Working in a small country, it's not even about cutting costs, but rather getting the talent we need and just cannot find locally. Of course it's a nice bonus if it comes in cheaper than with permanently employed internal staff, but I can also see benefits in having the bulk of the art asset production done by a company which specializes in it, whether we have the manpower or not.

I would assume that an experienced outsourcing studio's processes are already geared towards delivering highly uniform work at a steady pace, compared to an internal staff which is often more interested in solving problems, doing fun projects and being creative in other ways than "straight" asset creation.

The communication can be a problem, though. It can even be difficult to find people who are fluent enough in English to feel reliable to work with and also comfortable with letting us communicate with their staff. I really wouldn't want to be forced to always go through a producer, especially with matters of art, although as a former advertising agency producer, I can fully appreciate the need for a go-between between the client and the artists.