Setting industry standards & best practices to improve game quality across all platforms and formats from major developers to indie studios!

Transcription

1 25-26 June, 2013 London, UK The World s First Two-Day QA-Dedicated Interactive Forum Setting industry standards & best practices to improve game quality across all platforms and formats from major developers to indie studios! Featuring key presentations, panels & workgroups from: Benefits of Attending: > Develop best practices for test plans, QA budgeting and strategy > Work more effectively with the development team to improve game quality and playability earlier in the development process - the need for embedded QA > Automate testing; how to assimilate automation into your existing strategy and when to use it > Form industry standards in order to raise the global benchmarks in quality > Selecting the right technology tools and outsourced solutions for your QA > Work across different platforms - the minefield of platform-specific requirements and porting games > Establish a clear QA career path and team structure to encourage internal asset retention and development > Help to catalyse a change in the way quality is perceived Media Partners:

2 Welcome to Game QA & Localisation 2013 The world s first QA and localisation-dedicated interactive forum for gaming With the increased proliferation of game-capable devices, higher population of gamers and more demanding consumers, Quality Assurance has never been more important in the gaming industry. Whether it be for console, PC, mobile, online or social, the playability and game experience can now define a game s success - or failure. Large developers may take a hit in revenue and/or reputation, but for small-to-mid-sized studios it can be make or break. This is the world s first ever two-day forum that is entirely dedicated to QA and localisation within the gaming industry, hitting a business critical spot for game developers and publishers around the world such as to attract plenary support from EA, Sony and Sega along with many more. Taking place in London, United Kingdom, on June 25-26th 2013, the forum will bring together QA and Localisation Managers, Directors and VPs from game developers around the world to discuss some of the key challenges faced on a daily basis. Network with peers from other companies who are in the same boat, and find a solution using your combined knowledge! I look forward to meeting you there. Arran Oakes Head of Production, Game QA & Localisation 2013 Follow me on Find us on Facebook: The World-Class Speaker & Leader Faculty: KEYNOTE KEYNOTE Chris Rowley Electronic Arts Dave Parkinson Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ghulam Khan Sega (Europe) Ltd Edmundo Harbin ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG Eddy di Luccio Codemasters Carsten t Mannetje Paradox Development Studios Niklas Lundström Paradox Interactive Chris Hind Microsoft Razvan Rotunjanu Ubisoft Jesse Penning Ganz Studios Iain Donald Abertay University Natalie Gladkaya Plarium Bob Hobbs University of Staffordshire Rustam Roy E-Lex Limited Anna Jenelius Paradox Interactive Nick Day Plarium John Walker RockPaperShotgun Thomas Hulvershorn Outplay Entertainment Miguel Á. Bernal- Merino University of Roehampton Malte Behrmann EGDF

