In
today’s fast pased soceity, people expect products to be released
often, and to be of high quality. A big part of developing any product
is quality assurance; the way that products are tested, and the way
feedback shapes a product is crucial. From where i stand, the best
products use feedback as a two way communication- interacting with the
consumer, and having their input shape the product is as much a part of
the development, as sitting in a room as a design team and making
decisions is.
For sake of interest, let’s take video games as an example.
Alpha testing.
The
goal of the alpha phase is to improve the quality of the product, and
ensure that the product is going according to schedule. Essentially,
ensure beta readiness.
Beta testing.
The
goal of the beta phase is to improve the quality of the product,
integrate consumer input on the nearly-complete product, and
shape/introduce the features which truly make the product shine.
So why are “Alpha” and “Beta” testing such well known buzzwords?
Exclusivity
They
give exclusivity to games. People love the exclusivity of new things.
If there’s a game that only one quarter of people who have interest can
get actually their hands on, it suddenly gains a ‘cool’ factor because
it’s exclusive. This helps develop ‘hype’ for the game, and is just as
important from a marketing perspective (getting the name out) as it is
from a development point of view.
Leaving your mark
Another
major reason why people are so fond of their Alpha and Beta tests is to
“leave their mark” on it. People like to get their hands dirty, and
they like to get their ideas heard. When someone plays your game, they
generally give great feedback- and they do so because they want to
contribute to making your game better! It is fair to say that people are
the only true representation of the consumer within the stages of
development, and listening to their advice is crucial.
sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_test
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_test
- http://www.centercode.com/blog/2011/01/alpha-vs-beta-testing/
- http://igf.com/2013/01/2013_independent_games_festiva_3.html
- http://www.rickliebling.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/beta-testing.jpeg ( image )
No comments:
Post a Comment