When you are out to buy the newest game for your video game console, it’s unlikely of you to think much about what went in to creating the final product. Sure, you know there are the animators and code writers and someone working on the hardware, but there is much more than just creating a game. Working out the kinks is a painstaking process.
Imagine the newest, long awaited game is released for the Xbox 360 (or any other console). In the first days after it is sold gamers start to complain that there are problems that render the game unplayable or illogical. This is a huge blow to those who put all those months into creating and perfecting the game for marketing and sales.
Video game testing is one of the most important parts of QA (quality assurance) for finalising the product and ensuring that it’s actually ready for the general public. But how does video game testing work?
Though some people may consider playing video games a waste of time, but video game testers actually made a living out of it. Sound like a dream job? Well, it’s certainly not the most boring job around, but it does take some professionalism, and requires more than just playing a game.
In video game testing, a game is sent to the tester that in the later stages of development. They are supposed to play that game, usually getting paid by the hour. However, the actual job part of the job is supplying important feedback.
Coupled with the new game to test, the game tester will receive instructions on what to look out for. While playing, the game tester pays careful attention to the details in graphics, as well as looking for bugs that make certain moves difficult or impossible. Also, watching the flow of the game and ensuring that there is nothing confusing or wrong as you go along is important.
a number of versions are made throughout the process of creating the game. The alpha version will be the first one tested. After that, feedback is taken into account and improvements made and the next version is ready to be tested. This process goes on until the game appears to run perfectly smoothly with no glitches. Then it is ready for marketing and sales.
Though it sounds like a counterfeit job, video game testing is a very important part of making a video game. Anything sold with imperfections will have unsatisfied customers complaining and writing bad reviews, possibly even suing. This is terrible for sales of the game, obviously, but also for the credibility of the company itself. They take game testing very seriously and those who test the game are an important part of the team. Maybe you’re looking for a new job?
Tags: Games, Children, Entertainment