What Should a Good Games Co-Development Team Have?
Co-development has quickly and appropriately become an integral part of the game development process.
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Updated November 2026. This was first published on 13 September 2022. The idea is the same. Any number below is what the original piece said then. It is not a new count.
Key takeaways
- Co-development has quickly and appropriately become an integral part of the game development process.
- Game development has a massive turnaround time and workload in any given work pipeline.
- Co-development provides an immediate increase in project-ready and experienced professionals.
Co-development has quickly and appropriately become an integral part of the game development process. Game development has a massive turnaround time and workload in any given work pipeline.
Co-development provides an immediate increase in project-ready and experienced professionals. All set to assist you in delivering results of AAA quality.
What do you need in a game co-development team?
The structure of a co-development team resembles that of an internal team but on a smaller scale. The overall processes and pipeline are nearly identical, except the final stages of delivery and reporting.
There are a few essential roles required by any Unreal Engine game development company. To begin game design and development, you require the fundamental roles.
A programmer capable of meeting game development’s coding requirements and back-end development. They can assist the in-house team with the development of any tool, game, or website for the creation and release of the game.
A designer with a leading role in directing the development process. The designer must be intimately familiar with the game design document (GDD) and be a dependable decision-maker.
An artist to create artwork and assets for the game and assist with marketing and website materials.
And finally, some type of project management. This could be an experienced developer, a producer, or both. These serve the dual purpose of project leadership and direct communication with in-house developers for co-development.
No game advances beyond the concept stage without these roles. The steps for game development can only be completed if each of these roles is covered in some capacity. In smaller, studios, one or two people may hold all of these positions. For co-development, the team may contain a small number or a single member of each role. It depends on the scope of the project and the total duration of game development.
What defines a good video game co-development team? #
Whether you are a programmer, developer, game artist, modeler, animator, narrative designer, writer, or sound engineer, there is one thing that makes a good team great. Communication is paramount in co-development, regardless of team roles and responsibilities. It is the pinnacle of positive qualities for any team, and doubly so for a team engaged in co-development.
As a co-development team, it is essential that your pipeline is consistently smooth and transparent. Before delivering results to you, internal teams must ensure that the co-development team has a designated work flow and quality assurance procedures in place.
The contribution of the entire team is another positive characteristic that benefits the final product. Suppose you observe that every member of the co-development team contributes and is heard. In that case, you will likely obtain significantly better results than if only one person speaks, leads, and directs. While having a single decision-maker with a broad perspective, an open channel of communication is essential for AAA results.
Good load management is a trait that goes hand in hand with communication. Creating a video game and participating in the game development cycle is a significant undertaking. Months upon months of labor are required. You can anticipate positive outcomes if you observe a team of co-developers communicating effectively and using their knowledge to balance the large workload.
Realistically approaching the game development pipeline and comprehending its nuances and time-sensitive nature contribute to a superior final product.
Tools-wise, a competent co-development team will be adaptable and creative. While there will always be a consistent and dependable set of tools, it is crucial for a team to evolve and adapt to the times.
Our artists use Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Substance Painter, Marvelous Designer, and Photoshop, among other applications. As part of our artistic arsenal, these provide us with the flexibility to create, model, rig, and animate anything we require. This list provides access to cloth and fluid simulations and comprehensive texturing tools.
Unreal Engine 4 and Unity are the backbones of game development, so our programmers are experts with these platforms. These are extremely common and capable of delivering a wide variety of goods. They are currently in the process of learning Unreal Engine 5 as it nears the stage of development where it can be used. While not as common, Game Maker: Studio, Construct 2, and ClickTeam Fusion are also employed.
Questions and answers #
What is the main point? #
Co-development has quickly and appropriately become an integral part of the game development process.
What else did the original piece say? #
Game development has a massive turnaround time and workload in any given work pipeline.