What is Game Tester? Why is it Important?

What is Game Tester? Why is it Important? Billions of people around the world play video games on different platforms such as PC, console and mobile devices. Video games are developed in multiple genres, providing players with the platform and options they want to play, but this diversity often leads to different flaws and bugs. In recent years, we have seen video games that will change the way we perceive video games, blurring the line between what we know and what we think is possible, suffer from poor performance.

So how can developers and publishers overcome these problems? Actually, the answer is very simple QA Testing or Game Testing as it is popularly called! Let’s learn what Game Testing is all about.

History of Game Tester

In the early days of video game development, the game’s development team also consisted of the person or persons responsible for all the testing of the game. However, over time, due to the complexity of the games and at the same time, due to the fact that the people who make the game are blunted in different option evaluations due to their habits regarding the general systems of the game and their inability to maintain their impartiality, it has become necessary to create QA Testing, that is, Quality Assessment Testing, and the need for this to be done externally or internally by people who specialize in this subject, or people who are Game Testers are needed.

Who is a Game Tester and What Do They Do?

First of all, we need to address a common misconception that our Game Tester friends who test games are not the ones who enjoy the game during the alpha or beta testing processes of the games and report the occasional bugs.

Game Testers are the people who test the game with many methodologies and reveal all kinds of bugs in the games and report them with a method suitable for the relevant reporting system. These people are not only people who play the game very well, but also people who have knowledge about the steps of game development, the general functioning of the structure and the code, mechanics, design, etc. of the game. In other words, game testers are also an important part of the game’s development team.

It should be noted that there is no standardized quality control methodology in the game industry. Developer teams and testers develop specific methods for testing the game according to the structure and genre of their game and of course according to the platform. In particular, a Game Tester should be a person who has enough knowledge of the field-genre to uncover the problems of the game, that is, they should know and predict the key breaks that will put the game into Bug.

Game Testers start their work as soon as the first code of the game is written. Early in the game development process, the testing team is small and focuses on daily feedback for new code. As the game approaches the alpha stage, more team members are hired and test plans are written. When projects enter the beta phase, the testing team has clear tasks for each day, and teams work on these tasks specifically and report regularly. In their reports, game testers usually rank bugs according to severity and forward them to the relevant departments.

Game Testers game;

• UI
• Playability
• Graphic
• Online Experience
• Gameplay Experience
• Security
• They ensure development in areas such as.

Game Test teams are also divided within themselves. To give a few examples;

• Game Producers are responsible for setting testing deadlines in coordination with marketing and quality assurance.
• The QA Lead is the person responsible for the correct operation of the game and managing the bug lists, as well as managing the entire test team. The QA Lead works closely with the designers and programmers, especially towards the end of the project.
• Testers are responsible for checking that the game works, is easy to use, contains logical actions and has fun gameplay.

What Are the Qualities of a Game Tester?

In the previous parts of my article, I have mentioned this subject cursorily, but let’s look at it in a little more detail now. First of all, friends, a game tester needs to be a very serious game enthusiast. It is essential to seriously research and learn about the universes of games, the structures of games, the mechanics of games, the technologies used in games, etc. It is also very important that my friends who will be a game tester have the ability to experience games in a wide variety of genres at a level that will force games to fail. In general, those who are doing Game Tester games design, coding, game engine, mechanics, mechanics, sound, lighting, etc. Having a basic level of knowledge in the fields of design, coding, game engine, mechanics, sound, lighting, etc., or if possible, having knowledge close to the intermediate level will make it easier for him to determine which point of the game he will get an error when he goes over or when he forces which mechanics.

If we need to add a few items to these features in general terms;

• Must be detail-oriented
• Must understand game design
• Must have computer knowledge
• Must have a good command of video game culture
• Have the flexibility to adapt to different processes
• Should have knowledge in programming, design, etc.
• Must be able to work harmoniously and regularly in accordance with the deadline
• Must have team cohesion
• Must be familiar with test tools

What are Game Testing Methods?

