GAME DEVELOPMENT

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SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION VII

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Making Sense of Player Feedback at Scale

So, You Want to Make a Game?

Meet João Menezes, Our São Paulo Studio Head

What is game co-development or codev?

Co-development (Codev) is a collaborative game development model where two or more studios work together on the same project. Rather than one sole developer handling everything independently, a secondary team is leveraged to contribute their expertise, resources, and creativity. The external partner typically follows your creative vision and direction to build specific game features, entire sections, or even complete development on given platforms.

What are the benefits of outsourcing game development?

With co-development, you get access to the full spectrum of development capabilities – from engineering and game design to animation and QA – without the overhead of expanding your internal team. Side's codev team consists of 60+ developers with 25+ years of collective experience who've contributed to celebrated franchises like Borderlands, Civilization, Mortal Kombat, and more. Working side by side, our codev team’s collaborative approach with game studios allows them to access broader expertise, accelerate timelines, and tackle more ambitious projects.

How does co-development differ from simply hiring external developers?

In co-development, the external partner has full access to your game, engine, and key materials, working embedded within your team rather than operating in isolation. Both parties share a deep investment in the game’s the success, creating stronger incentives for exceptional work. Communication is constant and collaborative – regular planning sessions, integrated workflows, and shared decision-making keep everyone aligned on the same vision and milestones. While traditional outsourcing just gives you extra hands, co-development gives you strategic partners who understand your project holistically and contribute to creative problem-solving throughout development.

What types of projects are a good fit for a codev model?

Co-development works best for projects that require engineering, game design, production planning, or even full IP creation – basically any project where you need multiple specialized skill sets beyond your internal capabilities. Side's codev model excels when you need specialized expertise across our core capabilities: engineering complex gameplay systems, animation pipelines, game design implementation, or full-scale porting to new platforms. Whether you're building from scratch, expanding to new platforms, or need deep technical expertise in areas like AI implementation or optimization, we bring 25+ years of experience to the table.

How do you ensure the quality and performance of the code?

Quality assurance is embedded throughout our development process, not just a one-and-done step at the end. Our 60+ developers include specialists across key programming areas – gameplay, AI, tools, user interface, optimization, systems, and engine development – ensuring the right expertise handles each component of your project. We maintain rigorous code review standards developed through our work with industry leaders like EA and Bethesda, plus comprehensive QA processes with global teams that can test across all platforms simultaneously.