For most video games, there are three full phases of testing – the alpha stage for internal, major bug testing, the beta stage for catching smaller bugs and prepping the game for full play through, and the final QA phase in which small bugs and quality issues are taken care of. This Quality Assurance stage allows the game developers to reduce the chance that there will be any hiccups when the game goes live and is shipped to all the eager fans waiting to play it.
For game testers, the QA stage can be a very frustrating stage in game development. For the most part, all major bugs have been worked out, so the developers and programmers are in the frame of mind that their game is done and ready for shipping. On the other hand, testers are paid to go through it as much as possible and map out any reason why the game is not quite ready yet. So, if you are a tester, this stage of testing requires a great deal of will power and an attention to detail that will help you not only find the bugs, but pinpoint their cause immediately so they can be repaired.
Types of QA Testing
When a game reaches the QA stage, the testers will go through either Static or Ad Hoc testing. The static testing phase will have you going through the game linearly, following specific directions given to you by developers or lead testers. You can then record anything that doesn’t work exactly as it is supposed to. This is the most common form of QA testing as it allows the game developers to check specific sections of the code for problems. It can be incredibly tedious as you go through menu combinations, specializations for characters and modes, and very clearly outlined walkthroughs of levels over and over again.
Ad hoc testing, however, is completely different in that you can play it anyway you want in an effort to effectively break the game. You won’t work toward completing anything. Rather, you might spend hours in a single level trying to find a way to make it break. Remember that there will be millions of people out there playing this game when it releases and they will inevitably find ways to break it – your job will be to break it first so the hole can be filled.
QA testing is a vital stage in game development. It allows the publisher to work out any last minute bugs that can have a negative impact on their public image during a game launch. It is also among the most tedious and stressful periods of game development, so you’ll want to have a patient, detail oriented attitude if you plan on being a QA tester.
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