Is certification a must for console game testing?

iXie — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 06:28:21 +0000

The answer to the question is – YES!

The QA team needs to be certified to perform console game testing which is due to – high-security requirements by the console manufacturers as well as the game developers.
High standards of security are involved in console game testing so that the game does not fail certification and increase the game developer’s cost. To make these games available on consoles, they are passed through additional approval and certification processes set by console vendors. These games will only get certified if they meet the rigid standards of security set by the console vendors. These measures are taken to ensure the games do not enter the gray market, which will, in turn, be a huge loss to the game developers and the console vendors.
To test a console kit, the QA Team must have access to certain hardware.

Console games cannot be tested on a regular retail console kit that is available to customers in the market.

There are three types of console kits that are available

Comparatively, the Dev kit is more expensive than the other two kits, whereas the retail kit is the least expensive.
The Dev kit is for the developers to run/execute the gaming code with a lot of options. Test kits come with fewer options mainly intended to be used for testing.
These Dev and Test kits contain proprietary information that is very much secure. These kits come along with a code to ensure that pirated games are not run on the console devices. Improper security leads to reverse engineering and piracy of games. These pirated games will be violating game patent laws and incur huge losses to the console manufacturers.
The game testing team will be receiving the game builds in the form of download copies or disks to perform testing.
Due to the above-explained reasons, the Console Manufacturers and Game Developers will select certified game testing service vendors to perform console game testing. These partners should loyally follow guidelines set by the console manufacturers. Console Manufacturers will ‘Certify’ these partners proficiency in terms of performing testing with their kit. Game developers will only select the certified partners for console game testing services so that their game doesn’t fail certification or end up aspirated versions.

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A day in the life of a Game Tester!

iXie Gaming — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 11:44:40 +0000

To give an idea of what a Game tester’s day looks like, we are talking about a guy who goes by the gamer tag ‘Dalda’

Is game testing a job or a career?
While the game testing career starts as a lower paying job, there is a high potential for anyone to grow in the industry very quickly. Those who have an urge, commitment and wish to make a name for themselves in the gaming industry, game testing provides a big platform to grow. If one is focused long enough and keep learning and stay current, he/she can make a managerial role within a short span of 10 years.

How did you get started?
I always found myself playing a lot of video games going back as far as I can remember. From my college days, I was interested in computers plus my long-standing interest in video games lead me to conclude that I wanted to be a part of the gaming industry.

The first job I got was in company, one of whose Executive was a friend’s Uncle. Knowing the bunch of us and our addiction to gaming we got offered a job.

What do you do all day?
Playing games was something I knew how to do, However, learning how to be a tester, I had to unlearn what I knew, which was killing bad guys, smashing stuff and level up faster. That does not help a tester, test a game effectively. On a regular day, my schedule was pretty tight. I had done to all sort of background stuff like anyone does at their job, like keeping track of what they do.

What skills do you think are most useful for a QA tester?
Attention to detail, and understanding the game. Learning the game properly and in detail will help us to understand patterns within the game, which will help to break the game and find more bugs.

What’s the pay like?
Unlike software engineers, game testing is not a highly paid job at entry. A game tester with 2 years of exposure would have more knowledge than a software tester who holds 5 years of experience. The learning curve is much steeper. All that will help one to grow quickly and get to bigger roles with better pay.

Are there any games which involve dread testing?
Definitely. Testing a game in a foreign language, without any support documentation or without anyone to explain the game, makes your job a lot harder.

Do you have a say in what games you test?
No. You go where you are asked to go and are expected to work on anything that is sent your way.

What’s the best and worst part of being a QA tester?
The best part is that you get to learn so much. You see a game when it is just in the developmental stages. You get to track the whole game through its various phases. You get to lend a hand in shaping the game and making it better for everyone to enjoy. You get to see the game through to the end. And at the end of it all, you are happy because you know you helped make the game better and everyone is enjoying the game!

Worst part would be, after working for a whole day on a game, I ended up dreaming myself as a character stuck in the game and being unable to clear the level to get out!

Do you play the games you test in your downtime?
Yes, occasionally. One of the games I tested – Section 8, my colleagues and I ended up staying late for a few hours past the end of the day just to enjoy the game. Some more games in that list are CS: Condition Zero, Unreal Tournament.

Has the job affected your enjoyment of gaming?
After a small initial stage of not wanting to look at a video-game after working for a whole day on video-games, I have gone back to finding and playing new games in my free time and it is still a lot of fun.

What’s your favorite game and why?
Last of Us! No game has had me being so mentally involved with the protagonist.

Favorite movie based off a video game?
Halo Legends and Resident Evil series. These movies stayed close to the video game storyline, while most of the other movie versions of the games did not portray the story line nor convey the experience when you play the game.

The post A day in the life of a Game Tester! appeared first on iXie Gaming.

Game Testers Archives - iXie Gaming

Is certification a must for console game testing?

There are three types of console kits that are available

A day in the life of a Game Tester!