needed depending on our client’s project requirements. Bolstered by the expertize of the Magic Media Mobile Studio, we’re ready and willing to take on mobile game development projects of all shapes and sizes.

Magic Media is not just a game art development company; we are a team of gaming enthusiasts who breathe, eat, and sleep gaming. Our driving force is the understanding of the vital role that visuals play in creating addictive and engaging games. We specialize in creating stunning mobile game art, including animations, characters, props, environments, and more, which are the soul of great games.

Preparing for Mobile Game Development Projects

The first step for Magic Media on the mobile game development journey is to gather as much information about the project as possible. We need to clearly define critical aspects of the game, such as its genre, target platforms, target audience, monetization strategy, and much more. Additionally, the success of mobile games often depends on user retention. We consider this as part of work on mobile game development projects and craft strategies related to marketing and gameplay incentives to keep players engaged.

Understanding target platforms, in particular, is crucial information we need to understand from the beginning of a project. Despite the similarities between iOS and Android games, each operating system has different requirements and considerations we know intimately well. For iOS mobile game development, Apple requires using tools like Xcode and TestFlight. Android tends to be more lenient with its requirements, and development is compatible with Windows and Linux PCs, but this also necessitates critical decision-making on our part to decide on the best tools possible to deliver Android games.

Mobile Game Development Testing and Platform Requirements

Compared to their console and PC game counterparts, mobile games require particular attention due to their relative lack of power compared to other platforms and the requirement for rapid testing across a wide range of mobile devices.

Mobile games need to be playable on multiple devices, both new and old, so they require rigorous fast-paced testing to ensure smooth performance across the board. Magic Media has a two-pronged approach to testing mobile games, leveraging the talent of our technical artists and quality assurance testers. Our technical artists work on assets to compress textures and use LOD (Level of Detail) models to ensure smooth performance without compromising on visual fidelity. They play a crucial role in adhering to performance constraints.

Our QA team is an essential part of the mobile game development process. They identify code inefficiencies and bugs and regularly test features and performance across a range of devices of varying power and screen sizes. This compatibility testing consists of testing across mid-range and high-end mobile devices to ensure smooth performance. Extensive user experience testing is undertaken to identify any issues related to lag, user inputs, gameplay fluidity, and anything else that could negatively impact the player’s experience.

Performance profiling is a crucial part of the mobile game development process. Our QA team works diligently to monitor performance and identify any possible bottlenecks in GPU, CPU, or memory usage. Once these issues have been identified, our quality assurance department sends detailed reports to the development team so they can be resolved.

Mobile Game Considerations

Working within the realm of mobile game development necessitates certain requirements regardless of the game’s genre. User-friendly UI is critical to a trouble-free user experience. Considering the limited screen space afforded by mobile device screens, especially compared with TV screens and computer monitors, we believe making the most of the space available is paramount in the mobile game development process. Most mobile games need to rely on their touchscreens for players to interact with their game, so they must be well laid out and easy to understand.

Online connectivity is a primary concern for some mobile games. Slot machine games, for instance, require seamless online functionality to provide stable real-time interactions in multiplayer games. In our experience, even the most seemingly simple mobile games, such as multiplayer word games, require painstaking diligence to provide stable connectivity. Depending on the game’s genre, further considerations are related to gameplay logic, mathematical equations, and real-time data synchronization.

Magic Media is a veteran services provider for all things gaming, entertainment, and tech. We offer dozens of services across a wide range of disciplines including full-cycle game development, real-time VFX, game trailer production, and much more for our valued clients. Get in contact with Magic Media today, and let’s create magic! 

Video game co-development is constantly growing in use as the games industry grows in scale, scope, and player expectations. The Magic Media group has been offering comprehensive co-development and outsourcing expertize for several years. In that time, we’ve explored and experimented with the co-development formula.

What we discovered was that, given the set structure of game development, it was all about the quality of the delivery rather than any fancy new addition to the co-development pipeline. So, the Magic Media co-development team have spent their time perfecting the basics, the fundamentals, and the core deliverables across every project we’ve engaged on.

So, what game co-development look like with Magic Media? 

