Hi, everyone, the title of this question cannot say exactly what I'd like to discuss here, but here I go:
Lately I started to work as a sound designer for games and been more attentive on companies who create apps and games mostly for mobile platforms, in Portugal.
There are some question I ask myself that make me feel very confused and actually sad about the way people would disregard sound in a minute. As an example, one case I 'studied' had the programmer doing music and sfx because it is something he / she enjoys; are the music and sfx good? No! Would it sell more if there was a dedicated sound person doing it? I actually don't know. Another example is that on a tight budget or if there is the need to reduce staff who would go first? It's so easy to think that the sound designer is disposable and someone else would take some days to get sfx from freesound or something.
I know this is a cruel and cold vision - I don't believe in this and I personally have a pretty straight idea about our role - but how can a sound designer make him/herself indispensable in a project? (please, beyond the obvious of doing a great work , being cooperative and having human skills) I think that a certain mentality change is needed, how to achieve this?