Quality assurance (QA) testing is a crucial step in the game development process that ensures the delivery of a high-quality and bug-free game. QA testing helps to identify and resolve issues before the game is released to the public. It is a simple practice that saves time and resources in the long run. We will explore what is QA testing‘s importance in game development in this article.
Games can suffer from technical issues, poor performance, and negative player experiences without proper QA testing. This can lead to a loss of player engagement and damage the game’s reputation. QA testing helps identify improvement areas and ensure that the game meets industry standards and player expectations. Let’s check out what is QA testing phase in game development.
Table of Contents
What Is QA Testing Process?
QA (Quality Assurance) testing is a process that involves evaluating the software product or application to identify defects, bugs, and other issues. This helps us resolve application functionality, performance, and user experience issues. The game software testing process typically consists of the following steps:
Test Planning
This involves defining the scope of testing, identifying the types of tests to be performed, and creating a detailed test plan.
Test Design
This involves writing test cases, creating test data, and setting up the test environment.
Note that QA testing is integral to the software development life cycle.
Test Execution
This involves running the tests and collecting test results.
Defect Reporting
This involves identifying any defects, bugs, or issues found during testing and reporting them to the development team for resolution.
Defect Resolution
This involves fixing the defects and retesting to ensure that the problem has been resolved.
Test Closure
This involves documenting the test results of software quality and finalizing the testing process.
QA testing can be iterative, with several rounds of testing, defect reporting, and resolution until the product meets the requirements. The process also involves continuous monitoring and reporting to ensure that the project is on track and that any issues are addressed promptly.
Some most common types of QA testing are:
- unit testing
- usability testing
- regression testing
- load testing
- white box testing
What Is The Difference Between A QA Tester & A Developer?
A QA (Quality Assurance) tester and a developer are critical software development team members, but they have different roles and responsibilities.
A QA tester is responsible for evaluating the software product or application to identify defects impacting its performance. The QA tester writes test cases, executes tests, and reports defects to the development team. Their goal is to ensure that the final product meets the required standards for quality and reliability.
On the other hand, a developer is responsible for writing the code that creates the software product or application. The developer works closely with the design team to understand the requirements and implement the necessary features and functions. The developer also works with the QA team to resolve any defects or bugs that are found during testing.
Example: What Would An Unreal Game Development Project Look Like Without QA Testing?
Unreal game development in Visual Studio can use C++ or other programming languages to create games using the Unreal Engine. We can divide the process of developing a game with Unreal Engine in Visual Studio into several stages, including planning, design, implementation, and deployment. Let’s check out what it would look like with and without QA testing.
Scenario Without QA Testing
The development team creates the game using Unreal Engine and Visual Studio based on the design specifications and requirements.
Once the game is complete, the team moves straight to deployment without thoroughly testing it for defects and bugs.
As a result, the game may contain critical flaws that can negatively impact its functionality, performance, and user experience.
We can discover these issues once the game is released to users, leading to frustrated customers and wasted resources
Scenario With QA Testing
With QA testing, the Unreal game development process in Visual Studio would look like this:
The development team creates the game using the Unreal Engine and Visual Studio, following a thorough and detailed test plan
The game is then subjected to various types of QA tests, such as functional testing, performance testing, and security testing
The QA team identifies and reports any defects or bugs they find, and the development team works to fix them
We repeat the process until the game meets the required standards for quality and reliability
Then, we deploy the final game to users with confidence that it will perform as expected and provide a positive user experience.
Choosing QA Tools: Visual Assist For Game Development
Visual Assist is a popular Visual Studio extension for game development, known for its code generation and productivity features.
Here are some reasons why you may choose Visual Assist for game development:
- It quickly generates and maintains code, reducing the time and effort required to develop games.
- Visual Assist provides enhanced code navigation features that make it easier for developers to find and understand code.
- It provides code analysis features that help developers identify and resolve errors and warnings in their code.
- Visual Assist increases developer productivity by automating repetitive tasks, reducing the time and effort required to complete tasks.
- It is compatible with a wide range of game development tools and platforms, making it an ideal choice for game developers who work with different technologies.
Best Tools For QA Testing
There are other tools that QA professionals prefer for QA testing & quality control. Some of them are:
- TestRail
- Selenium
- Jira
- Postman
However, QA testers mostly prefer TestRail for QA testing procedures. Let’s check this tool.
TestRail
TestRail is one of the best testing tools due to its features and user-friendly interface. Some reasons for this test automation tool’s popularity include the following:
Test case management
TestRail provides a centralized repository for storing and organizing test cases in the software testing life cycle. This feature makes it easier for teams to manage and track their testing efforts.
Collaboration
TestRail allows teams to collaborate and communicate effectively by providing tools for discussion, assigning tasks, and tracking progress.
Reporting and tracking
TestRail provides detailed reports and graphs that give teams insight into the progress of their testing efforts. It can help us identify areas for improvement.
Customization
TestRail is highly customizable, allowing teams to tailor the tool to their specific needs and processes.
Integration
TestRail integrates with other tools, such as Jira, Jenkins, and Selenium, making it easier for teams to manage their testing activities.
TestRail is a comprehensive tool that helps teams streamline their testing processes and improve their QA testing efforts.
Final Thoughts
We must realize the importance of QA testing for our game development. The reason is that it can give us high-quality games for our users. Moreover, we must use reliable tools for development and testing processes. For example, Visual Studio and TestRail are the most popular these days. These tools can help us achieve the desired game without affecting the quality.
FAQs
What Benefits Does QA Testing Provide?
It helps us ensure that our software gives the highest possible quality to the users—saving costs on expensive fixes down the road.
Is Being A QA Tester A Viable Profession?
Yes. As it is an industry with growing demand, it is a good and well-paying job.
Is QA Testing Easy To Learn?
QA testing is an interesting and easy process when you do it with the right mindset and with the right tools.
What Is QA vs. Qc vs. Testing?
QA testing refers to the process that ensures the achievement of the quality requested. While QC refers to fulfilling the quality requested.
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