New knowledge-sharing program inspires next generation of hyper-casual mobile game developers

venturebeat.com:

Presented by Voodoo

The video games industry has always been fiercely competitive. No matter the format or budget, developers and publishers are constantly striving to carve out their place in a busy marketplace to supply a hungry audience with the next potential big hit.

Competition has driven the industry to new heights in terms of the quality and speed of new releases. Unity, the leading game engine on mobile, reported a 93% jump in games developed through its platform year-on-year, driven by the hyper-casual segment (+137%), which is characterized by its free-to-play proposition and ability to draw in users with simple gameplay and short sessions. At Voodoo, we recently surpassed six billion downloads worldwide across our portfolio, including one billion downloads in the past nine months alone.

While competition in the mobile games industry has been a boon for consumers, with more higher-quality titles available than ever before, it can be a challenging and daunting arena to enter for newcomers wanting to work in games.

Traditionally, publishers are sharing their expertise and tools with a limited number of high-performing and already seasoned developers. To outsiders, it can seem like a closed shop, which is why a new way of thinking is needed to make the most of the opportunities in the industry.

In this context, starting in the hyper-casual gaming industry can be challenging. Being able to adopt the right mindset, learn the methodologies, and reach the level of quality required is often the result of teams benefitting from months of close collaboration with a publisher beforehand.

Without this collaboration, some of the studios and developers entering the sector may spend several months and even years testing