2. Production Dev. Post Production Release Quality Assurance Marketing

3. * Testing game * Why? * Ensure expectations are met * When? * Continuously * Who? * Automated * Developers * Sponsors * Internal QA * External QA * Publisher QA * 1 st Party QA

4. * A – Critical * Crashes, features inaccessible, progress bugs * B – General Bug * Non-Blocking * C – Cosmetic * “Text is difficult to read on some screens” * D – Wishlist * “Player should be able to fly a unicorn”

5. ProductionAlphaBetaMaster

6. * Example: 24 month project * Alpha – 12 weeks * Beta – 12 weeks * Master – 6 weeks Production AlphaBeta Maste r * Example: 12 month project * Alpha – 6 weeks * Beta – 6 weeks * Master – 6 weeks

7. * Example: MMO * Alpha – 12 weeks * Beta – 36 weeks * Master – 6 weeks Production AlphaBeta Maste r * Example: iOS * Alpha – 2 weeks * Beta – 2 weeks * Master – 2 weeks

8. * Christmas Release * Alpha – mid June * Beta – end of August * Master – end of October Production AlphaBeta Maste r

9. * Feature Complete * Placeholder Art * Design complete * All features are playable but require polish * No New Features After This Point!

10. * Internal testing * Fixing Bugs * Optimisation * Polishing Features * “Lazy” features * Sound * UI * FMV * Non-English languages

11. * Game is playable end-to-end * No blocking bugs * Code Freeze * Multi-player * F&F Beta * Closed Beta * Open Beta

12. * External Testing * Fixing Bugs Only * Optimisation * Installers/Bundles * Polishing Features * Writing manual * Closing out box artwork * Compliance Fixes * Compatibility Fixes

13. * Game is ready for submission or release * Bug free * No A’s or B’s

14. * Submission to 3 rd party * Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Steam * Ratings boards * PEGI (Europe), ESRB(USA),USK (German), CERO(Japan), ACB (Australia)

15. Sub1 fix Sub2 Master

16. * Typically 2 weeks in, 1 week out * Complete blackbox * Large 1 st party test teams * Bugs are scored, high scores fail * Typically, 2 attempts only

17. * No approval, no release * No control * Bottleneck at peak times * Can be bumped up/down * Underwrite to get approval for large publishers

18. * Game goes in a box/online * That’s it!

19. * Pre-Alpha * Alpha * Pre-Beta * Beta * Optional: F&F, Closed, Open * Master * Pre-Submission * Submission 1 * Submission 2

20. ManufactureDistributionRetail

21. * Physical Media duplication * DVD, Bluray – Sony DADC * Cartridges * Batch sizes * Printed Media duplication * Manuals, Box artwork * Packaging * DVD cases, Gift boxes * Assembly

22. * Delivery of parts to assembly * Final delivery to store * Pre-Orders: Delivery from store to home

23. * Manufacture * DVD/Bluray: 1-2 week * Distribution * To retail: 2-3 days ManufactureDistributionRetail

24. * Ongoing marketing support * Mothballing * DLC * Maintenance * Patches * Online Support

25. Production Dev. Post Production Release Quality Assurance Marketing