Outsourcing is "fundamental" for UK game development
83% of studios outsource work as economy slows and competition increases
UK game developers see outsourcing as fundamental to their business in order to compete in the next generation market and cope with the current financial downturn, according to a report published by Tiga.
The report puts the number of UK developers that outsource at least one business process at 83 per cent, with leading developers such as Blitz Games, Monumental Games and Ubisoft Reflections all admitting to outsourcing elements of projects.
"A few short years ago, outsourcing was almost taboo - now it is a necessity," said David Tolley, outsourcing manager at Monumental Games.
"As we begin to see the impact of the recent financial crisis along with the ever-increasing scale and expectations of current and next generation games, we are embracing outsourcing as one of the ways we can stay competitive in the global market," explained William Brown, associate producer at Ubisoft Reflections.
According to Tiga's research, outsourcing can be essential in order to meet tight deadlines with the only problems mentioned by studios being the level of planning, communication and feedback required between internal and external staff.
Despite this, leading outsourcing management company Quickstart Global claimed there is no longer any doubt over whether companies should outsource, but rather how to best go about it.
“For now, the key question is not should you do it, or even is this the right time to do it, but how you can outsource while maintaining cost and quality control," said a spokesperson.