Test Cases and Video Game Testing

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to work as a video game tester, you probably wondered what a test case was. Test cases are a unique tool used by programmers and testers to communicate specific actions needed during a build test.

For example, if the game has just gone to beta testing and the programmers want to make sure the fixes they provided for a particularly nasty disappearing wall bug work, they might write up a test case that forces the testers to walk in certain patterns around the wall.

The test case might focus only on a certain action, or a combination of menu options that have been resulting in bugs up until this point. The goal, however, is to communicate from programmer to tester a specific thing that needs to be tested.

When One Becomes Many

The thing about test cases, however, is that there are usually a lot more than just one of them being sent out with each build. A single build of a game might have thousands of bug fixes that all need to be checked. So, instead of writing up one complicated list of instructions, the programming team (and sometimes lead tester) will develop what is called a test suite.

The test suite will document a series of test cases that all need to be checked in turn. Each test case will usually be an independent run of changes that have been made to the game, but in some cases, test cases are placed in chains. If a single fix worked, does it have any impact on other parts of that level? What about the game as a whole?

The testers are then tasked with tackling individual test cases or parts of the suite to ensure that the data requested by the programmers is available.

The Testing Process as a Whole

What makes game testing such a long process is that the test cases are only one part of a much larger testing environment. While game testers might spend 80% of their week going through test cases and checking the bugs that have been fixed, they will also work tirelessly to turn up new bugs that were never caught in the initial run through. Longer games with more interactive features may have thousands of builds and test cases.

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Writing a Bug Report as a Video Game Tester

Video game testing is about a lot more than just playing new games before they are released. In fact, a good chunk of the job involves writing and reading technical reports that clearly outline the bugs in the game. Specifically, you must be able to clearly identify a problem, outline how it occurred, and under what circumstances you were able to make it reappear.

When You’ll Write Reports

Bug reports are written throughout the process, usually between builds when you are completing any given test case. While you must follow the walkthrough or checklist provided in a test case, if you do find a bug, you will stop your progress and focus heavily on the bug and what causes it. This might occur in the alpha, beta, or QA stage and should be treated with priority in all three cases.

Writing Your Bug Report

Just finding a bug in the game is not enough. You must be able to identify how the bug occurred, what circumstances are needed to recreate the bug, and most importantly, what the bug does to the game. Programmers are working with millions of lines of code and need to know where the bug is mostly likely to have an impact. The more data they have, and the easier that data is to interpret, the faster they can pinpoint and fix the bug.

The bug report will also be read by a lot of people before it ends up in the bug database, so it’s vital that you are clear in a way that can be understood not only by the programmer, but by production leads and directors as well.

Part one of a bug report will describe the bug. It might be that a wall disappears when you put on a certain tunic in a game. If this happens, the bug report would start with “northwest wall of city in Big City disappears when putting on Bright Tunic.”

The second part of your report, however, is the most important. It needs to be concise and to the point – no adjectives or descriptions beyond the exact actions you took to create the bug. This should be written as a numbered list that lays out exactly what happens from start to finish in generating that bug.

You may also be expected to learn the IBM ODC system to classify bugs. This not only helps to prioritize the bugs as they arrive, but to pinpoint where in the code they appear. As a tester, programming skills can be very handy for this exact reason.

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How to Get Video Game Testing Experience Right Now

 

If you’re interested in becoming a video game tester, you may not know all the steps involved in getting to your dream job. You might have seen some ads or read about someone who works for a developer playing new games before they release. However, while game development and testing can be a very interesting career, you can’t exactly walk into it. It is a very serious field and requires dedicated, highly motivated workers with the right skills in place. To get those skills, you’ll need to work on landing a fair bit of experience in the field of game design and development.

Technical Experience

The easiest way to start is simply by learning the stuff that testers are expected to know. Get books on C++, Java, XNA and other programming languages. Learn about 3D animation, game test builds, and the software used to produce and distribute bug reports during the testing phase. Most game developers will look for at least some experience with the basic programming languages, excel and access experience, and CV or resume experience related to technical writing.

