Test phases

When testing video games there are three different test phases the that the game will go though: Alpha, Beta and Gold. The three phases are essential to create a bug free game.

• Alpha phase
• Alpha test is the very first type of testing a game will go though. The alpha stage is conducted after the programming is finished but before the modelling has begun. Essentially alpha testing the there mainly to test the scripting and the programming side of the game. One technique that the gaming industry use is something call white boxing. White boxing is when the developers construct a world only using the simplest models but using the all the mechanics of the game, this is to ensure that the games programming and scripting is all correct. Once the alpha phase is complete the game is thrown but into production to be created up to the point of which it will go into the Beta testing phase. 
• Beta Phase
• The Beta phase of video games testing is when the developer has finished most of the programming side of the game and is now in-between the middle of the games development to the finished product. The beta phase is the time when the testers are really to get in-depth with the game to ensure the there are no bug what so ever to ensure that when the release of the game has arrived then it will be bug free. Some developers choose instead of having a in-house team of testers to conduct the tests on the game they will do something called an open beta. An open beta is when the company will allow the general pubic and consumers to sign up to test their game on there own computers, the testers are sometimes granted with special rewards for doing so such as, being given in game items or early access to the game. Open beta is commonly used within bigger games such as MMOs or sandbox game for the simple reason that the game would be to big and would take to long for a group of 20 to 30 people to locate the bugs.
• Gold phase
• The Gold phase of testing is when the game has been complete and is on sale to the general public. It is main conducted to ensure that if any bugs have been missed in the game then the testers will try and continue to locate them.

Triggers in video games testing

In the testing phase of a game the testers with use key words when communicating with the developers to pin point the the bug that they have found and use key words when trying to describe how to recreate the bug. Theses key words are called triggers. These words are used so that the developers can understand better then just giving them directions. This is because the developers can critically search for the bug and correct it.

Types of game bugs

When testing a game there are five different types of bugs that you can come across. some of the bugs can be severe and ruin you game or they can simple be something that you may not even notice.

The first type of bug is:

• Crash
• This type of bug makes you game close down and return to home screen or makes you have to restart your console/computer.

The bug in the image above is a crash bug. This bug is in the game Just cause 2. The bug consists of you mounts an AA. Once you have mounted the gun the all of a sudden the camera starts the go crazy and the model of the artillery gun starts to jump about eventually when you get off the AA gun, it rolls off of it's stand and the game them crashes. This is a crash bug because it made the game shut-down.

In the image above there you will see another crash bug that was fount in Pokémon Y. This bug is a game breading bug because it make you game crash and make the game inplayable. The big consists of you simply save you game in a certain town and then loading your game back up and then you are greeted with an inactive game. The touch pad will not interact with you touch and the games screen is on but will do nothing.

Second type of bug:

• Severe
• A severe bug is when a bug in the game does not allow you to progress though it. This is different to a Crash bug because the game can still be controlled by you and will still be running but a Crash bug will not and will just stop working completely.

In the image above is a severe bug. This is a severe bug because in the game you are able to grab the object you need but as soon as you let go of it it dies and without this object you are not able to progress though the game.

In the game above there was a severe big that was fount that would let you exit a room that you needed to get of. The one only exit in the is an air vent. The first must pull of the vents cover and grapple yourself up to the vent and climb in. It allows you to do this right up until the climbing in part. The severe bug in the game is not allowing you to climb into the vent because that is what you must to to progress to the next part of the game.

Third type of bug:

• General
• A general bug is one that you can tell that something is wrong with the game but it doesn't stop allowing you to play it or progress through it.

In the image above there is a general bug. The bug is that when you mount a bike in the game and start to ride it the character model with start fly around everywhere. This is a general bug because yes something is defiantly something wring with it but it still allows you to progress through the game.

The general bug in the image above is the player has cast a spell on an NPC call Frost form causing it to fall down a mountain. All that is okay but, when the NPC get to the ground it starts to spin rapidly and fly around. this is a general bug because it is something that you can quite clearly see but doesn't effect you game.

Forth type of bug:

• Minor
• A minor bug is a bug that that doesn't constrict you from playing the game or interrupt you and can be one that you might not even notice.

In the image above you can see that an NPC has gotten stuck in the fence. This is a minor bug because it has absolutely on effect to the game play. However, If that NPC was to be a main character in the game that you had to follow and he got stuck in the fence and couldn't move then it would be a severe game bug because then it would prevent you from progressing in the game.

In the image above there is a minor bug. It is a minor bug because the character model was still working and functioning as it should it was just that the models leg was stuck in the air.

Fifth and final type of bug:

• Cosmetic
• A cosmetic bug is a bug that is mostly about the texture and some thing that has no effect on the game play at all and just looks out of place.

In the image above you will see that there is a texture that has been stretched this bug is considered to be a cosmetic bug because the it does not effect the players game play other than they cannot see down that part of the map. 

I the quite disurbing image above you will see the the face of the character has not loaded and left the eye and mouth on show. This is a cosmetic bug because the bug appears only to be in it is also does not make the player change the way they play what so ever but only looks different to what is should. 

Game life cycle

In a game testing life cycle there are or 6 different parts.

• Plan
• The planning stage of a testing life cycle is when the QA manager assigns different bugs for each member of their team to go an find. They also have to set deadlines.
• Preparing
• The preparing stage of testing a game is documenting all the bugs that have been previously fount so that the bug are not repeated so that they game can be tested quickly and efficiently.
• Perform
• Performing is when the tester simply play though the game finding any bug they can.
• Report
• Reporting stage is when the tester finds a bug and reports it to a programmer. This consists of the tester sending the programmer a bug report that contains when the bug is and the steps to follow to repeat it.
• Repair
• The repair stage is involves the tester team to talk to the programmers and modellers to try and fix the bug.
• Repeat
• You have to start all over again using these steps to find another bug.