When people hear the word “automation,” they might picture an assembly line with various pieces of machinery carrying out distinct operations. This is the broad definition of automation, but it also holds for software.

Nowadays, computers and machines carry out the laborious and time-consuming tasks that humans frequently fail to complete. Automation frees humans to focus on projects that require creativity or critical thinking because machines test software, correct errors, and improve infrastructure.

Automation plays a crucial role in making a video game its best as it delivers experiences that are increasingly ambitious and expansive. It frequently helps companies publish their games quickly, speeds up production, and prevents developers from making the same mistakes over and over again.

The gaming industry has benefited from automation in the following areas.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance is one of the most time-consuming and monotonous aspects of game development. As a result, game publishers frequently conduct beta testing. These publishers, which can be big or small, typically employ hundreds of people to test their games before releasing them to ensure that there are no bugs.

Quality assurance is essential for gaming businesses because it can make or break customer relationships. A gamer is unlikely to purchase another one from the company if it crashes, gets stuck in a loop, or has any other bug that makes the experience more difficult. They could also share their negative experiences with friends, which could have a significant impact on the business.

Beta testing was the only way to determine whether a game was ready for release for a long time. With the aid of artificial intelligence, developers can now automate the quality assurance process to speed it up. However, automating games is not as simple as automating software or apps.

Developers must consult a comprehensive framework due to the complex infrastructure of the majority of video games.

Framework for Test Automation

A framework for test automation serves as a guide for developers in streamlining test automation. It includes test scripts, procedures, tools, and descriptions of the people who are necessary to carry out the testing process.

A good digital marketer writes good email copy just like they write good test automation frameworks. It can be used multiple times without requiring any modifications.

Additionally, a practical framework makes manual testing for developers simpler. They can figure out what’s wrong, where it’s happening, and how to fix it in code with the help of a comprehensive framework.

Reusability

As previously mentioned, testing games is not the same as testing other software. This is because new code is needed for every game, so developers can’t use their test automation framework for a whole game. However, there are significant game components that might be, and this is where reusability comes into play.

In their tests, developers can design reusable components to increase productivity and reduce workload. They can also implement functions that conceal code details from automated tests to increase test reuse.

Cost of Production

Gaming companies can save money on labour, equipment, training, and more by automating specific systems. Despite the substantial initial investment, automation quickly pays for itself.

Employees can concentrate on more exciting challenges as a result of automation’s reduction of repetitive tasks. Additionally, there is less downtime as both human workers and computers are handling greater workloads.

Helping Developers Build Better Games

Developers benefit from automation because it enables them to work more effectively. Additionally, it gives developers a fresh perspective and creative approaches to work by relieving them of mind-numbing tasks.

Providing Reasonable Assistance to Game Developers Automation is viewed with suspicion by many individuals. Around the world, 81% of workers are concerned that machines will eventually replace them.

That’s a logical next step, but automation does the opposite. It boosts employment. In addition, putting people in higher-level positions as automation takes over remedial tasks contributes to a more stimulating work environment.

Additionally, there are some tasks that machines cannot perform. Information processing is done by computers. Only the information that has already been provided to them can serve as a response. They are not like humans, who invent new ideas by breaking the rules.

The human touch will always be an important part of making games.

Credit: Techiexpert