Own Game Source Code For Better Game Control & Development

Game development has taken center stage in recent years, with many investors and businesses choosing to develop a game. The idea is brilliant, as there is a massive market for mobile-based game source code.

According to FinancesOnline, the global number of active mobile gamers could surpass 2.95 billion by the end of 2022! That’s a huge number to cater to!  

However, prospective game owners usually fall prey to a common trap regarding the game’s source code and its ownership. 

“Should clients choose to own the game’s source code, or should they just rent it?” 

Let’s discuss this question by first understanding what the two terms mean and their most prominent advantages and disadvantages. 

Owning Game Source Code

You are the sole owner of the game source code, and it cannot be distributed without your knowledge and permission. Automatically this gives you a competitive edge as you will not find a game identical to your own! Owning the code offers optimal customization in terms of features and design. 

Later on, you can even choose to license the game and distribute it to other clients because you own it and the source code! If your game becomes very successful, this option may become very appealing if you want to convert your asset and avail your original investment within a short time span.  

Renting Game Source Code 

When dealing with rented game codes, you are not the owner but just one of many licensed users. Licensing costs will be prevalent for as long as you use the source code. That said, there is limited to no option to customize the game to suit your target audience. 

Also, you are not in control of the app’s performance, nor is the future of the app in your control! At any point, the vendor could choose to ignore bugs, leading to a considerable drop in the user base of your game. 

Drawbacks of Renting Source Code 

• The source code that is rented is not owned by the client but instead just licensed out by the game vendor 
• No scope for customization of design and features 
• With rented game’s source code, there is a chance clients have no control of the game’s ability to handle high volumes of concurrent users if it is hosted on the vendor’s server 
• Vendors own the source code and can choose to fix or not fix bugs
• You will lack a competitive edge since many clients may be renting the same source
• code 

Advantages of Owning Source Code 

• Sole ownership of the source code and game 
• Ability to distribute or sell the source code at your discretion 
• Full power to have in-house experts modify and customize the game to suit your users’ needs 
• Host the game on the server of your choice to directly control the game’s performance 
• Future customization is more accessible as the vendor will also impart knowledge about maintaining and modifying the source code 

Is It Really Better to Own Game Source Code?  

Change is inevitable, and your game must evolve to suit the ever-changing requirements of your users. After all, games that are user-centric and offer the best user experience have the highest chances of success. 

Investors who are serious about providing the best user experience, regular updates to fix bugs, adding new features, and redesigning the game are all possible and easy to implement when you own the source code.  

Regardless of your customizations’ complexity or specificity, you can undertake them when owning your game’s source code. Generally, long-term maintenance costs of games with owned code are lower than long-term maintenance of a rented game.

Customizing a rented game’s source code is expensive and not guaranteed to deliver the desired experience to users. Even after paying the money for customization, it’s all for a game you don’t own! 

With an owned source code game, it is up to the client to get support and maintenance, if not from the vendor, then from an in-house team or another game development company. 

Cost-Wise Which is Better: Renting or Owning Game Source Code?

Cost is a critical factor for every prospective game owner. Most people may look at the short-term cost. It may seem cheaper to rent the game’s code but at what cost? You should never rule out long-term costs as well!

A rented game will come at a monthly cost that is mandatory to pay! While the features it comes with will be sustainable for a few months, users will eventually expect more. You are not the sole owner, and asking the vendor to make customizations may be declined or cost a lot more.

After which, you may realize that developing the game from scratch and owning the source code would have been the cost-efficient option! 

Unfortunately, choosing a rented game code can be a costly option. If you are not open to shelling out the money, users will be left with a bittersweet game experience.

Conclusion

If developing a game, why not own the source code as well? You cannot call the game your own without owning the source code! Only if the game’s source code is yours can you customize it to suit your users.  

Also, when developing a game from scratch and owning the source code, you have the opportunity to sell it as well! Meaning a game idea that will be highly successful will also be an excellent investment that you can later sell.   

Deciding which approach you want to take early in the game development process is important. If you want to deal with a mobile game development company that allows you to own your code, contact Artoon Solutions. 

Written By :

Artoon Solutions

Artoon Solutions is a technology company that specializes in providing a wide range of IT services, including web and mobile app development, game development, and web application development. They offer custom software solutions to clients across various industries and are known for their expertise in technologies such as React.js, Angular, Node.js, and others. The company focuses on delivering high-quality, innovative solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of their clients.