GT5 Development cycle

[irnbrutwinturbo]

As we wait for GT5 to be released, i began to wonder about game testing.

Say for example, the latest tomb raider, i would imagine all the members of staff would be asked to attempt to finish the game and reports any bugs as progressing through the levels, maybe advise on bits that are too difficult and others which are too easy.

Now for GT5, just imagine the timeframe to test the game! Very few people actually 100% completed GT4, and it took forever, how long would you expect it to take to test hundreds of cars, on dozens of tracks, which hundreds of races, which millions of race combinations. The idea testing is kinda sickening.
I know many games have beta testers etc, but this is GT5, too many testers and details will leak!

How long would an average game need to be tested?
Can anyone shed any light on the testing process?
When playing GT games of the past, was the testing good enough?
How important is it that the game is consistantly getting harder with a more even field of cars?

 

[Nomino]

The game is modular in terms of development. There is no need to test each and every car on each and every track under each and every race permutation. Yes, over the course of the testing, each car will have been checked, and each track will have been checked, but not in the manner in which you think. Nor will the testers be forced to play through and 100% complete the game as a normal user would...

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

Thanks, I guess you race opponents are automatically calculated based on the a.i's predicted lap times against the time you should be achieving at different difficulty levels in the game.

 

[G.T.Ace]

You actually have a good point, because it is harder to bugfix a game with the size of GT.
GT2 & 3 showed good what happens when you rush it (cars and tracks missing, you cant complete the game, translation errors etc.), the biggest problem should be the game structure, because you dont follow a strict line and all the little details like car specs and even just names are fast wrong.

 

[Sureboss]

The game is modular in terms of development. There is no need to test each and every car on each and every track under each and every race permutation. Yes, over the course of the testing, each car will have been checked, and each track will have been checked, but not in the manner in which you think. Nor will the testers be forced to play through and 100% complete the game as a normal user would...

You're wrong, any testing process will be as thorough as is realistically possible.

What they'd probably do is get it so that people can start games from 50% completion, etc. Testers would be assigned various areas and may not be given a full and open GT5, rather cut up segments that PD/Sony/QA want them to test.

Re: Testing processes:

Well, I've gone over it a bit above in regards to how does a game this large get tested.

We have a rough idea of their release date and they'll be testing from when they had their first build (development of game - 5 years, first build - 2 1/2 years in). Though it won't be more of an actual testing period until about now. The testing done up until now would be a case of a running along the development side, whereas now, the game will have finished development (probably) and a proper testing period will be implemented. Then when things are found the techies will go in to debugging mode and find the problem, replicate it and eradicate it.

Also, the testers will be bound by a NDA of the country of origin of the developer/publisher (Japan for either), so you can bet against details being released or they'd face a hefty fine.

Bug fixing difficult on a game the size of GT? No, they'll have teams to different areas. Graphics, Sound, etc (brains gone dead on other departments), it'd probably be even more split up than that. Track graphics teams, car graphics teams, crowd graphics. Then you will get feature developments, so someone will be on the Nascar side of the game, etc.

Biggest problem with bug fixing is not getting an accurate report of the bug. If the bug can't be replicated, then it can't be put in to debug and fixed.

Which is what I'm doing now, reading bug reports, ignoring useless ones, or ones which are wrong and processing the ones which need attention. It is vital to get accurate and detailed information, at the moment, about 15-20% of these reports are useless to us.

Advantage of this GT, is the PS3, patchable systems make it so much easier, as there is a back up if something goes wrong. Buggy PS2 games would often get put to the wayside.

 

[CerealKiller]

Development environments or builds would surely have shortcuts to progress further in the game. Also possible a lot of the "demo" or "b-spec" functionality could be re-used to hammer the game and expose at least some issues. Surely would be a challenge with hundreds of cars, hundred or so tracks, and an infinite number of lines to take and things that could happen. Would be fascinating to see the code behind GT.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

sureboss, great bit of extra info there.

Although, i forgot about the whole multiple language thing. thats a whole challenge in itself.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> If I ever had a chance to be a beta tester for PD just to test every car on every track, I wouldn't mind AT ALL!!! I spend more time doing test drives than completing GT4.

-> By then NDA is in effect and I'll treat you guys like Amar talking cryptic and coded.

 

[mu51im]

-> If I ever had a chance to be a beta tester for PD just to test every car on every track, I wouldn't mind AT ALL!!! I spend more time doing test drives than completing GT4.

really? i would be bored to death. literally.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

^ Not really, I'm being paid just to test drive cars on GT5 and that is all I do. I used to recall that back when GT4 days, I spent almost 7 hours doing a 4-6 lap time attack at Autumn Ring on each of every car I have in the garage (300+ cars).

-> So doing a task like that won't be a hassle for me.

 

[G.T.Ace]

It would be my dream job.

 

[Cocomoto]

Yes, paid to play GT games first than anyone else...
Too good to happen to me. =[

 

[H3avyM3tal]

You know what I've been thinking? KY said that the trailer contained only a small part of what they are working on.

He said ARE, as in still working. Now, that trailer didn't really show too much (maybe my expectations are too high), so why say ARE and not WERE, if the game is kinda ready and is just going through some finishes?

Of course it could be translation mistake, since Japanese is not English and the rules of grammar are different.

