Video games now rival motion pictures as a worldwide industry grossing more than $10 billion per year. Yet at the core of this vast industry is a trace of humble beginnings when a game developer sat for hours before a screen game testing his/her work, looking for errors- “bugs” that could spoil the game experience.
Today there are different names applied to the task: QA( quality assessment or Quality assurance), beta testing, even focus groups for marketing. It is a myth that game testing involves only an alpha ( early but complete) version or even a beta ( ready to go to market) version. Game testing begins much earlier, when the first elements of the game code have been assembled, one can think of it as a skeleton then comes muscle and other flesh until finally the beautiful skin and hair- game testing is a vital part of assembling a video game program.
The skills needed for game testing probably have not changed greatly, endurance still high on the list, but many companies now have game testing departments, a core of testers. Game testing is meant to uncover major things that stop the game, lesser problems such as things that go not as planned- wrong result for right moves; and more minor things that affect only appearance
As the process goes forward from the simple codes to more finished product, game testing expands in size and focus. As the product nears completion, many more testers are used and game testing becomes more intense, focused on the corrections made, and adjustments the corrections require elsewhere in the program. In multiplayer games the risk of error increases greatly since there is the whole set of interactive codes to check out. Sometimes game testing goes further than the game itself but also to the design of the console and other equipment. Every aspect must be considered and included in the game testing checklist: connection speeds, compatibility of related equipment such as microphones and headsets. The process continues to game testing of a beta version, but often goes beyond that, even into post production work.
As a career game testing has also become a favorite of people trying to sell something, many claim to train and place people in game testing jobs. There are jobs but most are short term and casual, although game testing is something that would enhance a resume, make someone better qualified for employment in the video game industry given other skills such as programming, research, marketing, or product development. Game testing has a seasonal quality, the production schedules are often keyed to bringing a product to the market in time for Christmas, or summer vacation.
Video game assessment is a complex field, requiring computer programming and development skills, involving sounds, graphics, even script writing. But underneath it all, is a person in front of a screen, for hour after hour, game testing today what many millions may purchase and use tomorrow.