How to Choose the Right Game Testing Partner: Key Criteria to Evaluate

In the current world, people are loving the use of games and interactive apps. In fact, digital games are so popular that there are apps that have gamified layouts. Online gaming and mobile phone gaming have gone up in recent years. Gaming is so popular that there are professional gamers who earn money by excelling at a game.

Today, there are 3.2 billion video gamers in the world. The gaming industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the valuation of game testing has also gone up. Because of the high popularity and fast evolution of games, the demand for game testing services has also gone up. To cater to the big industry, it is important to check new games thoroughly and also their subsequent versions. If you are actively developing a video game, you will also need a game testing services provider to help you with the game tests.

Understanding Your Game Testing Needs

Before you seek a good video game testing partner for your game app, you will need to understand the scope of your game app. The game development team has to put forth the idea, concept, and features of the game upfront so that it is clear what the game testing services provider has to test for. The scope of the game app or module also includes the setting of the game and the target audience it will have.

The development team and the owner also have to see where the game is headed in the future. The game testing agency has to partner with your company for a long time to help the game app float and grow. After identifying the project scope, the development team also has to look at the actual game testing services it needs.

The type of game testing sessions needed and the test cases to be created should be identified from the start for the testing phase to be a success. While discussing the project with the testing company, you also need to look at the platforms on which you are going to launch the game. It is important to create the game for different platforms so that it can reach a larger audience and be very popular.

Experience and Expertise in Game Testing

Industry Experience

When choosing a video game testing partner, you should look at the team’s experience. Choose a reliable game testing agency that has many years of experience. The company you choose for game testing services should be established in the testing industry. If you can find a company that has operated for decades and has a balanced team with skillful expertise, then it is the best choice.

The company should be able to showcase its industry experience through its case studies. A professional game testing company will have multiple projects going at the same time. You should hold a meeting with the video game testing company so that you know about their expertise.

Also, take a look at their previous work and career to see if they have worked with the kind of games that you have developed. You should always see if the company is able to handle the basic problems in the game and give you proper suggestions.

Certified Testers and Tools

A professional game testing company creates its reputation based on its testers. You should partner with a game testing company that has a good testing team backing it. Try to get insights into the kind of work culture and team they have. The game-testing team should be able to reflect professionalism and teamwork. If you see that the team does not have good internal coordination, then be sure that it will fail to coordinate with your team.

Look for a company that has certified testers and trained testing professionals. The testers should have all the skills required to handle a high-level project. Apart from their basic technical education, game testers should also have additional certifications that help them improve their work. Only when the testers are trained and professional can they complete the project effortlessly.

You should also see if the testers are open to continuous learning and how they are adapting to the new testing tool. The game quality assurance partner should have both manual and automated excellence to create a stable scaffold for testing. The testers of the game quality assurance partner should know about the basic tools and the new advanced tools that they need for the project. The testers should be proficient in the use of updated automated tools.

Also Read: In-House QA vs. Outsourcing: Which is the Right Choice for Your Project?

Proven Track Record and Client Reviews

When hiring a game testing outsourcing partner, always see the budget as the first point of reference from your side. The amount of money you are ready to spend on the testing project is an important factor in starting the search for the best gaming QA services provider.

You need to look at the client reviews and feedback that the company has got before finalizing the company for your next project. You have to take a thorough look at their track record and their industry reputation to know if the company is genuine and authentic in its services.

The testing team should be able to help you with its skills and services. You should enquire through your network about different game-testing consulting companies and then choose the most recommended one. Do internet research about the company and delve into the company profile and website to check its reputation and deliverables. The game testing company should be able to meet your partner’s expectations in your budget.

Comprehensive Testing Coverage

• Functional testing

The game QA testing services should give your game app comprehensive testing coverage so that all kinds of tests can go through very smoothly. For example, it is important to run functional tests on the game modules to see if the game runs properly and if all its features are working. Functional testing is important to see if the game can meet the functions it is coded for.

It is the process where the project requirements and their use in planned ways are tested. Moreover, the functional testing cycle also includes input and output testing to see that the game responds to the right kind of inputs and outputs. The user interface is also tested during functional tests to see if the user interface is working properly and smoothly so that the user can interact with the game.

• Performance and stress testing

The game is also put through performance and stress tests by the game QA testing services. The tests are run to check if the game can run under different conditions and maintain its performance. The overall performance of a well-developed game should remain stable and high in parameters. The game is put through different stresses, and this shows whether the game can function properly even when some parameters are not in the right zone. During performance testing, the FPS is tested to see how the game visuals transition from one to the other.

The testing team also checks for the latency and lag between the user response and the app response to see how smoothly it works after full development. The game development testing partner also checks for memory usage and CPU performance. The test cases also check parameters such as the GPU performance and battery consumption for the device they run on. The performance testing cycles check for the compatibility of the game with different devices and networks.

Also Read: Best Free Test Management Tools For 2024: Enhance Your QA Efficiency

• Usability and localization testing

After the game is developed, it should also be usable to a wide audience. Therefore, the game testing team should check the usability of the game with different tests. The usability tests show that the game is hitting the right points with the users. The gameplay should be easy to master with a bit of effort so that users do not get easily frustrated with the game.

The testing team needs to check the UI design and its elements. Moreover, the testing team should be testing the game controls and tutorials to see if the users can actually grasp them. The usability testing team should also look at the game’s accessibility standard.

• Compatibility across different devices and platforms

When developing a game, the development team should make sure that the game is compatible with different devices and operating systems. The game app should run smoothly and maintain its experience across different devices. The visuals and gameplay have to be tested on different platforms to see if the game is actually accessible on different devices.

Different mobile phones, desktops, and tablet models should be checked for the same. The screen aspect ratio, audio play, and other small nuances of the game need to be tested thoroughly to make sure that the game can be used on different platforms.

Flexible Engagement Models and Cost

Customizable Testing Plans

The game QA testing service provider will create a plan for the tests to run smoothly and rapidly. The testers need to look at the test process objectively and create a customized testing plan that works seamlessly for the app portal. Depending on the kind of game, the features, and the controls of the game, the testing plan needs to be customized. During this customization, make sure that your game app development team plays an active role in feedback.

Cost-Effectiveness

When looking at different game testing companies, you should take a practical approach to their pricing plan. There are game testing consulting companies that will offer you a monthly pricing plan or per-project pricing plan. You can also find a game testing agency that has a per-hour pricing plan in place.

Depending on the kind of engagement model you want and the length of engagement, you can decide on how much to spend on the project and for how long. When you have found a good game QA service provider, you should create a long-term partnership and aim to create more revenue from high-performance games.

Communication and Reporting

The game QA testing services provider should have a strong feedback loop and modern communication tools in place. The internal and external communication process should be well organized and transparent. The company should have a well-organized reporting process in place so that you can get timely reports with status updates on all types of deliverables.

The communication and discussion between the client and the outsourced provider should be smooth at all times. The team should be accessible round the clock for your queries and requests. The team should be able to share information about the testing bugs issues and share suggestions on how to reduce them. It should also offer you support with debugging and troubleshooting. Moreover, it should be able to create a strong and reliable partnership with your team for future projects.

Choose the Best Game Testing Partner for Flawless Game Quality

The game testing service provider that you choose should have an impeccable background and a spotless reputation. It should have a professional team with a good work culture in place. Before you choose the game testing service provider, look at its body of work and market reputation. You should also check for its pricing plans so the cost of testing falls under budget. Choose the best kind of game testing company that can completely take over the process and reduce hassle for your native team. A long-term partnership and transparency between the testing team and your company can help you grow in the game landscape.