There’s no better time to get into mobile game development than today. According to Statista, this industry could generate over $170 billion in 2023 alone. Meanwhile, the number of users could grow by at least 2 billion in 2027.
While you can build and launch a game alone, such as Eric Barone who developed Stardew Valley, you are more likely to need mobile development services, which can be in-house, outsourced, or a combination of both.
This way, it is easy for you to develop a game and scale its production, especially if your work turns out to be a hit.
But the question is, how many people should make up the core team? Read this article to learn the answer.
Who Makes Up a Good Mobile Development Team?
It depends on several factors, which you will learn later on. Usually, a group of five to six people is enough to get any mobile development project going. And these individuals do not have to be all developers or programmers.
Let’s begin the roll call:
1. Mobile Game Developers
These guys are responsible for the actual coding and programming of the game. This includes designing, creating testing the game’s feature, and adjusting it for different platforms.
Mobile game developers represent a thriving and diverse industry, offering different kinds of expertise and specialties. These include software developers, 3D game developers, and mobile game engine developers.
Depending on the complexity of your project, find the right team with the experience and creativity to bring your ideas to life. When choosing who to work with:
- Look at their past work and consider how it matches up with yours.
- Make sure you understand what brings them joy in making games and look for developers with a clear track record of delivering projects on time.
- Understand interaction policies, communication schedules, and payment terms before signing anything.
2. Mobile Game Designers
Mobile game designers are the creative minds that develop and produce high-quality gaming experiences across mobile platforms like smartphones and tablets. While they often work closely with software developers, they specialize in creating unique and engaging content that takes the gaming experience to a whole new level.
Mobile game designers operate in an ever-evolving industry that requires much more than coding know-how. They must be well-versed in elements such as design, user behavior analysis, storytelling, UI/UX development, analytics, creative problem-solving, and more—all on top of having excellent programming skills.
As a result of their diverse skill set, mobile game designers can take any idea from concept to completion—leading to a wide array of beautiful and highly playable games that can stand out from the competition.
3. Project Managers
Project managers oversee all development activities, from concept to rollout. They coordinate the team’s efforts, provide support and guidance, and ensure deadlines are met.
But project managers also take on other roles. For example, they:
- Help identify any potential issues before they become problems and manage costs efficiently
- Possess strong organizational skills to facilitate communication between different departments such as marketing, design, and development
- Ensure that customer feedback is integrated into the game’s design process, creating a better-polished product that users can enjoy for years to come
4. Mobile App Testers
Mobile app testers are responsible for the game’s quality assurance (QA) aspect. They run rigorous tests to ensure that the product is free from any glitches or bugs and assess how user-friendly the game is.
These include:
- Functional testing. Testers check that all features work as intended and measure the game’s performance across different platforms.
- Usability testing. It involves testing how user-friendly and intuitive the interface feels for gamers.
- Compatibility testing. It determines if the game can run on various devices such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs.
5. Business Analyst or Marketer
Finally, you’ll need someone to handle the business side of things. This person will be responsible for coming up with innovative ways to market and promote your game, as well as planning out strategies for pricing, customer engagement, monetization, etc.
They should understand the app marketplace well and what drives user engagement. They should also be familiar with the latest app promotion and marketing trends and have strong analytical skills to help them make data-driven decisions.
By having a business analyst or marketer on your team, you can ensure that your game reaches its maximum potential and can maintain a high level of user engagement.
Other Factors That Affect Your Team Number
These five people already make up the core of your mobile development game. But you can always hire more (or fewer) based on these factors:
- Budget. How much money do you have to spend on a team? It can range from $8,000 for something simple to thousands of dollars for something more complex.
- Platform and complexity. Different platforms may require additional people, and the more complex the game is (e.g., 3D vs 2D), the bigger your team might need to be.
- Deadline. If you’re in a rush, you might need to hire extra hands to help speed up the process.
Conclusion
You can go the lone route or build a team if you want to launch a game. However, the latter is a better option to help you ride the growth of the industry and create a long-lasting product that your users can enjoy.