How do you approach game art outsourcing and asset management?

When considering game development studios, do your due diligence: - Reviews: Check feedback and standout skills. - Values: Ensure they align with your own. If they’re not published on their website, don’t be afraid to ask. - Collaboration Type: Do they match how you're looking to work with the studio? you may be looking for a full partnership where the studio contributes to ideas, or perhaps a deliverable-focused method if you simply just want them to create and deliver the assets, maybe something in between. - Response Times: Timely communication is key, long response times could indicate poor workflow. - Services: Confirm they offer all the services you'll need for the whole phase of the project. This saves time later.

Choosing the right partner is really important here is how I approach it. - Scan through the portfolio's of the partners you are considering. - Reach out to teams they have worked with get their feedback directly. - Talk to the teams, communication is key, make sure that not only their style matches up but their communication techniques do too. - Always put a financial buffer of at least 10-15% on any outsourcing, things do overrun and with your first experience with a particular partner it is important to mitigate expectations, this goes for time as well. - Make sure people on both sides have the ability for direct communication and are able to have weekly meetings to keep up to date on any changes and feedback.

To select the ideal outsourcing partner, evaluate the studio’s portfolio to ensure their work quality and style meet your needs. Research the studio’s reputation through client feedback and references. Check their experience with similar projects to confirm they can handle your specific requirements. Clearly communicate your expectations, budget, and timeline. Formalize the partnership with a detailed contract that outlines terms, conditions, and deliverables to avoid misunderstandings.

Be clear: - Clear communication with colaborators; - Clear art direction and references; - Clear technical requirements / templates; - Clear due dates for each deliverable; - Clear priorities between several asset requests; - Fast iteration: don't wait for the final asset to notice it should be something totally different... Respect your vendors ??

A concise and legible content creation guide or art bible is paramount for medium to large-scale outsourcing. Training external art management is also key, as language barriers and time zones may affect the feedback loop. I've found that consistent communication between the internal dev team and external team leads to success.

Making sure that the specs and guidelines for art production are clear and easily understandable are paramount to a good partnership and product. - Art Bibles are a huge help, if you are able to produce one. - Provide references if possible along side technical requirements broken down by category of assets. - Discussing formats and naming conventions alongside delivery methods will keep the process clean and easy.

Conventions in project development are critical for avoiding confusion and maintaining a smooth process. Multiple contributors can disrupt project organization, class hierarchy, and usability if there are no common guidelines in place. Consistent norms are critical for avoiding unexpected changes, maintaining planned scopes, and facilitating collaboration. A well-organized project, similar to a stable foundation, enables efficient feature implementation and bug remediation. This document underlines the importance of developing and following conventions to create a harmonious atmosphere for all contributors.

Create detailed specifications, including visual style, color palette, dimensions, and file formats. Provide visual examples or references to illustrate your expectations clearly. Document these guidelines in an accessible format for all involved to consult easily. This helps minimize errors and rework, ensuring the produced art aligns with the project’s vision and integrates seamlessly with the rest of the content.

The Pipeline is essential for organized project development. Pre-prototyping involves studying the audience and obtaining references. Brainstorming creates ideas, conceptualization produces a rudimentary mockup, and mechanic specification establishes the prototype framework. Internal testing and customer validation are necessary throughout the prototype phase. Rejected prototypes go through iterative improvements. Several iterations are expected before validation. Keeping previous versions is critical. Prototypes can be sliced both vertically and horizontally. Client validation marks the end of the prototype phase and indicates project progress.

Quality Quest ??: Scrutinize for quality, consistency, and functionality, ensuring each asset shines in the creative constellation. Constructive Crafting ???: Navigate the creative cosmos with timely revisions, sculpting the art into a masterpiece that aligns seamlessly with your vision. Trial by Gameplay ??: Test art assets within your game engine and platform. Ensure their harmonious dance with gameplay mechanics and balance, creating an immersive experience for players. Chronicles of Progress ??: Chronicle the artistic journey, documenting progress and status. Navigate the celestial map of milestones and deadlines, ensuring the constellations align for successful cosmic creation.

The closer you get internal and external teams to autonomy, the smoother the process. With the right team with knowledge and expertise, you spend less time with technical hurdles and more effort is put towards the creative process.

