Steps To Turn Your Mobile Game Idea Into Reality

Step #1: How To Outsource App Development

Being the a mobile game development company, We are frequently buzzed by lot of people with game ideas ranging from as simple as a copy of Flappy Birds to something as detailed as next Clash of Clans. But We always ask them one thing.

An idea is just the beginning. Are you motivated to go all the way?

A story worth sharing is that of our client Brian Davis. Encouraging words of creating rather than only consuming to his son Josaih Davis, a 15 year old High school freshman, led him to design PaperChase, one of the best designed games that we have developed so far. We also learnt a lot from Josaih’s insights to get every minute detail right at every step.

Hence, all you need is a lot of passion and patience to deal with everything that is thrown your way while you embark for this mobile game development journey. But it’s not the passion alone that would take you miles with your app, but also few very important points to keep in mind as you take your step forward.

Step #1: Wisely Choose A Game Development Company

Experience –

Hiring experienced mobile app developers is a wiser decision for your project. A quality development team writes a more efficient, more maintainable and bug free code which pays in the long run. They are better at handling chaotic situations and add value to your idea by guiding you through the process.

Work Portfolio –

Work portfolio gives you a better idea of a team’s skills and expertise. You can assess whether it’s just another sales pitch or the app development team actually has something concrete to show for by going through their work portfolio.

Technical skills –

A diversified technical skill set ensures the team would be virtually platform agnostic and will suggest you the right platform based on your idea requirement. Good technical skills make the team efficient in developing iPhone and Android apps that can top the respective store charts.

Thinking/understanding skills –

Working on the same project for a good number of months needs you and your mobile application development team on the same wavelength. Analyze their thinking and understanding skills.

Flexible –

No matter how well you spec your project, some things are going to change and you must ensure that the team developing your app knows that and won’t engage in constant bickering over every small change. But on the other hand you should be open to a revised quote if some major functionality is added at the later stage.

Communication –

Excellent communication skills are required for both in-house and remote development teams. Weekly sprints, daily updates, group chats and bi-weekly discussions are some meeting schedules which must be adhered to depending on your availability and comfort level.

Pragmatic –

A pragmatic estimate of the time it will take to complete the project ensures that the app development team won’t over-promise and under-deliver. This is one quality you should look for in any mobile app development company.

Are The App Developers Obsessive About Processes?

A process oriented team is more likely to deliver on the initial promises ensuring good quality work in set timelines. Ask in detail about the processes your outsourced mobile app development team follows. Any oversight in this regard directly impacts the quality of the product, the bandwidth you spend, the iterations required and the timeline.

Tools -

While collaborating with a development team for a period ranging anywhere from a few months to years, the choice of right tools by your team can save many hours. The tools used should not have a huge learning curve but must be proficient in their niche areas. Your team should be using right tools for:

• Project management,

• Bug tracking,

• Codebase management,

• Transferring development builds, among others.

Project Managers -

Work with a team of game developers rather than individuals unless you already have a one at your end. A point-of-contact model with an intelligent person at the helm helps you transfer your vision to the team and makes communication much more effective.

Spec Docs -

Including every little detail of your project in spec docs might seem cumbersome and totally unnecessary at the initial stages but helps you do feasibility analysis, discover competition, make life easier for the development team and save money which goes into iterating constantly at a later stage.

Are They Transparent?

With many mobile app developers looking to make a quick buck, the genuine ones often have to deal with mistrust from clients looking for prospective teams. But there is an easy way out to differentiate between the two types of teams. Look for these signs,

Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) -

Ideally, your idea is your intellectual property (IP) and the sales reps of your prospective team should respect this and should be forthcoming when you ask for an NDA. All the discussions on your idea should follow after signing the NDA.

Cost Estimates -

The mobile game development team can estimate the total time and money it will take to complete your project only after they have a good understanding of your vision. If the team is able to give you a random number before you have shared your idea with them, it is a clear sign of a sales rep trying to make a quick sale. The only reliable number the team can give at the initial stage is their average hourly rates.

Payment Terms -

The payment terms also depend on whether you are going for an hourly billing-based model or a project-based model. For a project-based model, pre-decide the project milestones when you are expected to pay. Ideally, there should be at least 4 payment milestones and you shouldn’t be asked to fork out more than 25% of the total cost as upfront money. The final installment should go out only at project completion.

Cost Overrun Risks -

There is a high possibility of cost overruns and all the cost overruns associated with the scope of work included in the MSA(Master Service Agreement) should be borne by the game developing company whereas those arising due to change in scope should be borne by you.

Post Go-Live Support -

You have a finished product which has undergone rigorous regression app testing and you are ready to make it live. Some bugs will creep up in spite of all the due diligence. So your team must commit to correcting the bugs for some time after the game goes live. So, in a nutshell, select a team that believes in the stakeholder based approach, is particular about processes, experienced in different genres and transparent to the core.

Hope this first step to move ahead in the path of development is proved to be helpful for you. We’ll be soon coming up with the rest of the important steps involved in making your game a reality.