How to launch a game development studio during a global pandemic
Recently, we announced the launch of Mistplay Studios, a new division focused on developing original hyper casual mobile games. We chatted with Artour Goldenberg, the director of Mistplay Studios, to learn more about the challenges he faced in opening a new game development studio (during a global pandemic, no less). He also shared some advice for anyone hoping to enter the industry and gave us some hints of what we can expect from Mistplay Studios in the future.
Unreal and Unity, two engines used in mobile game development, have shaped the mobile gaming world in unexpected ways. In one sense, their widespread availability has created a level playing field, allowing anyone to make games on their own. However, this has also created an extremely saturated market with thousands of new games being released every month. Ironically, while the world of mobile game development has never been more accessible, it’s also never been more competitive.
We asked Artour what a new game development studio can do to stand out in such a busy marketplace. He agrees that it’s one of the biggest challenges currently facing Mistplay Studios. “How are our games going to distinguish themselves? How do we compete with some of the biggest studios out there that are making hyper casual mobile games? That’s going to be a huge obstacle, and I think we just need to be more creative — work smarter and work harder and use our innovation to propel us forward.”
Finding your people
Another significant challenge that opening a game development studio entails is recruiting the right team members. When Artour took on the role of Director of Mistplay Studios, he was tasked with building a studio from scratch on behalf of a company he had just joined. Doing this while the entire office was working remotely made things even more complicated. Luckily, Artour was able to integrate into the company quickly by joining daily scrums and company-wide meetings, giving him a sense of Mistplay’s culture.
That doesn’t mean that recruitment was a piece of cake. “Recruitment was very difficult at first, since the first people to join your team will drive the culture of the studio,” he notes. “They’re going to develop the pipeline and the ideas behind the studio, so it’s important that the first few people you hire share your vision.” It’s also tough to convince people to join a completely new project. “You have to find people who are willing to take that leap of faith, who are entrepreneurial, and who want to do something a bit different.”
Getting into game development
Building a new division is definitely demanding, but Artour says he wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying to get into game development. “Now is the best time in history — and probably the easiest time — to get into game development, thanks to all the advancement in game technology.” He encourages anyone who might be interested to install an engine, play around with it, and see if they enjoy learning how game development works. Artour also recommends that any newcomers to the world of game development try their hand at a small, simple project first, rather than a grand, and perhaps fatally ambitious, idea. “If you can come up with a small idea and see it through from start to finish, you’ll learn so much. It’s a fun industry to be in that will also challenge you technically and creatively.”
For now, Artour is working hard on producing Mistplay Studios’ first game, while keeping one eye on the future. “As soon as we start developing hits, I think everything’s going to explode,” he says. “We’re starting out with smaller games, but as we grow, we’re going to think about bigger ideas, different platforms, working with other partners, and really expanding our team.”
If you’re intrigued by the possibility of joining a new division where you’ll have a hand in the conceptualization, design and production of casual and hyper casual mobile games, you should know that Mistplay Studios is recruiting! At time of writing, we’re currently seeking a Senior Game Developer (Unity), a Level Designer (Unity 3D), and a Senior Game Designer (Mobile). Feel free to reach out in the comments if you have any questions about these opportunities or about Mistplay Studios. We’re so excited to see where things will go in the months and years to come!
