With the advent of myriad game developers and the new found love for consistent betterment in graphics and gameplay, developers have come up with more daring and unique games across platforms.
If the demand for better games is the “in thing”, developing such games across platforms is another.
As the thirst for better games remain unquenched, so does the need for skilled testers to put such games to test. This requires not just testers but an infrastructure that supports Gen-9 games. Having established a stronghold in the console game testing domain, iXie now boasts its capabilities in testing PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S games. The staggering amount of games under each platform points to the need for a team that is as diverse as the variety of games in play and as precise and consistent. With over 182 games in PS4 and 187 in Xbox One, when one adds the genres to the table, the game gets serious.
The need for QA delivery that is swift and precise is a dream of developers. The worst nightmare of a developer is watching their sweat and blood taken for a ride, thanks to a game-breaking bug. Starting from Small Fire Mario of Super Mario Bros to Assassins without faces in Assassin’s Creed: Unity, bugs have had their day. The only true way to fight such bugs have thus far been waiting for them to happen and then firefight. With the advent of exclusive game testing firms, especially ones that are armed to the teeth to handle console games, the bugs have their days numbered.
Some epic games that are to hit the market are Monster Hunter: World, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Metal Gear: Survive, Far Cry 5 and for the love of pirates, we have Sea Thieves. These are early Jan/Feb releases in 2018. According to MCV UK, more than just Console games themselves, the revenue from additional content for console games (Microtransactions) is set to generate USD 25 bn by 2022. This is from a meagre USD 11 bn in 2012. This growth has a telling effect on the demands the industry has for testers.
Despite the challenge from Smart TVs and the easy availability of set-top boxes, catch-up Apps like Amazon Prime and NetFlix, console gaming has its growth trajectory steady, thanks to new horizons achieved by developers.
The days are long gone where a console game’s revenue was dictated by its strategic pricing and the timing of the launch alone. Games now thrive on micro-transactions, some that make the games Pay to Win and some purely aesthetic. The striking example is that of EA’s FIFA 18. These counteract any possible drop in sales revenue and also manages to keep the market’s attention on the game.
Console gaming, once considered a luxury that only few can afford, is now a tool for the casual gamer as well. The social link it provides and the myriad games it hosts has paved way for casual gamers who spend an odd hour or two to have a fling at their favorite game, out of nostalgia or when they wait for their favorite series to start. It is to be noted that casual gaming will surge at 11.9% CAGR and is expected to reach US$74.3bn by 2021.
What a proper game testing firm requires to hold the fort as one of the leading Game Testing force in the known multiverses is a standing army.
The Armada:
The invincible armada of fresh graduates, keen with high aptitude for QA and Gaming
The Elite:
A time-tested fleet of elite veterans who’ve seen and been through many a grand battle (Read Nintendo Vs Sega, Gameboy vs everyone, PlayStation vs Nintendo 64, etc…) and have come out bruised yet unbeaten.
The Contemporaries:
An array of contemporary ascended testers, who were mortal gamers once.
Thus an established Gaming QA firm stands ready to defend its throne in Game QA and the new garrison of PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One S.
The variety it offers in terms of skill, patience and consistency are unmatched and the sheer tenacity of the QA team in getting the job done is unrivalled.
There are as few as 4 console certified game testing leaders with 150+ game testers. iXie Gaming being one amongst the leaders is ready to take on any challenge the Gen-9 games have to offer. We take pride in our glorious past, the envious present that we are in and we stand tall, donning the blessed armor of the Console QA to hunt down bugs of any capacity in our quest for excellence.