 

[mu51im]

i dont see how this makes a difference at all but it is just a translation issue. or even though he did say ARE that means they may well be doing final touches. it shouldnt be called WERE until it is on the shelves.

 

[Sureboss]

^ Not really, I'm being paid just to test drive cars on GT5 and that is all I do. I used to recall that back when GT4 days, I spent almost 7 hours doing a 4-6 lap time attack at Autumn Ring on each of every car I have in the garage (300+ cars).

-> So doing a task like that won't be a hassle for me.

That kind of beta testing is (or should be) unpaid, voluntary. Because that's what a lot of beta testers do, play it. There is a difference between testing a game and playing a game. In testing you should be trying to break the game, or at least doing your damnedest to push it to it's limits.

Something I didn't mention earlier in my testing process bit, was QA (Quality Assurance). This is what Sony would do to make sure the game is good enough to be sold on the market, this could be content, bugs, playability, etc.

 

[Andrew C]

-> If I ever had a chance to be a beta tester for PD just to test every car on every track, I wouldn't mind AT ALL!!! I spend more time doing test drives than completing GT4.

Exactly!

 

[Rob192005]

Exactly!

Me too.

 

[audikiller008]

this Thread is fill with important stuff i hope they don't closed it good job irnbrutwinturbo you make excellent points.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

this Thread is fill with important stuff i hope they don't closed it good job irnbrutwinturbo you make excellent points.

Thanks, i'm certainly finding it interesting. Now as for closing it? thats in the hands of the gtplanet gods, but im sure it'll be ok.

One common thing we all share is desperation to get our hands on the game, so much so that we dream to be a beta tester, thats got to be good sign that subconciously we just know this game is going to be amazing.

Now, who's taking bets that a patch/update will be available online the day the game is released? Always amazes me how brand new games almost always need updated before you even play it, on its release day!

I also think we'll see a ps3 firmware update alongside GT5, i imagine things like custom soundtracks, GT5 within PSHome, and maybe some GT-TV features will be integrated directly into PS3 and will require a major firmware update.

 

[Nomino]

You're wrong, any testing process will be as thorough as is realistically possible.

What they'd probably do is get it so that people can start games from 50% completion, etc. Testers would be assigned various areas and may not be given a full and open GT5, rather cut up segments that PD/Sony/QA want them to test.

Ooooh, big head are we? I'm wrong? If you are so right, why use the word "probably"?

As somebody who has developed large software programs in his time, I know a thing or two about testing. Development Unit Testing, Functional Testing, and End User testing are three very different things, all requiring different approaches. Games often launch with cheat codes left in them. Ever wonder why?

 

[Sureboss]

My head is huge to be fair.

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

So at least we're in agreement about one thing.

Sureboss has a big head

Hope its not too big, would be no use with my prototype PS3 helmet....
Actually ill say no more about that.

 

[Sureboss]

That would take gaming to a whole new level, wouldn't it?

Got a Race Seat Pro? A G25? A helmet...

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

got a lend of a g25, will probably buy a g27.

Currently messing around, trying to get a screen to replace the visor on the helmet, without giving me a headache. With my subwoofer propping up my makeshift raceseat, 5.1 headphones within helmet and screen built into visor is quite surreal.

The biggest problem is getting the distance right, obviously if the screens too close, you cant focus. Next step may be to put head into helmet, helmet into curved box, project image onto box somehow. Anyway, its just a bit of fun.

I'm sure ill make a thread about it here in the future once (if) i've got it working a bit better.

 

[Sureboss]

Oh, you were being serious!

 

[irnbrutwinturbo]

Oh, you were being serious!

for once in my life, yes.

and on a serious note, if your heads too big.........

 

[Sureboss]

Then your helmet won't fit me.

 

[audikiller008]

Thanks, i'm certainly finding it interesting. Now as for closing it? thats in the hands of the gtplanet gods, but im sure it'll be ok.

One common thing we all share is desperation to get our hands on the game, so much so that we dream to be a beta tester, thats got to be good sign that subconciously we just know this game is going to be amazing.

Now, who's taking bets that a patch/update will be available online the day the game is released? Always amazes me how brand new games almost always need updated before you even play it, on its release day!

I also think we'll see a ps3 firmware update alongside GT5, i imagine things like custom soundtracks, GT5 within PSHome, and maybe some GT-TV features will be integrated directly into PS3 and will require a major firmware update.

i think they should release a final update for prologue like a from gt5 or a track maybe a song

As we wait for GT5 to be released, i began to wonder about game testing.

Say for example, the latest tomb raider, i would imagine all the members of staff would be asked to attempt to finish the game and reports any bugs as progressing through the levels, maybe advise on bits that are too difficult and others which are too easy.

Now for GT5, just imagine the timeframe to test the game! Very few people actually 100% completed GT4, and it took forever, how long would you expect it to take to test hundreds of cars, on dozens of tracks, which hundreds of races, which millions of race combinations. The idea testing is kinda sickening.
I know many games have beta testers etc, but this is GT5, too many testers and details will leak!

How long would an average game need to be tested?
Can anyone shed any light on the testing process?
When playing GT games of the past, was the testing good enough?
How important is it that the game is consistantly getting harder with a more even field of cars?

👍

 

[Moe Hamideh]

i think they should release a final update for prologue like a from gt5 or a track maybe a song

I wouldn't care about the song, but atleast a car and a track would be good so it would make people want gt5 even more!!!