Your Portfolio

You don’t need to have worked on a video game before to build a portfolio. In fact, nearly any technical writing experience will get you there. You just need to sit down and write some content that clearly outlines problems, solutions, and clear steps between them. This can be done in school, or it can be done on your own with any number of exercise-filled books from your local bookstore.

Education

Game developers won’t discriminate if you don’t have a degree in programming or game development, but they may choose someone else over you if they can more effectively showcase their expertise because of that education.

So, if you want to guarantee yourself a job in this field, some college courses or even a degree can definitely. Degrees are available in computer science, logic, technical writing, and 3D animation, while certificates are available in things like game development (and some schools even offer degrees in video game development now).

Finally, don’t neglect actually playing games and spending time learning how they work. If you can get into open or closed betas for new games, by all means do so and take the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of how the bug reporting process works. Use the forums for a game in beta, write about bugs, and talk to the lead testers and GMs as much as possible. You never know when you might impress someone.

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Five Things You Didn’t Know About the Gaming Industry

 

One of the most commonly misunderstood fields is the gaming industry. Many people think they know what to expect when moving into video game development, and yet they frequently over estimate what they will be paid, and underestimate how much work they will have to do. That’s not to say it’s a bad job, but for anyone considering a career in game testing or development, here are five things you probably didn’t know.

1. Game Testers Work in House – You won’t get to sit at home and play whatever game arrived in your mailbox each week. Some testers are permitted at home time when needed but most of the time, especially when deadlines loom, you’ll be at the office testing on proprietary testing consoles and PCs.
   
2. You Don’t Need a College Degree – You don’t need to have a college degree to be a game developer. In fact, if you have the skills needed and can prove your expertise, most game developers would prefer someone with real world experience over education alone. It allows you to jump into your new role faster. That said, education can definitely help you stand out and will immediately show that you have the knowledge needed. In getting interviews, a college degree is a big help.
   
3. Many Developers Hire for the Long Term – Despite what you’ve heard, developers don’t hire and throw away programmers from week to week. What happens is most developers are operated by a larger publisher. If a game doesn’t do well or if the publisher consolidates its holdings, the developer may be disbanded and you’ll need to find a new team. But, as far as the developer is concerned, having the same people working together from project to project is ideal.
   
4. Almost Any Skill Can Be Useful – Yes, programming skills are a huge plus in this industry, but they are not the only way in. Good writers are in high demand, as are multilingual workers, artists, and people with project management experience. Game development involves hundreds of skilled workers with diverse backgrounds. If you can provide a unique skillset, you will be valuable.
   
5. You Don’t Need Prior Game Development Experience – You need some form of experience, but working in the game industry isn’t necessary to land a job. Frequently, people with little or no experience start in the game testing department and work their way up to other, higher paying positions.

If you’re interested in getting into game development, know that there are a lot of opportunities for people of all skillsets, experience levels and ages. It’s a vast industry with a lot of potential. Be persistent, be patient, and most of all, show them how much you’ll enjoy your new job – trust me, it may not happen overnight, but you will land a job eventually. 

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Non-Programming Aspects of Game Design

The first thing anyone thinks about in game design is the programming required to craft a new product. There are more than a million lines of code in even short games and that means hundreds of thousands of man hours poured into the production and development of a quality game that actually makes sense in the context of its genre. 

But, game programmers only make up one portion of the employees at a developer. If you can’t wrap your brain around all that math or if you’d rather work in something a little more creative, there are opportunities.

• 3D Animators – Animators are needed to develop the 3D environments and textures used in the game. Degree programs are offered in the advanced software used by these artists, as well as at home training programs if you have the PC power needed to run the software.
  
• Art Designers – More traditional designers are also employed for developing the creative side of a game, mapping out the routes and game world of a new production. Character design, item development and general aesthetics are all a major part of this process.
  
• Game Testers – Testers are needed from the moment the game gets its first build, and are used until only days before a game’s release. Game testing is generally an entry level position but can quickly blossom into a higher paying, high yield job over time and is a great stepping stone to other positions in the industry.
  
• Producers - Producers will oversee every aspect of a game development. Like super-powered project managers, producers are used for each segment of a game – from sound to video to animation and game systems.
• Writers – Most games have dialogue, menus and storylines that require writing. Creativity, technical ability and flexibility as a writer can all help you in your quest to land a job writing game scripts. In many cases, multilingualism can also help.

