Why QA is awesome

So I haven't really been active on the forums, but I would like that to change.

Over the past few months I have been blessed to be working in an awesome company, full of awesome people, doing what we love!

But the one thing I've seen so far in SA (and I'm probably wrong) is that a lot of things in Game Development revolves around programming/Game Design and Art. Now these are awesome and beautiful talents and those are talents that really bring the game to life!

But what about the other guys behind the scenes..

What about the ones who play your games before it's released... That's right! The legendary unsung heroes who make sure the product that you worked extremely hard on for everyone to enjoy is working the way you wanted it to...

QA (Dum, Dum, Duuuuuuum!!!).

Okay that last bit was too much, but I hope it made you giggle at least a little!

So yes, QA. Why do we need QA? Why are they important for game dev (or software dev in general), why is it worth having QA?

Well let's answer the first question.

So QA is needed for the main purpose of ensuring that your product, is (almost) bug free. We test games from start to finish, and search through every nook and cranny to ensure that the game functions as intended.

So that's a simple answer to the first question. But the second one... That's where the plot thickens (sorry if my posts sound weird. I'm kinda sleepy and I'm kinda fluish).

So why are we important. Well, think of it like this...

A game in essence has rules. Programmers, game/level designers and other members create games with these rules in mind...

But imagine you publish this game with all these rules set in mind. Do you really think that the thousands (or even millions) of people who play the game are going to play by these rules? Probably not. Here's the reasons I think why:

- SOME PEOPLE WANNA WATCH THE WORLD BURN! Jk... But not everyone is going to wanna follow those rules. There's always someone who would want to tinker, someone who is curious and wants to see "what happens of I do this, instead of doing that".

- Some people don't understand the rules. Now I've played some games where things just get confusing and if the rules aren't made clear, the player is probably going to lose interest or just do something that is not intended.

- Just curioustiy. There may have cases where a player can see a different way of doing a certain situation in a game that programmers and designers didn't think about. It happens.

But that's why there is QA. We are the guys And girls who really play your game. We are your first type of player feedback from start to finish before the game is even shipped (or if you do alphas or betas).

We are the ones who would think outside the box and go " what would happen if I do this, instead of that".

At the end of the day, we are the ones (or at least I am) are the people who want to break your product, so that you awesome guys can fix it and make it enjoyable for everyone!

Now QA can be repetitive at times, yes. But it's an important role in the gaming industry (or any other industry that requires it) and honestly, it's a hell of a lot of fun!

And the things you learn from QA alone. Man! I have learnt so much about game dev!

I have seen cases where QA members have been taken for granted. It's not a fun thing to see. But QA in a whole is an awesome job! And knowing that you helped to create something for everyone to enjoy is an extremely satisfying feeling!

I hope you guys enjoyed the little read. This of course is my opinion on QA. If you guys would like to add more stuff that I may have missed out (or even don't know), please feel free to discuss it here :)