There is no standard methodology for game testing and most methodologies are developed by individual video game developers and publishers. Methodologies are constantly evolving and may differ for different types of games (for example, the methodology for testing an MMORPG will be different from testing a regular game). Let’s take a look at the methodologies used by Game Testers;

• Functionality Test: This is actually the most basic test phase of the game, even though it has a cool name. Functionality testing does not require extensive technical knowledge. Functionality testers look for general issues in the game itself or the UI, such as stability issues, game mechanics issues, and integrity of game assets.
• Compatibility Testing: This is actually the main reason why games are tested. Especially the need to work with external testing companies usually arises at this point. In this step, the technical requirements of the game are tested on many different systems. Especially for games developed for consoles, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo companies have strict requirements rules and this MUST be observed!
• Localization Tests: These tests involve scanning all in-game text and checking for conformity to the relevant language. General text issues seem to be related to functionality, but are actually directly related to localization.
• SOAK Test: First we need to explain what this actually is. In its most basic sense, SOAK Testing is a method used to detect problems that arise in electronics and software under long-term use. In game tests, it is the tests of the game running for a long time on idle, menu screen, etc. screens. Again, these are the tests in which the software-hardware balance and optimization are observed by repeating the moments where the system is forced for a long time in games. Automatic tools are used for mouse clicks and similar actions.
• Beta Testing: It is done during the beta phase of development. Usually this refers to the first public release of a game. Additional problems and technical issues of the game are detected and reported by the players, and these problems are eliminated by the team.
• Regression Testing: These are the tests in which the problems reported by testers are checked again after they have been fixed, and it is observed whether the edits cause new problems. In other words, at this stage, other errors caused by a bug are also detected and reported.
• Load Tests: These are the stages where the capacity of servers is tested, especially in online games. This test, which is generally common in PC games, has recently started to be frequently performed on consoles.
• UX Modeling: In fact, this stage is a process that starts directly in the production of the game, but it should be observed whether this step is correct in the tests. It refers to attempts to mathematically model the player’s experience and predict the player’s preference or liking of a video game. Through this expression, additional functions can be added or removed from the game.

Why Game Testing is Important?

Now that we have a good understanding of what Game Testers do, the answer to this question is actually very clear. Game testing ensures that the final version of the game can be played smoothly by the players. If the game testers do their Game Tester duties completely and correctly and can direct the people who program the game correctly, the fate of the game will be positively affected. So what are the biggest benefits in these tests;

• Define disruptions
• Eliminates user interface issues and increases usability
• Saves money
• Improves technical quality
• Eliminates gameplay problems for players
• Matches expectations with the final product
• Finds problems or bugs
• Saves time
• Identify bugs in game mechanics and help improve the quality of gameplay.

What are the Differences between Game Testing and Software Testing?

Since software and gaming applications both require extensive testing, questions often arise about their uniqueness or similarities. While Software Testing follows a systematic approach and is relatively simple, Game Testing involves many complexities; depending on what is involved in a game, the tester may be asked to test something like AI, Multiplayer, Level difficulty, Audio or Balance of Economy, steps that would never happen in software testing. So Game Tester is not as simple as it sounds.

Software Testing is often paired with Automation scripts and Test scenarios to improve the quality control of the application; games can also use scripts; but most of the testing (of the game at least) will not be as organized and will be much more exploratory, but will still require attention to detail and high levels of concentration.

While on the surface it might seem that playtesting is more ‘fun’ and less ‘work’, this is certainly not the case. In many cases, trying to replicate a particular bug can be just as challenging; for example, testing game systems can be quite repetitive. This is never the case with software testing.

To summarize, Software Testing is a technical job with different fundamental dynamics than Game Testing, whereas Game Testing is a job that needs to be approached with more passion than Software Testing.

General Advice for Those Who Want to Become a Game Tester

Dear friends who have read this article up to this point without getting bored and who are devoted to this business, the most important point in this business, as in every business, is definitely to want. Friends who want to do Game Tester, wanting alone will never be enough, but thanks to the power it gives, you will continue to learn and develop continuously in this field with your research ability. Never hesitate to ask questions to the experts of the subject, search the profiles of people who are actively working in this field on LinkedIn and contact them. Learn the basic testing methods very well, but be brave enough to develop your own methods and remember, never compete with anyone, let yourself be your only competitor and focus on continuous self-improvement.

Yes, we have learned what Game Tester is all together. Do not forget that Game Tester is not as simple as it seems, it requires labor and work. Game Tester is located in the game development departments and is a very important position. Of course, salaries are also curious about Game Tester. It would never be right to pay friends who want to work on Game Tester, but I can say that salaries are around 3000 dollars worldwide.

You can access my video content where I explain this topic out loud by clicking the link below. (Note: I did the explanation in Turkish, which is my mother tongue, but English Subtitle option and English explanation text are also available. )

You can also contact me via my contact page and ask your questions about Game Tester. You can also take a look at my Consultancy page if you want to get consultancy in the field of Game Tester.