As a subset of “game development,” testing is a software testing process used in the quality control and regulation of video games. The primary goal of gaming testing is to discover and document software defects that may have been overlooked by the programming process. A game must be tried and tested before it is released to the market in order to achieve customer satisfaction and maintain a high-quality gaming experience for your audience.
During the early design and development stages, the developer was often the one doing all the testing. A maximum of 2 testers was allowed for each game and there were also cases where the programmers did all the tests.
Quality assurance has always been an integral part of all programming processes. As video games became more sophisticated, quality assurance became a necessity and this is where “on-site” game testers came in.
Game testing generally begins as soon as the initial code is created and continues until the game completes. The main quality control team generally monitors the fame from its initial introduction to the establishment of a test plan. The test team usually focuses on new codes in the early stage of game development.
Alpha test. This form of game testing is done to make sure the initial game basics really work. Alpha testing is the initial testing done during the early stages of the game, and the procedure is typically performed by development studio staff or individuals directly hired by publishers. These alpha testers are typically required to work in the game’s development studio and are asked to run the full course of the game until it is fully operational.
Beta game design. Beta testing can be done in-house or by other subcontractors. In special cases, it can also be performed by unpaid volunteers just like in online games where basic technology and cross-server stress tests are performed. Paid game testers are much more involved at this stage because of all the details needed to determine how well the game is working.
Quality assurance. When a video game reaches its final state, testers are an integral part of quality assurance. This is where many testers get their starting jobs and run the same levels over and over again to check for even the tiniest bugs and glitches in the game.
Hardware console. Console tests are generally performed on a consumer system, and a special test facility is often provided for publishers and developers. Popular tools used include “devkits” (software development kits) and debug / test kits. Developers often use Devkits for lower-level gaming testing, and they typically show higher hardware specs and more memory. This allows programmers to estimate the performance of a game without focusing too much on optimizations.
Test kits typically have similar hardware specs and a similar appearance to a consumer unit, but with additional connectors and ports for testing.