Extended and Embedded Game Development

There are two variations available for co-development with Magic Media. Extension and Embedded, which are simple to differentiate. Extension is when you deliver a brief to our team, give us the parameters to work within, the goal to hit, and establish a communication pipeline to ensure that work can progress smoothly. Check-ins are regular, but you effectively extend your game development team with a separate team that operates somewhat independently.

Embedded Game Co-Development is something that is becoming more common. Instead of operating separately, you increase your team with outsourced members bespoke chosen for your team. Those members, whether artists, developers, QA engineers, or anything in between, immerse themselves in your team. They take part in day-to-day meetings, virtually or in-person if possible. They fully become part of your team, giving you an instant boost without having to source, interview, and onboard new members.

Magic Media separates itself by fully dedicating themselves to your project. This begins with a team or individuals chosen specifically by and for your needs – people who understand your game’s genre, language, and aesthetic. 

Transparency and Partnerships in Game Co-Development

When we co-develop games with our clients, we’re looking to develop a long-term partnership as well. It is a big ask to bring in what are effectively strangers into your game development project. These games are often important and close to our hearts, we understand that and approach each co-development collaboration with it in mind.

We also understand the value of transparency for our clients when it comes to how we work and how we deliver their needs. From the beginning of our collaboration, our co-development team will also be transparent in their workflow. You’ll have no doubt on the progression of our work and what the next steps are. The Magic Media team will establish a workflow and tempo that both sides are happy with, no details will be left uncertain.

Video Game Co-Development Across Time Zones

It’s not uncommon for the outsourcing teams and the in-house teams to be separated by several hours. In some cases, the right combination might be on the other side of the world. Magic Media is an international outsourcing studio, with a presence in 14 countries. Our artists, developers, animators, producers, and more are spread across the world. This wasn’t by design but the international state we find ourselves in quickly became one of our strengths.

Aside from diversity and different expertize drawn from a plethora of backgrounds and locations, it also means the lights never turn off at Magic Media. We strive to minimize the gap in time zone differences and embrace it as a strength of what we can bring to your project.

If you’re looking for high-quality co-development expertize that nails the fundamentals and delivers nothing but the best results, get in touch with Magic Media. From full-cycle game development and game porting to art production, video production, VFX & Cinematics, we have everything you might need. We’d love to hear from you so don’t hesitate, let’s create magic.

Magic Media is proud to announce the launch of our new brand, Magic Media Mobile Studio, which will unify our mobile experts into a dedicated division.

Bringing our mobile experts together under the mobile banner means we’ll be able to expand and grow our world-class services like full-cycle game development, animation, video production, and more. We are growing bigger, faster and can serve a broad range of complex and exciting projects.

We’re excited to see where Magic Media Mobile Studio takes us with exciting new projects and opportunities. We’re confident in our ability to deliver larger and more complex mobile projects than ever before.

Delve into the new Magic Media Mobile Studio website to learn more! We’d love to collaborate and bring your mobile projects to life no matter their size and complexity. Get in contact and let’s create magic!

The Igloo Gaming team has had the pleasure of working with many clients who make games in many different styles and genres. Word games, casual games in fantasy settings, and pirate adventures, it’s exciting to work on such a variety of games that allow us to exercise our creativity.

While each project can be wildly different from the last, we have several key steps involved in the production process of creating videos and animations. Working on video content, like user acquisition commercials, for these gaming projects can be a slightly different process from working on trailers!

Initial Steps

It all starts with meeting the client. This is crucial so that we can understand the target audience the client wants us to attract and the game we’re going to be promoting.

In this meeting, we also like to see if the client has any ideas of their own. It’s great when they do as this can inspire our creative process and help us come up with pitches. The client’s suggestions can feed our work, and in turn, our work at every stage can help the client view their game in a different light, with new ways to convey it they might not have previously considered.

Pitches

After much discussion, we create some work and get some ideas together for what we call a creative pitch presentation. In these presentations, we like to present our clients with multiple possible creative directions.

