Speak of securing quality in game products during game testing and up pops another question – What factors determine quality in an interactive entertainment application/software?
In this connection, a quote of Gerald Weinberg is often reproduced by one and by all. He defines quality as a relative term that is non-existent in a space minus humans. He says, “Quality is value to some person”. In other words, he underlines the fact that quality is subjective to personal taste and opinion. What is quality for one person may not be quality at all for another.
Given the facts of the matter, it is not feasible for game testing services in India to operate while giving equal importance to opinions from all quarters, including target audience, shareholders, game designers, business analysts, and so on. They apparently have no option but to list out people whose opinion should matter more than others and the order in which these views should be weighed. This list may be standard or differ on a case to case basis.
They prioritise between opinions depending upon who drives value in the particular scenario. For example, when deciding upon the look and feel of the game, the target audience of the game plays the more crucial role than anyone else. So, if the target audience of the interactive application includes casual players, rather than hardcore game ‘raiders’, the developers and testers focus on the viewpoint of the casual players while delivering the quality of the game. Similarly, while considering monetization in the game, the stakeholders (including shareholders and owners) are the major stakeholders in decision making. At the same time, the players also have to be taken into consideration lest players may lose interest upon finding too many areas locked for want of money. Keeping certain selected areas of the game locked for money can be a win-win situation for both players and stakeholders when done with keeping the priorities in perspective.
Article by,
Laxmikant B. Thipse
Founder & CEO
GameCloud Technologies Pvt Ltd