3 Day One Tuesday 25th June Registration & Networking Coffee Gaming IQ Welcome Chairman s Opening Remarks KEYNOTE ADDRESS: EA The opening keynote presentation on Day 1 is being delivered by Chris Rowley, Senior Director of Certification at Electronic Arts Bug Prioritisation & Triage: A Simpler? Way to Avoid the Pitfalls of Multiple Severity, Priority & Occurrence Fields The consequences of bugs; To the business To consumers Legally Severity levels and assigning them appropriately Ownership of bugs who fights the fires? Handling superbugs/crisis How can we really define quality? Ghulam Khan, Head of QA & Localisation Networking Coffee Break FOCUS ON: STANDARDISATION, BEST PRACTICE AND AUTOMATION Panel Discussion: A Call for Standardisation: Forming Best Practices Across the Industry Quality is something that every game needs, and all developers irrespective of platform, genre or size are therefore in the same boat. If the industry intends to improve quality levels across the boards then there is an inherent need to increase the levels of standardisation across the whole industry. Ahead of the evening s inaugural meeting of the QA Alliance, this panel discussion will aim to establish: Which core areas are possible to standardise, factoring in developer and platform variances? How should these areas be prioritised? What are the first steps? Automation of Testing Challenges and Opportunities Automation is somewhat of a buzzword around the industry at the moment many developers (particularly the larger studios) are already utilitising automated testing to some extent, yet there is still a lot of questions around how we can get the most out of test automation, and a few urban myths that need to be dispelled. This panel discussion will address questions such as: Is automation really a silver bullet? Realistic applications of automation where it makes sense (e.g.customer support, login, player registration, smoke tests) Getting the most ROI on automation and overcoming integration challenges Chris Hind, Test Manager, GTO Europe, Microsoft Studios PANEL Networking Lunch AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS & UNCONFERENCE BREAKOUT 1 The Legal Aspect of QA Outsourcing Outsourcing basics (risks and implications), the importance of specifications and dependencies (deliverables and what you need) and the creation and risks associated with IPR Facilitated by: Rustam Roy, Director, E-Lex BREAKOUT 2 Automated Testing & Advanced Methodologies Facilitated by: Andressa Dantas and Stuart Crocker, Technical Leads (SDET), Microsoft Short break & group changeover time BREAKOUT 3 Managing Localisation on an International Scale Handling multiple language requirements for text and voice, working with developers and QA to form a cohesive strategy, live updates for multi-region games BREAKOUT 1 The Legal Aspect of QA Outsourcing Outsourcing basics (risks and implications), the importance of specifications and dependencies (deliverables and what you need) and the creation and risks associated with IPR Facilitated by: Rustam Roy, Director, E-Lex BREAKOUT 2 Automated Testing & Advanced Methodologies Facilitated by: Andressa Dantas and Stuart Crocker, Technical Leads (SDET), Microsoft BREAKOUT 3 Managing Localisation on an International Scale Handling multiple language requirements for text and voice, working with developers and QA to form a cohesive strategy, live updates for multi-region games Coffee Break & Networking FOCUS ON: OPTIMISING QUALITY Optimising Quality: Building a Better Team Hiring Strategies Standardization across companies Providing choice: Negative testing and retention A Team Lead versus A Leader Tester Setup: Using talent and recognizing talent Jesse Penning, Content Manager and Head of QA Academic Panel Discussion: A Change in Perspective Educating the Next Generation of Testers In order for industry to catalyse a change in the way QA is perceived, it must be tackled on two fronts. One of these is industry standardisation as previously discussed, which will help to change the internal perspective. However, to affect an external viewpoint, perhaps the best way is by educating the next generation of testers and QA/loc professionals. This academic panel will discuss how to best approach this, featuring lecturers from two of the UK s leading institutions for game design-related university courses. Panellists: Iain Donald, Institute of Arts, Media and Computer Games, University of Abertay Dundee and Bob Hobbs, Senior Lecturer, School of Computing, University of Staffordshire PANEL Chairman s Summary & Close of Day 1 Conference Inaugural Meeting of the industry QA Alliance The forum Speakers & Leaders are invited to join this inaugural meeting to establish a more formalised group representing the interests of QA in the gaming industry. Please see the FAQ section on the website for more information Evening Networking Drinks Reception This event is a good opportunity for games QA to put a stake in the ground and show how much it has matured. We ve truly become a discipline in our own right. Chris Rowley, Senior Director of Certification, EA

4 Day Two Wednesday 26th June Registration & Networking Coffee Chairman s Opening Remarks FOCUS ON: QA DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Sony The Day 2 morning keynote presentation will be delivered by Dave Parkinson, Director of Global 1st Party QA at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Planning for QA: Optimising QA Budgeting, Planning and Strategy Effectively budgeting for QA earlier in game development Setting the right barriers and stage gates Knowing when to fix bugs the strategy of testing Adopting a modular approach to testing Edmundo Barahona, Head of QA, ProSiebenSat Networking Coffee Break FOCUS ON: LOCALISATION Case Study - Building Localisation Capabilities for the Small Studio or Indie Developer Preface: Do it yourself? Outsource? Can we just Google Translate it? Getting started: Building your team, training gamer-translators (nerd boot camp), and nurturing relationships Refining your process: Q&A, the evils of machine translation, and writing for localization Getting to eight languages in six weeks Bonus Points: Translating thematic content, multilingual voiceovers, and game evolution Nicholas Day, Director of Localisation, Plarium Natalie Gladkaya, Head of Localisation, Plarium Sales and localisation: Does your planning match your expectations? Designing with the global market in mind Planning for what you don t know The formalities of crossing borders You and the localisation agencies Miguel Á. Bernal-Merino, Lecturer in Game Localisation, University of Roehampton Panel Discussion: Localisation Challenges for International Game Development Managing the wide, international audiences of today s video games Planning with localisation in mind Understanding the different behaviour, culture and reception to games in various regional markets The challenge of real-time localisation of multi-language games Panellists: Natalie Gladkaya, Head of Localisation, Plarium Miguel Á. Bernal-Merino, Lecturer in Game Localisation, University of Roehampton PANEL Networking Lunch The inaugural game QA and Test forum promises to be a key event in The gathering of industry leaders provides a unique opportunity to openly share and exchange ideas, whilst discussing the challenges and opportunities we face in our organisations. I m looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces as well as making new contacts. Dave Parkinson, Director of Global 1st Party QA, SCEE AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS & UNCONFERENCE BREAKOUT 1 Agile Development Methodologies Integrating more agile approaches into games development facilitated session led by: Ghulam Khan, Head of QA & Localisation, SEGA BREAKOUT 2 Embedded QA Working Closely with Developers By working more closely with developers, and at an earlier stage, testing can be managed far more effectively and, what s more, can drastically improve the playability and overall experience of the game Short break & group changeover time BREAKOUT 3 UNCONFERENCE/OPEN SESSION Unconferenced sessions give the audience the opportunity to set the theme of the group and have their say raise your hand on the day, or make any suggestions for themes in advance to enquire@iqpc.co.uk BREAKOUT 1 Agile Development Methodologies Integrating more agile approaches into games development facilitated session led by: Ghulam Khan, Head of QA & Localisation, SEGA BREAKOUT 2 Embedded QA Working Closely with Developers By working more closely with developers, and at an earlier stage, testing can be managed far more effectively and, what s more, can drastically improve the playability and overall experience of the game BREAKOUT 3 UNCONFERENCE/OPEN SESSION Unconferenced sessions give the audience the opportunity to set the theme of the group and have their say raise your hand on the day, or make any suggestions for themes in advance to enquire@iqpc.co.uk FOCUS ON: THE FUTURE OF QUALITY External vs. Internal: QA for Developers and Publishers This presentation, held by representatives from Swedish game developer Paradox Development Studio and publisher Paradox Interactive, will compare testing of in-house titles with testing of titles developed by external game studios. Both teams are relatively small and work with several titles at a time, which means they must adopt different strategies than a larger team working long-term on a single title The benefits and downsides of in-house QA and sitting right next to the developers The challenges faced by a small team managing feedback from an increasing number of customers and beta testers Publishing methods in dealing with multiple titles and milestones Communicating with producers and helping to evaluate the game studios deliveries Using external QA companies at different stages of the development process Carsten t Mannetje, QA Manager, Paradox Development Studios Niklas Lundström, Associate QA Manager, Paradox Interactive The Mobile Challenge: Testing Mobile Games in a Start-up Environment Impact of Lean Startup strategies on QA approach From minimum viable product ( build the right thing ) to a fully supported service ( build the thing right ) Agile Methodology: traps and benefits Test case design methodology. What can we learn from BDD / TDD? Data Analytics supports Test scope Recruitment and Career progression for Games QA teams in comparison to Software QA Tester The Test Automation challenge: Experiences from a mature industry Thomas Hulvershorn, QA and Analytics Manager, Outplay Entertainment Teaching Quality Assurance: The Challenge for Academia Getting the basics right Test case design and practical application Working with Industry Encouraging a career in QA Iain Donald, Institute of Arts, Media and Computer Games, University of Abertay Dundee Chairman s Summary & Close of Conference

