Will game companies outsource their programmers?

[K.I.L.E.R]

I don't really know too much about the gaming industry in general and would like to know if such a thing is possible?

My current level of knowledge says it isn't because you will need to be in constant contact with the developers because of the way things are, it's just too hectic and it will create a larger mess in the long run.

However, I wonder if anyone who's worked in the gaming industry believes this is possible?

 

[AlNom]

Wideload Games is doing this, aren't they? Or maybe it's just the art part they are outsourcing...

 

[hoom]

More likely to outsource art I would think?

 

[epicstruggle]

If its going to happen anywhere it will more than likely come from EA first.

epic

 

[_xxx_]

Just giggled at the thought: "Produced by id-software India"...

EDIT:
It took whole 10 minutes for an idiot with some rasistic stuff about India to appear in the games forum.

 

[Frank]

Why not?

It would mostly depend on the view of the management about the importance of physical meetings. Very low, to me. Nothing gets ever accomplished during those. But that is probably just me. Most managers quite likely disagree, although they might want to look at other possibilities, for all I care.

Anything else can be done remotely.

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

Wideload Games is doing this, aren't they? Or maybe it's just the art part they are outsourcing...

For the current project, it's just the art. They did say though, that they intend on some future projects to try out a different business model wherein they develop technology and prototype a game design and some other studio develops the game to completion. Certainly sounds like a model that would help smaller studios get a name for themselves.

Outsourcing art and localization, is nothing new, though.

For programming, it depends somewhat on what parts of programming you're outsourcing. Tech and tools development could be outsourced more easily than the game side of things. The actual game logic and things are more likely to change at the drop of a hat and worry about certain constraints. The tech and tools is rather easy to get by on email correspondence alone. Also, the smaller the studio, the more that actually DOES get accomplished in actual meetings, and the more that everybody knows what everyone else is up to.

 

[ERP]

I think it's largely possible with the right infastructure.

I think it's going to be difficult and and I doubt any developer is going to let critical path tasks outside without very careful monitoring, which might end up offsetting the cost win. Gameplay is harder to outsource because there is a lot of iteration, but with the right team members on site in a foriegn localle it would be doable.

I actually believe in the short term the games inductry will go towards a more movie FX company like model where large portions of the workforce are contract employees, and sign up for the heavy development stretch. Only the core would be around fulltime. I think this is a pretty much inevitable progression from the spiralling costs and team sizes. You just don't need 100+ people for the entire development period.