Ultimate Game Design : Building game worlds

CASE STUDY COMMENTS
ON THE IMPACT OF QA
C H A P T E R 7
It should be clear by now that QA performs a vital role in fixing errors in games, not only
by reporting obvious bugs but also by providing much needed gamepl ay feedback. In
this sense, QA also helps to shape and influence game design specifics by providing a
player’s reaction to game details that regularly require substantial tuning and tweaking.
Again, QA will be the last chance and last line of defense before your game goes widely
public. You know you have something solid when, despite the hundreds of hours spent
in testing, testers are excited by the impending release of a game title, knowing that other
players will enjoy the game experience that is just about to head their way.
There is another import impact consideration for the QA department. It is a breeding
ground for future developers. Many game developers (programmers, artists, designers,
producers, audio engineers, and so forth) have gotten their start in QA. In fact, some
companies even require that everyone spend some amount of time in the QA department.
It can be a great education.
Those with interest in game development as a career often wonder how they can
find a job working on games. I don’t think anyone working in the game industry
would kid you or pull any punches—it’s a very competitive business. This sounds like
a cliché. After all, isn’t all business by definition “very competitive”? Yes, indeed. But
most other businesses function on a different kind of underlying economic model.
They don’t need a massive hit to pay for a whole slew of flops.
Games are built primarily by young, eager, and comparably affordable talent. It
can be a brutal experience to watch all those around you sink a few years into a game
that doesn’t ship for a variety of reasons. This kind of experience can test your passion
for games to the limit. One result is that many developers spend only a few years in
the game industry and then make their transition right back out of it. It’s a problem
the game industry still struggles with, since this frequently results in experienced and
talented developers lost to competing industries.
New developers may not be sure yet about which specific career track to pursue
within game development. QA can be a great place to start. If you are growing your
programming, art, audio, or design skills, experience in QA will give you direct access
to the valuable experience of watching a game solidify. It will also help you understand
more about exactly which role you might like to pursue.
Since modern game hardware has become so powerful and capable, the skills and
abilities bar for each team member has been raised accordingly. Today, developers regularly
look for programmers with a computer science or mathematics degree with an
emphasis on 3-D graphics programming. Artists must demonstrate advanced traditional
illustration and design skills and solid understanding of digital software tools.
Despite this preparation, many new developers are unable to secure jobs as
programmers or artists directly without previous development experience. This is
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Quality Assurance and Play-Test Feedback