Pricing

What Does Premium Game Development Outsourcing Cost?

Premium game development outsourcing from TDS costs between $4,500 and $35,000+ USD per month depending on engagement scope and team composition. TDS Game Outsource offers three clear engagement tiers in USD. Transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Choose the model that fits your studio and project.

Tier 1

What Does Supplementary Studio Services Include?

$4,500/mo
per dedicated team member
  • Dedicated artist, designer, or engineer assigned to your project
  • Integrated into your sprint cadence and tools
  • Direct communication with your production team
  • Full-time, directly employed team member
  • Flexible scaling — add or reduce team members monthly
  • No recruitment overhead or onboarding delay

Best for: Studios needing to scale specific pipeline functions quickly

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Tier 3

What Does Full-Service Game Development Include?

From $35,000
project-based pricing
  • Concept to ship under a single studio partner
  • Full team assignment with TDS creative direction
  • Dedicated producer and art director
  • Milestone-based delivery with quality gates
  • Product design: market analysis, monetisation, launch strategy
  • Access to industry talent network (voice, writing, EP)
  • Complete IP assignment on delivery

Best for: Studios wanting a design-led partner for complete project delivery

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What Is Included in Every TDS Engagement?

No Hidden Fees

Transparent pricing. No onboarding charges, no per-revision fees, no administrative costs.

Directly Employed Team

Every team member is a full-time TDS employee. No freelancers, no contractors.

Australian Legal Protection

Contracts under Australian law. ABN 94 710 735 406. Familiar framework for AU, UK, US clients.

Strategic Direction Included

Product design, market analysis, and strategic thinking included at every tier. Not just execution.

Comparison

How Does TDS Compare to Other Game Outsourcing Options?

A transparent comparison of TDS Game Outsource against common alternatives for game studios.

Feature TDS Game Outsource Large Outsourcing Houses Freelance Platforms In-House Team
Team Model Directly employed, full-time Mix of employees and contractors Independent freelancers Full-time employees
Strategic Direction Product design, market analysis, monetisation strategy included Rarely included — execution focused Not available Requires hiring strategists
Creative Direction Included at every tier Additional cost or not offered You manage all direction Included
IP Protection Australian contract law, explicit IP assignment Varies by jurisdiction Platform-dependent, often weak Full control
Communication Quality Western-standard, fluent English, Sydney oversight Variable — depends on account manager Variable — depends on individual Direct
Style Consistency Same team throughout project — high consistency Team rotation common — inconsistency risk Different freelancers — low consistency High consistency
Typical Monthly Cost $4,500 - $15,000+/mo $10,000 - $50,000+/mo $2,000 - $8,000/mo $8,000 - $15,000/mo per person (salary + overhead)
Minimum Engagement 1 month 3-12 months typical Per task Full-time employment
Industry Talent Access David Hayter, Tasia Valenza, Karina Fabian, Ian Dawson Varies Must source independently Must hire independently
A senior game artist in the US costs $85,000-$120,000 USD in salary alone — before benefits, equipment, recruitment fees, and management overhead. TDS provides equivalent or higher quality talent from $4,500/month with zero overhead. Source: Glassdoor / Indeed salary data 2025
47% of game studios report dissatisfaction with their last outsourcing collaboration — primarily due to quality inconsistency and communication failures. TDS eliminates both through directly employed teams and Western-standard communication with Sydney oversight. Source: 80 Level 2024 Industry Survey (181 professionals, 54 countries)
47% of game studios report dissatisfaction with their last outsourcing collaboration — primarily due to hidden costs and scope creep. TDS eliminates both with transparent monthly pricing and clearly defined engagement scopes. Source: 80 Level 2024 Industry Survey

Key Takeaway

TDS offers three transparent engagement tiers in USD: Supplementary Studio Services from $4,500/month per team member, Co-Development Partnerships from $15,000/month, and Full-Service project delivery from $35,000/month. All pricing is transparent with no hidden fees. Every team member is directly employed full-time — no freelancers.

Ready to Discuss Your Project?

Book a strategy call to discuss your game project. We will assess your needs and recommend the right engagement model for your studio.

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Pricing FAQ

TDS Game Outsource offers three pricing tiers in USD: Supplementary Studio Services from $4,500/month per team member, Co-Development Partnerships from $15,000/month per module, and Full-Service Game Development from $35,000 per project. All pricing is transparent with no hidden fees.

No. TDS pricing is fully transparent. The monthly or project fee covers the dedicated team, production management, communication tools, and quality assurance. There are no onboarding fees, no per-revision charges, and no hidden administrative costs.

All TDS Game Outsource fees are in USD (United States Dollars) for consistency across our AU, UK, and US client base.

Yes. The Supplementary Studio Services tier is designed for flexible scaling. You can start with one dedicated team member and add more as your project needs grow. Team adjustments can be made on a monthly basis.

The minimum engagement period for Supplementary Studio Services is one month. Co-Development Partnerships are typically scoped for the duration of the production module. Full-Service projects are milestone-based with no fixed time commitment beyond the project scope.