Challenges involved in Beta Testing Video Games

Many of us have come across beta testing in real life situations – it could have been for one of our favorite games or one of the applications on our operating systems that we use on a daily basis.

Beta testing can be defined as “allowing the software to undergo usability testing with users who provide feedback, so that any defects found by the users can be reported to the developers and fixed.”

Where does Beta testing fit in?

A big problem with beta testing video games, is finding people that are willing to test the software. Gaining peoples feedback on a piece of software is very difficult because many just want to experience the software and not provide feedback to the developers. Popular online games such as World of Warcraft and City of Heroes performed beta tests of their games before the actual release. The main reason for this was to test their hardware servers and make sure that they could handle the amount of players that are likely play at any one time.

What makes beta testing video games challenging?

•  A video game tester requires thinking critically about video games and game play.
•  A game tester will play a certain level on certain difficulty setting: examples can be  equipping certain weapons to fight enemies, complete missions etc. While doing so,  the tester has to watch out for all the errors and ambiguous behaviors in the game  and write up a bug report giving details about the error and how the error was  encountered.
  
• A large error, like a game crash, is very easy to spot, but a smaller error like a graphical glitch can be difficult to spot.
• Sometimes it is difficult to reproduce  the errors since the exact test scenario can be complex.
• Many games feature multiplayer functionality, requiring players to test together to simulate a live experience.
• Depending on the genre and content, the target participants of a game beta may be a very young audience, which lead to different recruitment and management issues.
• For closed platform games (iPhone, etc.), distributing pre-release builds to testers is challenging. This is primarily due to security concerns which result in a number of obstacles.
• Many games require very large participant pools. These pools can require an enormous amount of coordination, communication, and logistical planning. Seemingly simple tasks such as distributing beta builds become increasing complex as the number of participants rises.
• Between the younger ages of game beta testers, the large size of many game tests and the excitement to test a new game, there is a higher likelihood that testers will want to discuss their experiences in game betas. This can increase the possibility of leaks about the product.
• Game testers end up playing the same level literally hundreds of times. This is a far cry from the rosy picture most people have of video game beta testers enjoying their tasks.
• To prepare for testing video games, beta testers should gain experience with using different console controllers. This is a huge ask!
• The tester has to play the video game along all possible paths and make sure all the game logic is tested. The controllers and the audio also need to be tested for each of the levels.
• The non-functional game features like balance, difficulty and fun factors are other areas which need to be covered. 

         Beta testing video games can really be fun and a good profession for people who love to try     their hands at different kinds of games.

          References :

          [1] http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/breaking-video-game-industry-                   quality-assurance-otherwise-known-video-game-testing

          [2] http://www.centercode.com/beta/types/games/

          [3] http://thegameprodigy.com/the-truth-about-being-a-game-beta-tester/