The Importance of Mobile Gaming Tests

Gaming tests are the process of ensuring a game’s playability through the detection of bugs within the code. While testing a mobile game, testers play the game while checking for irregularities in functionality with a quality assurance team.

This article will discuss mobile game testing techniques and why it is important to test games vigorously before mass release.

Mobile Game Testing Techniques

The testing phase begins immediately after the prototype of a mobile game is released. Game testers offer suggestions and feedback to the developers, and the game is then stored with other games in the test phase. Every day, thousands of games are being released into the marketplace. The gaming industry is estimated to have a value of $272 billion by 2030. To thrive in an ever-growing industry, it is crucial to deliver the best service.

Gaming tests are usually categorized into white-box testing and black-box testing. Despite these definitions being popular when referencing software testing, they have different goals in game testing.

Black-box Testing

Deals with the functionality and playability aspects of a mobile game. In gaming, black-box testing focuses on the General User Interface (GUI), animations, menus, audio, and effects.

White-box Testing

Deals with any mobile game’s systemic, integration, and architectural components: how your game integrates with third-party applications like social media apps, graphics, and databases.

Test Cases for Mobile Games

Mobile apps and game testers use the same methods to build and test games. Examples include:

Performance Testing

Performance testing involves examining a software application’s speed, reliability, stability, and scalability using a pre-set workload.

Load Testing

This is a process in software testing that is used to determine the capability of an application to be accessed simultaneously by several users. It is also used to determine; the maximum number of people a particular server can accommodate, a screen’s graphic content, an application’s ability to communicate flawlessly to a server, and the amount of memory a software uses. It is possible to automate load testing using original content and test scripts available on backend servers.

Regression Testing

When making software changes, it is essential to carry out test cases for mobile games against different browsers, operating system versions, and old browsers. Most mobile games available today use client-server interactions, which require a login to the server, transfer of user data, and downloading of server data. Developers need to ensure that the changes don’t affect the normal functioning of the game. Only automated testing is applicable.

Localization Testing

This process checks whether an application supports full usability and functionality in a definite location. It is very important if you intend your application to be used globally. Developers should be able to change the language used in an application to fit the local language of a target market. Also, the application should be adjusted for local time, currency, and date. In other markets, further customization is necessary, for example, compatibility with keyboards for Asian countries and right-to-left capabilities for Arabic-speaking nations. These tests are usually automated.

Functional Testing

It is used to ensure an application is operating perfectly and every system is carrying out its function. It is the most common form of testing in mobile games. It is done either manually or automatically. A tester is supposed to play a game as the test continues. Knowledge of the game environment and programming is essential to discovering faults in the performance. QA testing is classified in this group.

Automated Testing

A method used to automatically test applications according to scenarios set by a developer or user. This speeds up the evaluation of implementations, leading to fewer problems in the early releases.

Why are Gaming Tests?

Developers should ensure all released games are stable and seamless. Happy customers become loyal fans, meaning the game brand gains popularity, which will help them beat their competition in future releases. With the growing rate of phone ownership and mobile gaming, quality will be a crucial determinant of whether people play a game. A polished game makes users want to come back for the experience.

Important Areas While Testing Mobile Games

User functionality and interface

The user interface deals with the aesthetics of a game. This is usually the first impression a user gets when visiting an application. It is vital to engaging users. It also deals with battery consumption and interruptions.

User functionality ensures a game operates as intended; for example, the layout, screen orientation, and screen resolution should always be the same. Other checks include:

●  Loading time and system navigation

●  Backgrounds and colors

●  Menu functions and structures

●  Font

●  Dialogue messages

Imagine playing a game that switches to portrait mode whenever you tilt your screen. It would be annoying, and you would prefer to play a different game.

Graphic Performance

Game testers need to play a game on a range of real devices, noting abnormalities in the graphic quality. The battery life should be optimum for long durations and fast response times when working across different devices. Games like Call Of Duty have maintained high-quality graphics; therefore, they have maintained a big fan base for over twenty years.

Integration with social media

Recent games allow users to share scores with friends on social media platforms. The integration must be tested on all operating systems to ensure ease of use.

Some games, like Angry Birds, blew up due to the prompts on their app to share their scores online and invite friends. As a result, users were given free rewards that could be used to make in-app purchases.

Liabilities and securities

Some games allow advertisements and payment agents. This increases the risk of attacks from hackers and might also crash the system. A thorough inspection is required.

Multiplayer Games

Multiplayer games have increased in popularity over the years. Some games include real users, while others are virtual. Multiplayer games have to ensure all players are in sync and perfectly connected to the servers.

Conclusion

Developers in the mobile game field must ensure high-quality performance to compete effectively in their market. For this to happen, they must collaborate with experienced game testers and ensure every game component works perfectly.

As mobile gaming transitions into the mainstream, adequate testing could distinguish between a successful game and a flop. If you want to test your application, visit Kobiton, a trusted, tested, and loved company for top-of-the-line user experience, excellent customer service, product stability, and platform capabilities from a mobile-centric testing platform. Download our free mobile gaming brochure.