Beta-testing: Difference between revisions

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==Links==
==Links==
* [[IFCollab]] is a directory page where people may sign up to offer their help as programmer, writer, illustrator, beta-tester, and so on.
* [http://www.plover.net/~textfire/beta.html IF Beta Site] helps authors find volunteer beta-testers.
* [http://www.plover.net/~textfire/beta.html IF Beta Site] helps authors find volunteer beta-testers.
* [http://www.plover.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/beta IF Betatesting List] is a mailing list for the IF Beta Site. (DEAD LINK)
** [http://www.plover.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/beta IF Betatesting List] is a mailing list for the IF Beta Site. (DEAD LINK)
* [http://newsletter.aifcommunity.org/index.php?id=beta.html AIF Beta-Tester Roster] helps [[AIF]] authors find beta-testers.
* [http://www.xyzzynews.com/xyzzy.8f.html Oh No! Beta! Tips and Techniques for Beta-Testing Games-in-Progress] by [[C. E. Forman]] for XYZZYnews #8.
* [http://www.xyzzynews.com/xyzzy.8f.html Oh No! Beta! Tips and Techniques for Beta-Testing Games-in-Progress] by [[C. E. Forman]] for XYZZYnews #8.
* [http://www.xyzzynews.com/xyzzy.8g.html Beta-Testers I Have Loved] by [[Neil deMause]] for XYZZYnews #8.
* [http://www.xyzzynews.com/xyzzy.8g.html Beta-Testers I Have Loved] by [[Neil deMause]] for XYZZYnews #8.
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/Testing.html Some Suggestions on Beta-testing] by [[Emily Short]]. Covers both the tester's and author's side of the issue. (Currently down.  [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207043257/http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/Testing.html Last version] mirrored at the Internet Archive).
* [http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/Testing.html Some Suggestions on Beta-testing] by [[Emily Short]]. Covers both the tester's and author's side of the issue. (Currently down.  [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207043257/http://emshort.home.mindspring.com/Testing.html Last version] mirrored at the Internet Archive).
* [[BetaComp]] is a beta-testing minicomp run by Jessica Knoch.
* [[BetaComp]] was a beta-testing minicomp run by [[Jessica Knoch]] in 2003 and 2004.


[[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:Development]]
[[Category:Glossary]] [[Category:Development]]

Revision as of 13:00, 9 February 2008

The process of allowing people other than the author to play a game that is otherwise essentially complete, for the purpose of discovering flaws and bugs before the official public release.

By contrast, allowing people to play the game before the plot has been completely written or when other parts of the game are fundamentally unfinished is alpha-testing.

Beta-testing is an IF form of usability testing, which also helps the author identify what parts of a work-in-progress the players enjoy most.

Links