The original article is published by Intel Game Dev on VentureBeat*: Indie devs have friends. Get more game dev news and related topics from Intel on VentureBeat.
As every game developer knows, making games is hard enough. Now factor in navigating the ecosystem of the video game business, getting gamers to know about the games, and getting them to sell, and the burden on small teams can be overwhelming. Despite their technical acuity, none have figured out how to add more than 24 hours to a day. For many young developers simply learning the ropes of what's needed can introduce concepts and acronyms completely alien to those that have focused their education on programming, art, and understanding the vagaries of game design.
Many developers have established effective meet-ups where the collective challenges of their peers are shared, discussed, and often solved by fellow pros. Certainly in the indie game development space there is a great deal of welcome sharing as so many ambitious minds navigate the choppy waters.
It's in these situations that finding and using existing expert assistance can not only actively help in the potential for success, but also relieve some of the pressure felt as the responsibilities and challenges mount.
One such example is using relationships with PC OEMs who often look to bundle together high quality game packs to add value to their PC sales, in addition to the Channel and Retail partners who create bundles and attach them to sales opportunities. Working with these numerous hardware partners and even sales channels such as Steam and Green Man Gaming (among others) can be daunting and that's where partnerships can help streamline the challenges as well as open other significant doors.
A company the size and experience of Intel has established connections through all of these channels and with partners of all sizes across the globe. It's a partnership that can work on a variety of scales, providing the smaller indie developer with opportunities they might not otherwise be able to access, and the larger studio with channels they might not have previously explored.
The benefit to developers is largely found in working with resellers to make sure that gamers get to see the games as part of these value bundles. From there, new opportunities will become available, all with the goal of extending reach and awareness among gaming consumers.
In addition, sometimes studios need equipment to help test their games and through the range of partners many options are unlocked to aid in this process. That's in addition to Intel's four compatibility testing houses that allows developers to ensure that their games will work on the latest chips and graphics processors.
Account teams are constantly scouring important gaming sites for new and existing games that could benefit from inclusion in these extensive partnerships, but to get direct information, the Game Developer Program website provides more information on how to get involved and how this range of programs can help benefit all games and get them in the hands of consumers.
The opportunities to extend reach, generate awareness, and take advantage of various channels available are extensive.
It makes sense to make this admittedly hard process a little easier.