With developers becoming increasingly ambitious with their creations, and mobile offering up a plethora of new options, Craig Chapple looks at where the practice of games testing fits into the current industry landscape
The testing process not only provides an entry point for a career in the games industry, but a vital service for developers of every shape and size
THE PROCESS OF QUALITY assurance in the games industry is arguably now more important than ever, in a sector where a reputation can be tarnished by a few game breaking bugs, and many customers base their purchases on a metacritic score alone. Users want a smooth playing experience, especially when triple-A titles can cost as much as £50, and the expectations for quality are higher than ever. Games such as Bethesda’s critically acclaimed Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, whilst undoubtedly ambitious and well received, also suffered from a public backlash over the internet due to apparent PS3 performance issues, which were allegedly spotted in testing, and the infamous ‘backward flying dragons’ after an early patch. Whilst sales did not suffer, and the title has
become a huge success for the developer, it is easy to see how just a few bugs can outweigh lofty ambitions and somewhat tarnish a game playing experience, whilst triggering an empassioned online reaction.
DEMANDS OF THE INDUSTRY “QA influences public perception, as well as the practical application of a title. Information and reviews are more readily available,” says
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Alfonso Lombardi, director of games testing and development at VMC Labs. “Because of the wide variety of choices now
available and increased competition, quality is no longer optional, and a lack of quality can be a killer. “Five years ago customers were more inclined to accept errors and lesser quality in titles. Today, they have higher expectations, and QA is more important than ever.”
Why would you want to take the risk
of not considering a QA roadmap, given the inherent risks in making a game?
Alastair Harsant, Testronic Labs
As well as customers, console manufacturers and the likes of Apple demand that games pass a certification process, and be deemed of certain quality before they can be released on their systems, as poor games can also affect a
platform’s reputation. It could be argued, however, that these tests are not as stringent as they perhaps could be, with the App Store rocked by scams such as fake Pokémon games and titles which do not live up to their descriptions. And with sequels becoming ever more popularly used in the industry, with games such as FIFA and Call of Duty releasing yearly, consumers today have the chance to buy into something they are familiar with. In that context a game’s quality can be the difference between short term success and the viability of a long term franchise. Without proper testing, promising ideas and large investments can mean nothing. “QA is incredibly important, on the simple assumption that the IP holder wants to maximise the return on their investment,” says Alastair Harsant, games business line manager of Testronic Labs. “We believe everyone making a game wants it to be well received, to work with no glitches, to have no progression blocking issues, and to have audio and text technically and realistically localised for the target market it is released in. Why would you want to take the risk of not considering a QA roadmap,