After more than 30 years working alongside developers and publishers, one thing has remained remarkably consistent: the studios that build the strongest games rarely do it alone. They do it by surrounding themselves with partners they trust implicitly.
Mike Wallen | Image credit: Testronic
With our industry becoming ever more complex, that has never been more important. Games are larger, development teams are more distributed, production cycles are longer, and player expectations continue to rise.
We often hear studios and publishers say they’re looking for “a partner, not a supplier.” It’s a phrase that’s become commonplace, but genuine partnerships remain surprisingly rare. It isn’t simply about providing a service. It’s about adopting a mindset where success is measured by shared outcomes, not individual deliverables. At Testronic, we call that being ‘Partner-First, Player-Focused and Outcomes-Led’ –the approach that guides how we intend to lead the world in making games incredible.
Partnership starts before the contract
Being partner-first sits at the heart of how we work, underpinning our experience in empowering the next level in play. One lesson I’ve learned is that partnership doesn’t begin at kick-off. It begins during the very first conversations.
Too often, vendors and suppliers are eager to explain what they do before they’ve taken the time to understand what a studio actually needs. The strongest commercial relationships I’ve experienced have always started with curiosity. What is the client trying to achieve? What pressures are they under? What “keeps you up at night”? Where are the risks? What would success genuinely look like for their team?
Every studio works differently. Their production methodologies, communication styles, approval processes and internal challenges are unique. Taking the time to understand those differences before work begins allows a services partner to integrate far more effectively once production is underway, becoming an extension of the client’s team rather than simply another external provider.
Those early conversations also establish realistic expectations. Honest discussions about priorities, timelines and potential risks create trust from day one and reduce the likelihood of surprises later. When both sides understand each other’s objectives, decisions become easier and partnerships become stronger.
The best partners help studios make better decisions
The best results come from taking the time to understand problems, not just working through a checklist. | Image credit: Testronic
Technical excellence will always matter. Clients rightly expect deep expertise, experienced people and robust processes from the companies they choose to work with.
But technical capability is only the starting point. What studios value most are partners who help them make better decisions. Whether you’re providing Functionality QA, Localization, LQA, Compatibility QA, Compliance QA or any other specialist service, you have a unique perspective. You work across multiple teams, technologies and genres, giving you insight into challenges and opportunities that individual studios may only encounter occasionally.
That experience creates an opportunity to add value beyond delivery. Instead of simply reporting issues, great partners provide context, explain the potential impact and offer practical options that allow development teams to make informed decisions with confidence.
For me, that’s what being outcomes-led really means. It isn’t about completing a checklist or fulfilling a statement of work. It’s about helping studios achieve the best possible result for their teams, their production goals and, ultimately, their players.
Communication builds confidence
In my experience, most challenges in partnerships arise because communication breaks down.
Studios want to be confident that any issues will be surfaced early, with practical recommendations rather than simply a list of problems
Studios don’t expect perfection. They understand that game development is complex and that unexpected challenges are inevitable. What they do expect is transparency, timely communication and the confidence that any issues will be surfaced early, with practical recommendations rather than simply a list of problems.
When communication is open and proactive, confidence grows. Producers spend less time chasing updates, development teams stay focused on creating great experiences, and everyone is aligned around the same objective. That level of trust is one of the greatest competitive advantages any partnership can have, and it is frankly the key to long term success between partners.
Shared ownership changes everything
One of the biggest differences between a supplier and a genuine partner is accountability. A supplier measures success by completing the agreed scope of work. A partner measures success by asking whether they’ve helped the game succeed.
That shift in thinking changes behaviour in subtle but important ways. Teams become more proactive. They raise potential risks earlier, suggest improvements even when they’re outside their immediate responsibilities, and look for opportunities to make life easier for the people they’re supporting.
“A supplier measures success by completing the agreed scope of work. A partner measures success by asking whether they’ve helped the game succeed”
Being player-focused means recognizing that every decision we make ultimately contributes to someone else’s experience with the game. It encourages teams to think beyond individual tasks and understand how their work supports a smoother production process, a stronger launch and a better experience for players around the world.
Trust is earned through consistency
Long-term partnerships aren’t built through occasional moments of excellence. They’re built through consistently delivering high-quality work, communicating clearly and showing up when clients need you most. Over time, that consistency creates familiarity, and familiarity creates trust.
Relationships matter because businesses are ultimately built by people. The more we understand each other’s ways of working, challenges and ambitions, the more effective we become together. That’s true whether you’re supporting a single milestone or working together across multiple titles over many years.
Technology will continue to transform how games are made. AI will reshape workflows, development tools will evolve and production models will continue to change. But trust remains remarkably human. It still depends on people doing what they say they will do, being transparent when circumstances change and always acting in the best interests of the partnership. Walking the walk, as we would say, not just talking the talk.
AI is having an impact, but success still relies entirely on human factors. | Image credit: Testronic
Looking beyond launch
The nature of games has changed dramatically over the past decade. Launch is no longer the finish line – it’s often the beginning of a game’s longer chapter. Live operations, continuous updates, platform evolution and ever-changing player expectations mean studios increasingly need partners who can adapt and grow alongside them.
Looking ahead, I believe the studios that will thrive are those that build ecosystems of trusted partners who genuinely understand their business. Equally, the service providers that succeed will be those that invest as much in relationships as they do in capability.
The games industry doesn’t need more suppliers. It needs more organisations willing to invest in genuine partnerships – relationships built on trust, transparency and shared accountability. Because while technology, tools and production methods will continue to evolve, one thing hasn’t changed in the 30 years I’ve worked in the business: great games are still built by people who trust each other.