Game Playtesting: Why is it important?

When online games are rampant and many industries profit from the continuous fame of digital games, game testing is vital. Before officially releasing a game for potential users and attractive marketplaces, a game on any platform must be flawless.

What does this mean? All games should be as smooth flowing as possible, limiting potential problems to gamers. The game playtesting stage is where testers play the game before its actual release.

If you’re a game developer, the last thing you want is to have a game with negative reviews. These reviews can come from slow loading times, notorious bugs, and endless error loops. Any game out for game play testing is under scrutiny and subject to evaluation.

No matter how uncomfortable or downing a game play test is, it’s necessary to put out the game for playtesting. It should be a non-negotiable for game designers and developers to try and test their games towards potential gamers and or game testing companies. Here are the reasons why game playtesting is crucial:
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Feedback and review

The feedback and review part comes from people who have played the game. As these individuals interact and engage with the ongoing game, reviews may not be avoidable. However, if you’re a game designer, fret not! Take the game playtesting as an opportunity to run through things you thought were working.

The feedback of players or professional game testers reflects the value of the game, and not you.

Criticisms can reveal the kind of value that potential players can expect from the game. An important thing to note is that it’s never too late or too early to perform a playtest.

Game testing is a subset of the gaming industry. There are many professional testers and services that have the relevant skills to assess any game objectively. It’s more than just knowing that a game “is not good enough” or “boring” or “totally unengaging.”

Data accumulation

The bread and butter of any game playtesting is data gathering and study. Whether or not the tests come from a professional game tester or strangers online willing to give the game a try, data is very telling of any developing game.

The data can tell any game developer how the game fares with test players. Is the registration part too long? Do players have a challenging time or easy time playing the game? How do players perform with the current interface of the game?

Accumulated data can pinpoint any need for adjustment, debugging, or simply changing the course of the game itself. Data tells you what to improve and how to improve any ongoing game.

If you’re a game developer, you may not be right about the game you designed and made, and it’s okay. Through data, you will learn more about the core of the game.

Empirical data helps improve the game and serves as support towards three things: user experience, quality assurance, and communication between involved parties in the game development.
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Avoiding potential cost

If you want to develop a game, balancing costs can become a real problem in keeping the game development smooth. The reason game playtesting is necessary is because it can also help offset potential costs. The last thing any developing team wants is to spend weeks and thousands of dollars on making game stages that don’t work or don’t sell.

Game playtesting can guarantee early catches of significant glitches and impending bugs. The earlier game developers can catch the errors in a game, the less time it takes to correct these errors.

Imagine redoing weeks’ worth of work to compensate for the lack of game playtesting. Not only can game play testing save costs, but it can also save long periods of potentially redeveloping a game.

There are various types of playtesting for games. For example, one type is compliance testing. Gaming licenses can be notorious for the lack of compliance testing for any developing game. Relevant agencies and administrations control games and developers in putting out a game in the market.
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Conclusion

There are three reasons that game playtesting is vital for any game developer and designer out there.

First, player insight pinpoints a lot of potential and improvements for any developing game. Though it may be tough to get a lot of criticism, it helps shape the core competencies of any game.

Second, the data accumulation from test trials can reveal the more technical aspects of the game. Numbers and information can become a leading factor for the success or failure of any game.

Lastly, any game costs something upon its inception and development. It may be time, effort, or money; however, more often than not, it’s the three that any developing team spends in creating something new for the playing market.

Game playtesting is not a way to question the confidence of game makers. Instead, it’s a step to ensure that what any game developer creates is something worthy of attention and praise.