Always do a sign off with every milestone. Receiving assets as they are done allows for ongoing reviews to happen as well as feedback to be provided as and when needed. Test the assets when you can before the final delivery date, make sure they fit the specifications and if not write clear and concise feedback that can be refereed back to. The above helps building trust and is helpful for new partnerships, obviously the lest feedback required the better and faster the process with be, but in the early stages its worth spending extra time to make sure both sides are happy with the process.

Set delivery milestones to review art progress at defined stages. Evaluate each submission thoroughly and provide specific, constructive feedback on what is correct and what needs adjustment. Document all revisions and approvals systematically to maintain a clear history of changes. This ongoing feedback process ensures that the final art meets your expectations and is ready for integration into the project.

Good organisation is key. The chance of losing assets is detrimental to both teams, and worse, potentially the relationship between them. I have encountered a simple texture gone missing during a project. This was a small issue but I can only imagine if it would have been a character rig or some other big piece of work. Setting up the workflow of delivery structure and expectations are paramount to a succesful outsource realationship and quality.

Systematic Storage Sorcery ??: Establish a well-defined folder structure and naming system for received art assets. This logical organization ensures easy retrieval and efficient management. Tech Wizardry Tools ??♂?: Leverage asset management software or cloud storage for streamlined organization and accessibility. These tools act as enchanted portals, making collaboration smoother and creativity unhindered. Guardians of the Art Realm ???: Implement regular backups and archiving rituals to protect art assets from the perils of data loss. Shield them from unauthorized access, ensuring the sanctity of the creative treasures.

Make sure folder structure and naming systems are the same across the board this should come in when reviewing assets and testing them, but if you provide access to builds or your storage, make sure that the outsource team have access to a different branch. Mistakes happen always make backups.

Use a digital asset management (DAM) system to create a logical and organized folder structure. Adopt consistent naming conventions for files and record important metadata such as versions and creation dates. This facilitates asset retrieval and management, avoiding redundancies and confusion. A well-structured system ensures that resources are accessible and easily locatable, maintaining workflow efficiency.

Performance Perfection ??: Optimize art assets for top-notch performance, considering factors like memory usage and loading speed. Utilize tools like compression, LODs, atlases, and batching to streamline size and complexity, ensuring optimal in-game experience. Feedback-Driven Refinement ??: Continuously update art assets based on player, tester, or publisher feedback. This iterative process aligns the visuals with audience expectations, addressing bugs and issues promptly. Agile Adaptation ??: Be agile in response to emerging needs. The ability to swiftly adapt art assets ensures they remain in sync with evolving project requirements and player preferences.

Adjust the resolution and format of art files to balance visual quality and game performance. Use optimization tools to reduce file sizes without compromising quality. Monitor user feedback and make regular updates to address issues and improve performance. Continuous asset optimization is crucial for maintaining a smooth gameplay experience and ensuring the game remains engaging and technically sound.

Relationships are very important, as with internal studio culture. I've worked with external studios that have been professional throughout, to some that have been difficult to work with. Sometimes cultures between studios clash or work very well together. Everyone you work with deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their shortcomings. Including external teams into some aspect of your studio's culture can go a long way.

Personally, the most important key point is the Universal Respect ??: Regardless of challenges, treating everyone with dignity is paramount. Acknowledging and respecting differences creates a positive atmosphere.

Communicate regularly with the outsourcing partner to discuss project progress and address any issues promptly. Keep an open and transparent dialogue about project changes and be willing to negotiate solutions. Building a relationship based on mutual respect and collaboration strengthens the partnership and facilitates problem-solving. A positive relationship can lead to more effective collaboration and better outcomes for future projects.

Curating Creativity ??: Choose outsourcing partners with a proven track record in aligning with your creative vision, ensuring a seamless integration of external assets. Efficient Asset Management ??: Implement robust systems for tracking and managing assets. This ensures clarity in workflows, minimizes delays, and maximizes the effectiveness of external contributions. Communication Excellence ??: Foster open communication channels with outsourcing teams. Regular updates, feedback loops, and a collaborative approach enhance the overall quality and efficiency of the art outsourcing process.

1- You've set a deadline, and the partner has failed to meet it. Some time has passed, and this time is working against us. If you've already made a partial payment before the work started, that payment is now stuck. I won't even touch on the extra time spent finding a new partner. 2- When outsourcing or freelancing, your target should never be an individual. They could fall ill or decide to join the military, and if that happens, who will complete the work in their absence? If you work with a professional company, there will always be someone else assigned to the task if one person is unavailable. 3- Don't start without systematizing everything. No game design document, no start.