We try as much as possible to incorporate a game’s distinctive visual style into our video content. This can create a sense of familiarity with fans of the game and engage them quickly. In a video we made for Zynga, we decided to use Lumbo the Lumberjack from Farmville to tell a fish out of water story of him finding himself in an unfamiliar urban environment.

These presentations typically include sketches and written pieces to help us and our clients visualize what our finished video might look like. Igloo Gaming’s Creative Director, Producers, and Animation Director are directly involved in this stage of the process.

Writing the Script

Once a direction has been agreed upon, we move on to writing the script for the video. This is a critical step in the production process because script writing for our purposes is different from the traditional script writing format.

The script is important to coordinate what we see with what we hear. It establishes the visual elements of the video, as well as audio elements like voiceover and its timing. Timing is everything, and this document helps put all the pieces we need into place.

We don’t limit the script-writing phase in terms of revisions. We believe that there shouldn’t be a hard limit on how many we do because, ultimately, we only want to move forward to the next stage if the client is completely comfortable. Our clients are always open to participating and giving feedback to help the project move forward in the best way possible.

Design & Visualization

The next step is a leap forward in helping our client get a glimpse into what the final video will look like. Next, we create storyboards to present to our clients so that they can get an understanding of the direction the video is going in. We like to use materials provided by the clients directly, such as key art, to represent the video.

We present a full design of the video to the client for approval, which is an opportunity for them to comment and provide feedback. Whether it’s the text that doesn’t look right, if an in-game element can be represented better, or if the copy should be tweaked, we’re happy to get any feedback and make adjustments accordingly.

In the design phase, we have to keep in mind that the video will more often than not need to be created for a variety of aspect ratios. It’s not uncommon for us to make them for 1:1, 16:9, and 4:5 for some social media platforms. By keeping this in mind early in the process, it doesn’t become a potential issue later on!

Production

Once our client has approved the storyboards and we have addressed any feedback we received, we can then move ahead with the full production phase. At this point, animators receive the script, and aspects of the production such as available resources, camera angles, and motion, are considered.

We kick off production with a meeting between Igloo Gaming’s Directors, Animators, and Designers before the Animation Director breaks it down and assigns Animators to different scenes and shots.

We’re always as detailed as possible with our visual descriptions, but they should be open to interpretation without straying too far from what was agreed upon with the client. Our main goal is always to deliver the client’s vision, but we should try and be creative where possible!

While the animation work is in progress, the voiceover audio is recorded. We keep in communication with our clients through production, including twice-weekly updates with examples of the work we’ve completed. This is to ensure that if any changes are required, they’re spotted quickly, so we can then act on them as soon as possible.

Finishing Touches

Once the main production is finished, we send the client the project including voiceover audio and music. At this stage, we can tidy up the video based on any feedback the client provides, as well as add sound effects and any other required minor changes.

Thanks to our consistent communication with our clients throughout our projects, they’re never startled by anything we send them. We like to bring clients with us on the journey of making videos for their games, and they’re kept in the loop every step of the way.

We make a concentrated effort to keep our files organized for use during production, and also after. It’s not uncommon for our clients to want to iterate on user acquisition videos. Often, a client might want to show different gameplay, have gameplay come in sooner, or change the flow of a video to suit different needs, and this is something we prepare for here at Igloo Gaming.

This approach has helped us establish lasting client relationships and helped us create the best possible videos for their games. Our prioritization of communication has been a common element of our best work. Check out the video that we completed for Farmville 3!

If you require a game trailer or video ad, we’re here to help. We can also provide cinematics, full-cycle development, and many other services. Get in touch today, we’ll be happy to bring magic to your project!

Outsourcing can be an excellent way to scale and add highly experienced members to your team’s development cycle, however it can be expensive. The costs can quickly skyrocket, especially if you’re considering co-development for the entire development pipeline. Although doing this can be beneficial when looking to gain a large amount of external expertize and creativity, it may not be the right solution for your project.

At Magic Media, we would suggest that if you’re considering outsourcing co-development, that you take it on for the production stage. Our goal is to create the best possible gaming experience that runs smoothly across all released platforms.