Game development is a team effort. There can be anywhere from thirty to five hundred people working tirelessly on a new game, pouring hours of effort into every inch of it from start to finish. Programming only makes up one small part of that process. If you have the skills, you can be a major part of any other aspect of the team. 

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Can You Be a Video Game Tester from Home?

 

Ask any 10 year old boy what he wants do for a living and he’ll tell you one of two things – firefighter or video game tester. The difference between the two being that as the boy gets older, he realizes how dangerous and physically demanding firefighting can be, but never really learns that video game testing is in fact a tough job without the dream hours he assumed (not that the two compare to each other at all, but you get the idea).

So, if you’re looking into being a video game tester and are wondering if you will in fact be able to work from home, the answer may be a little disappointing. For the most part, video game testers are in-house testers. They work on consoles and PCs that are held at the developer headquarters and are given specific directions in the office that requires them to stick around.

The Exception to the Rule

 However, there are some exceptions. In certain testing cycles and for certain consoles or styles of game, testing may be permitted from home. Specifically in the beta testing phase when the game can be tested on a standard machine, the tester may be permitted to work from home. In other situations, when illness or family require them to stay at home, special circumstances might allow it.

However, these are usually rare exceptions to the rule. Game testers are needed in the office because they are such a vital aspect of the testing process. They will be consulted often, are required to go through detailed test cases and must frequently produce bug reports that are analyzed by lead testers and entered into the bug database. Some of that can be done at home, but not much.

Chances for Advancement

Another reason that being in the office is to your advantage is that you will be able to spend time working with and near producers, designers, and programmers who represent the upper tier of game designers and developers. These are the guys and gals who can help you get a better job in the industry. Showing them your prowess, attentiveness and expertise in testing will make it easier to apply for a higher position in the not too distant future.

For a lot of the little boys who grew up and still dream of testing video games for a living, the glamour and polish that surround the job never quite wear off. But, even though you’ll probably work a little harder than you though and you’ll generally have to work in the office quite a bit, the chance for advancement and the opportunity to prove yourself as a valuable member of the team is wide open. Game testing is the entry point to a huge range of possibilities in game design – if you’re willing to take it, I promise you’ll go a lot farther in this industry than you ever thought possible.

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How Does the Video Game Build Process Work?

During the game development process, eventually there comes a time when the game is considered “ready for testing”. This usually occurs about 75% of the way through the development process. Producers and designers spend months or even years developing a game world and system, programmers spend months developing the core functions that will generate that world and animators constantly revamp and process imagery to bring that world to life. But, eventually, it all must come together in a functional, playable way that can be tested.

The First Builds

The first builds of a game are often in pre-alpha and are produced simply to see if the game can be compiled properly. Many times, major bugs will keep a production from even coming together in the earliest builds. After those initial builds are completed and the game is at least playable, however, it will go into Alpha testing and game testers will start the long process of testing and documenting bugs as they arise in the game world.

Alpha testing can last a few weeks or a few months and involves tracking any major game breaking bugs. At this point, the goal is to ensure the build can remain stable and the system active no matter what the player does. So, texture gaps or bugs are less important than major crashes.

Going into the Beta

Once the development team feels comfortable that all the major crashes and bugs are worked out, the builds will go into beta. Beta testing involves tracking and documenting smaller bugs that can range from annoying problems to major balance issues in the game.

For example, a missing wall in a level, or a menu combination that causes a character to appear without any clothes on are both major bugs that, while they don’t break the game, can be incredibly disruptive to the play experience. 

Finishing the Game

 

Beta testing will last as long as it takes to get those bugs worked out. Some games will have as many as 15,000 builds before they are considered ready for final consumer play. At this phase, the testing will go into QA where special scripts are used to try and find new ways to break the game. Testers will put the game through the ringer to find any remaining issues that might cause issues. If a game passes QA, it’s time to let it loose on the public once and for all. 

Learn more about how alpha testing, beta testing, and QA testing are necessary in the testing field and how you can stand out to hiring managers in need of people like you. Visit Beta Gaming Testers today for more information. CLICK HERE