Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Testing!
Now that you've had a chance to look at how navigation and the user interface
are created, and all the text, graphics, animation, and interactive elements used
in the process, testing becomes paramount. Any game should go through a
substantial amount of testing. Many pieces go into a game, and any designer or
group of designers can only anticipate so much. Testing will indicate if some-
thing is broken, doesn't work the way it should, or is too complicated or confus-
ing. For example, navigation systems in games are tested extensively.
Games generally require a great deal of time and, often, money, to create. It
would be foolish for any designer to invest so much in the creation of a game
and then release it with mistakes or bad gameplay, when those things can be
caught during testing.
Departments in gaming companies that test games are generally referred to
as Quality Assurance and Software Testing (QA). Testing tends to fall under two
major approaches to gathering data:
Qualitative
Testing gauges emotional responses and reactions to the game.
This information is generally gathered by observing players or asking them
questions related to likes and dislikes related to gameplay.
Quantitative
Testing records hard data such as number of wins, number of
deaths, amount of money won, and so on.
The more testing you can do, the more useful the information is to the
designer. Many companies contract testing to third-party companies that can be
more objective about gathering and analyzing data.
When selecting participants, try to find subjects who fit into the demographic
the game was designed for. Lots of feedback is an essential part of game design.
This process tends to discourage new designers, but seasoned creators know
that this invaluable information can help refine their hard work. Embrace the
information that testing provides, and then test some more.
t
h e
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s s e n t I a l s
a n d
B
e y o n d
In this chapter, we examined how navigation refers to physically finding your way around
environments as well as finding your way around how the game is played. Good naviga-
tion design requires an appreciation for logic and creating art and animation that fit the
game's look and feel.
Navigation screens designed to help guide the player are often the first things the player
interacts with when playing a new game, so they need to be useful, be attractive, make
sense, and be fun.
(Continues)
