- Indie game development is proving to be quite successful in the modern era.
- This is due to smaller teams, more efficient workflows, and more.
- Where AAA studios struggle to manage hundreds or thousands of employees, small teams boast unique benefits.
It’s no secret that indie gaming is more successful today than it has ever been. Veteran developers, now more than ever, are choosing to start their own studios after leaving major teams, while the likes of Ubisoft, with thousands of developers, are currently struggling.
The reason for the indie success isn’t all too shocking. Smaller teams are a whole lot more organized and efficient, something that every game studio needs today.
Why it matters: Managing AAA teams is becoming more and more challenging in the gaming industry, partly due to bloated budgets.
Documentation In Indie Development
The truth of the matter is that smaller teams don’t need to rely on documentation as much as the big studios.
Where AAA teams need to keep track of engine upgrades, micro-decisions, and more, smaller studios can focus on functional documentation. This style of documentation prioritizes core components like architectural decisions.
Efficient Communication
It’s no secret that managing thousands of developers at once can be a nightmare. Between various chat apps, emails, and comments, developers can lose valuable time catching up on important conversations.
When teams are composed of a handful of developers, communication is much easier. Moreover, these types of teams have better synergy and don’t necessarily need to question or discuss every small thing.
Ultimately, teams that go 3-4 hours without interruptions due to checking messages function a lot better.
Project Tracking
Nobody needs to be told how difficult and complex game development is. Most projects don’t reflect the team’s vision until much later into development, so focusing on small elements is crucial.
There’s no point working on animations, writing, gameplay elements, etc all at once. Instead, finishing tasks before moving on to different elements is a whole lot better. Even if it may feel slower, it ultimately saves a lot of time.
The Power of Routine
Any good game developer follows a solid structure and consistent work practices. Small teams typically thrive when they implement monthly business routines to look at the bigger picture.
This is important since game development is becoming more and more expensive, and tracking goals each day is necessary. Also, knowing your roadmap and progress means that you can always make adjustments depending on the situation.
Doing so means that developers understand what is required of them on a day-to-day basis without having to ask for directions all the time.
Automation and AI
Generative AI is fairly new in the industry, but more and more studios are experimenting with the technology. Automating repetitive testing or manual data entry can be especially beneficial to eliminate mundane tasks that take up valuable time.
This is something most AAA studios will also adopt in the future, but it will benefit smaller and AA teams more due to the nature of game development.
Preventing Feature Creep
In general, games have a lot of cut content because the scope of development can sometimes fail to match the ambitions of a team. This is also true of indie development, where developers must carefully know when to step back and cut content.
Doing so ensures a clean codebase, which ensures development remains as efficient as possible at all times.
Finally, the organizational benefits of a small team cannot be ruled out. Familiarity with developers and a sense of camaraderie ensure development proceeds in the smoothest way possible.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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