The Benefits & Challenges of Video Game Test Automation

The gaming sector has experienced numerous changes over time. Whether it’s game development, every aspect of creating games has experienced new trends in recent times. One of the notable introductions in the industry has been video game test automation. Game test automation has the potential to revolutionize how developers and testers test video games.  

This introduction accelerates testing and release cycles while reducing the overall cost of testing video games. Embracing game test automation can significantly improve the game development sector today and in the future. However, it may present several challenges that must be addressed to ensure seamless test automation. Join us as we explore the benefits and challenges of automating video game testing.  

5 Potential Benefits of Video Game Test Automation 

Here are the top 5 potential advantages of automated game testing: 

1. Rapid Test End Times 

Testing games manually consumes a lot of time. Developers must create numerous test cases that can take days or weeks to complete. But did you know automating game tests can help you overcome this challenge? Leveraging automation tools allows you to automate many test cases. This eliminates the labor costs and time required to execute these test cases manually.  

2. Better Test Coverage 

Game test automation provides broader test coverage. It allows you to run multiple tests sequentially or simultaneously. Unlike manual testing, automated testing tools are not limited by attention span, possible oversight, or human capacity.  

Game test automation can also conduct load testing, long-duration tests, and stress testing. These tests are usually challenging to run, especially when executed manually. This is because they need to be run consistently.  

In simple terms, test automation covers all edges and branches of your game code. This ensures that many game mechanics, interactions, and features are thoroughly tested. As a result, it increases the chances of detecting issues in your game before its official release.  

3. Increased Efficiency and Reliability  

Game test automation allows you to execute time-consuming and repetitive tests automatically. This implies that manual intervention won’t be necessary. Also, it can cover many aspects of gameplay, such as edge cases and specific scenarios, faster. These capabilities improve efficiency and enable developers to discover and fix glitches promptly.  

Unlike humans, automated testing tools are not affected by mood or other human factors that may increase the likelihood of errors or missed tests during game testing. Instead, they are rule-based, implying that they will constantly execute tests as long as specific parameters are met. The stability and consistency that this provides helps improve test reliability and accuracy.  

4. More Testing Resources 

Game test automation allows for simultaneous testing across different devices and platforms. For instance, virtualization technologies and cloud platforms enable you to test your game in different environments at once. This ensures efficient utilization of resources.  

5. Improved Scalability  

The gaming industry has evolved with time. This trend will likely continue in the future. As the game’s scope and complexity increase with time, the number of tests needed will also grow. Game test automation allows for scalable testing by quickly modifying existing and adding new test scripts to address changes in the game’s content or functionality.  

What’s more, automated testing tools can handle the testing requirements of large-scale projects. This ensures the game is stable across different devices and platforms. Also, automation allows you to simulate large player populations. As a result, it enables you to perform load testing and assess your game’s performance under different player counts and scenarios.  

Challenges of Video Game Test Automation 

While game test automation presents numerous opportunities, it has several potential deficiencies. Here are some challenges of automating game tests: 

1. Cost  

Game test automation has the potential to minimize the cost of testing games. However, the initial cost of test automation tools can be high. Also, companies need to factor in the cost of maintaining these tools and reviewing and updating automation scripts. This can raise significant challenges, especially for companies running on a highly limited budget.  

2. Difficulty in Simulating All Real-World Cases  

Game test automation tools may struggle to simulate all real-world test cases. Therefore, it cannot replace human testing entirely. Some test cases can be best handled via manual testing. These scenarios include multiplayer and graphic quality testing.  

3. Inadequate Expertise  

Creating automated test scripts requires expertise and practice. Being one of the recent introductions in the gaming industry, you may find it difficult to get experienced professionals. The available ones are in high demand and most work for well-established gaming companies that pay well. What’s more, not knowing how to deploy or use game automation tools can result in poor testing outcomes.  

How to Choose Which Game Testing Aspects to Automate 

Game test automation can be the best way to improve your game’s quality and efficiency. However, determining which game testing aspects where automation is best suited is crucial and demands careful deliberation. Here are a few considerations to help you select game-testing aspects worth automating:  

• Repetitive tasks. If your game involves many repetitive actions, automated testing would be more suitable.  
• Game type. Different game types benefit from varying levels of automated playtesting. However, testing of multiplayer online games can be massively automated as most actions are repetitive. Also, they involve significant client and server synchronization.  
• Reusability. Your game’s code changes frequently during the development process. Therefore, the test automation scripts should be modified accordingly. These scripts should be reusable across different game builds and versions. This will enhance efficiency and quality and save time during testing. 

Conclusion 

Game test automation has the potential to revolutionize how video games are tested. For instance, it accelerates testing, enhances efficiency, and boosts test coverage. However, it poses several potential challenges, such as lack of expertise, high setup and maintenance costs, and inability to simulate all real-world test cases. This implies that manual testing is necessary in some scenarios. As a result, you need to evaluate which game-testing aspects to automate to get the most value from your automation efforts.  

Consider automating repetitive testing tasks and ensure your test automation scripts are reusable across multiple versions. Also, ensure developers are knowledgeable about the selected test automation tools. This will enable them to build effective test automation solutions and leverage them to optimize your game’s quality and functionality.  

Planning to deliver engaging and highly immersive games to players worldwide? iXie’s would be the right choice with massive experience in the gaming industry over the past decade. 

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