5 Sponsorship Opportunities The Game QA & Localisation Forum will be attended by senior QA and localisation decision-makers from key industry players around Europe, bringing together developers, publishers and solution providers from all platforms in one location. Focused and high-level, the event will be an excellent opportunity to initiate new business relationships. With tailored networking, sponsors can achieve face-to-face contact and a much more focused, pre-qualified B2B experience that overcrowded trade shows cannot deliver. With major developers & publishers such as EA, Sony, Sega and Disney putting their names to the forum and the inaugural meeting of the QA Alliance happening there, studios of all sizes and across platforms will be making decisions on the future QA strategy of their company can you afford not to be there? Or to let your competitors get front-of-mind, ahead of you, at this critical turning point in game QA & localisation? Sponsors & Exhibitors Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq MSFT ) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 combined with Team Foundation Server is proving itself as a vastly powerful development environment for game makers. With capabilities to support the development of your games on latest platforms, including Windows 8, and modern lifecycle tools to make it easier for teams to deliver continuous value. Whether an MMO, Social Gaming Studio, AAA or Indie you are able to manage and execute test cases, define lightweight requirements, get continuous customer feedback, and trace everything in your project from the first sketch to the final deployment. Find out more about Visual Studio - Find out more about building games for Windows SDL enables global businesses to enrich their customers experience through the entire customer journey. SDL s technology and services help brands to predict what their customers want and engage with them across multiple languages, cultures, channels and devices. SDL has over 1,500 enterprise customers, 400 partners and a global infrastructure of 70 offices in 38 countries. 42 out of the top 50 brands work with SDL. For more information, visit Synthesis is a multinational group with proprietary offices and studios in the United States, Japan, Italy, Spain, Germany and Singapore and one of the worldwide leaders among videogame localization agencies. Our branches and our network of partners are a synergy of talents and passion, born to provide the best quality available on the market, while guaranteeing the strictest quality assurance procedures. The best demonstration of this is our extraordinary portfolio of clients and acknowledgements. Recent projects include AAA titles such as The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim, Dishonored, Gears of War - Judgement, Bioshock Infinite, Tomb Raider, Call of Duty: Black Ops2, FIFA13, Halo4, Assassin s Creed 3, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria and many more. Website: GlobalStep QA Labs provides functionality, compliance and compatibility QA to over half of the top 20 developers and publishers in the Games industry as well as many small and midsize studios. We test on all console, mobile, social and MMO platforms, and provide the best quality and responsiveness at an affordable price point. Website:

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