Five stages of game development

 1. Planning

The first stage of game development is ‘Planning’, where concepts are considered and prepared. This is where the team is deciding what kind of game they want to create, the story they want to tell, who they will tell it to, and what platform it will be on.

2. Pre-production

In the second stage of game development, the team’s focus is to take their ideas, narrow them down, and make it more real. In the ‘Pre-production’ stage early prototyping and establishing a story are the main priorities. This is the stage where the plan gets set for the rest of the project, both in terms of development and the game’s story and mechanics.

3. Production

We’ll get to that soon!

4. Launch

Of course, the ‘Launch’ stage is where the preparation happens to do just that. This is where our team will focus on quality assurance and bug fixing, polishing of mechanics and assets, and building up to the final release. When the game is ready for launch, it goes “gold”. The launch stage is actually made up of a number of stages, this is due to the development team going through several phases of pre-launch testing and balance checking.

5. Post-Launch

Finally, we have ‘Post-launch’, this stage is made up of a constant string of bug fixes, quality of life improvements, and balancing while working on new content to deliver later on. Therefore, the Magic Media team works hard to stay at the top of trends and methodologies.

Breakdown of the production stage in game development

To no surprise, the ‘Production’ stage is the longest and most intensive stage of the game development cycle. This is the stage which focuses on the modeling and designing, and the bulk of the game’s design is finalized and implemented. Of course, the audio and visual effects also must be introduced, the game physics and mechanics need to be put in place, and then final renderings occur.

Commonly, when people from outside of the industry talk about game development, this is the stage that most would refer to too. Production is the stage where the whole team is involved in creating, iterating, and finalizing the game. Most of the project’s resources are used here, as this is where the most challenges will arise.

Unlike pre-production, during this stage a lot of mechanical work occurs. During pre-production, this is where we will see a lot of progress on art styles and story beats. Engineers are consulted for technological requirements and potential challenges. The bulk of the work here is with writers, artists, and producers. 

The production phase of development requires the whole team to take part. Our team of creators and innovators will work consistently ensuring that the characters and environments look exactly the way that they were envisioned. It is also important to ensure that the audio and sound design elevates and adds to the game’s events weight. Something like a bad footstep sound effect has the potential to ruin an entire game experience. During this stage the level designers are completely focusing on crafting the final experience, ensuring that the world feels real and alive for the players’ experience. 

Unsurprisingly, the production stage is the longest of the whole process. It usually takes at least 12 full months of development. Even then, it would be considered a very short timeframe to finalize and execute all these elements properly.

Advantages of outsourcing during the production stage

When it comes to the advantages of outsourcing in the production stage, the team tends to be focused on time and resource management. Although outsourcing may be out of budget for smaller studios, it is usually an integral and often necessary step for larger companies. With large companies they are usually under immense pressure due to the time and turnaround expected of them by publishers. Outsourcing isn’t just an advantage, it’s a necessity.

With outsourcing, expert teams can lead your project through all stages of development up to release and post-release support. You will have immediate and continuous access to a large group of seasoned professionals who are there to help you through any stage. Whether you need support across the board in the production stage or just in elements, such as developers or artists, outsourcing can provide this to you. At Magic Media our extensive expertize will cover every avenue of game development, you are guaranteed to have a communicative, effective, and efficient team at your disposal. 

As we have established, outsourcing is a significant saver on time and money. It means you no longer need to look for these team members in the hiring world or take the time to go through a hiring process. The teams come well prepared and equipped, meaning you don’t need to provide them with an intake course or any tool licences. When it comes to outsourcing, our team will be ready and waiting immediately upon contract start. 

In the long run, co-development is less expensive than expanding in-house to scale to needs. With studios spanning the globe, we offer bespoke researched and designed game development and outsourcing. No matter the genre, no matter the platform, the Magic Media teams are prepared from Day 1 to meet your challenges head-on and provide only the best results. We are well experienced in delivering co-development services, check out our case study on the work we did for Railway Empire. Railway Empire is a railroad construction and management simulation game, and our team worked tirelessly to complete a number of projects.

If you’d like to hear more about our co-development practices, or some of our other services such as art, game porting or VFX, we’d love to hear from you.