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A Game-Changer in Game Testing: Side and Razer Unite

In a groundbreaking announcement made on August 21st, 2023, award-winning game service company Side and leading gamer lifestyle brand Razer unveiled a revolutionary hybrid playtesting and Quality Assurance (QA) solution that is set to change the landscape of the gaming industry. Utilizing Side’s unique AI technology, this innovative tool allows for simultaneous collection of playtest data and QA metrics, enhancing the accuracy of quality assurance processes. This collaborative effort is poised to potentially reduce playtesting costs by up to 80% compared to traditional providers, depending on the conditions.

Introducing the Razer Cortex: Playtest Program Powered by Side

The Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side combines traditional playtesting capabilities with robust QA functions in an unprecedented, large-scale format. This all-in-one testing solution enables developers to gain qualitative and technical feedback in a way that has never been done before and is integrated within Razer Cortex, Razer’s PC game launcher, which boasts over 55 million users worldwide. This program facilitates large-scale, targeted playtests involving real players, significantly enhancing the quality of user feedback.

Gamers meeting the participation criteria can easily join the playtest directly through Razer Cortex. Upon signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) on the launcher, they receive a unique download key for the specific game build, ensuring safe and confidential access. During gameplay, Cortex tracks playtime and performance data, enabling players to provide qualitative feedback through surveys in exchange for Razer Silver rewards, which can be redeemed for in-game items. This creates an attractive incentive for player participation.

The data collected on gameplay and user reactions are analyzed using Side’s sophisticated AI, which eliminates redundant data points. Ultimately, their expert QA team examines these datasets, allowing for practical insights while keeping costs in check.

Insights from the Leaders

Deborah Kirkham, CEO of Side, stated, “Innovation in the gaming industry always begins with people. What is beneficial for our customers is also beneficial for our staff; these two aspects are closely connected. Through our partnership with Razer, we aim to further accelerate this trend via the Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side. Our mission is to bring the customers' stories to life, and the best source of feedback for this is the enthusiastic gamers.” Kirkham added that playtesters are akin to shareholders, as they can influence decision-making while nurturing early investments in intellectual property, ultimately driving sales at release.

The Dawn of a New Testing Era

Playtesting is a crucial yet resource-intensive process. Traditional methods often rely on manually recruited small groups and prolonged surveys, limiting insights and inflating costs. With the Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side, developers can capitalize on Razer’s vast global community and the launcher’s built-in functionality to pre-screen playtesters based on player engagement, interests, and profiles. This allows developers to overcome traditional recruitment challenges, gaining access to a diverse and qualified tester demographic efficiently.

Quyen Quach, Razer’s VP of Software, remarked, “The Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side introduces a new feature within our game launcher that enables developers to conduct extensive playtests while keeping costs low. By integrating Side’s solution into Razer Cortex, we’ve simplified build distribution, allowed for focused player selection, and systematized data collection.” This collaborative approach connects developers with enthusiastic players, gathering valuable feedback for informed development decisions.

A Transformative Approach to QA With AI Involvement

In most AAA titles, QA teams comprise 5-6 members who conduct tests in a secured environment. While various testing methodologies exist, playtesters typically engage with the game for enjoyment or completion, whereas QA teams focus on critical moments and areas where player engagement is highest to identify issues.

With the Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side, the same QA team utilizes data gathered from players who are enjoying the game. This enables Side’s representatives to detect bugs often missed in internal testing environments. For instance, if multiple crashes are reported in a section, testers will initiate a probe into those specific issues.

The program reflects Side’s commitment to blending technology with human creativity to deliver high-quality playtest reports to human QA teams. Significant investments into AI-driven gaming service solutions have been crucial to introducing AI into workflows, ensuring both clients and teams can maintain their leadership in innovation. Recent industry surveys indicate that 87% of developers are already using AI.

Harlan Beverly, Side's CTO, commented, “Our partnership with Razer embodies an innovative approach that redefines the norms of playtesting. For developers, it means securing more testers and playtest hours at equal or reduced costs. Players benefit by gaining closer ties to the development process, while QA teams will see new responsibilities added to their workflow.” The wealth of valuable data and access to a higher number of real players offers unprecedented opportunities before beta testing phases.

Industry Impact

For developers, Side’s enhanced emotional analytics and targeted feedback enable them to provide deeper insights on a large scale at costs significantly lower than industry standards. Research from Ontario University illustrates that playtesting prior to critical reviews helps identify issues within games, indicating the substantial role playtesting plays in achieving commercial success. By conducting extensive playtests at reasonable costs, bolstered by specialized QA insight, the program stands as a truly innovative solution within the gaming service market.

For players, this solution offers an unprecedented opportunity to engage closely with the gaming industry. They can give direct feedback to developers before the release of their adored games, a privilege typically reserved for press and influencers. This creates a valuable opportunity for developers to pivot their strategies before the official launch.

The Razer Cortex: Playtest Program - Powered by Side is just one facet of Side’s comprehensive playtesting solutions, which also include a variety of options catering to both large and small scale playtesting needs.

For further information, explore Side's playtest page.

About Side

Established in 2009 in Japan, Side has grown to become a global provider of game development and services, offering technological and creative solutions to leading developers and studios worldwide. Today, Side boasts over 20 studios across 14 countries, including North America, Europe, South America, and Asia, with its headquarters in London. Side delivers industry-leading services such as art production, game development, audio production, QA, localization, LQA, player support, community management, data sets, and custom AI services. For more information, visit www.side.inc.

About Razer

Founded in 2005, Razer is a leading lifestyle brand for gamers, designed and built by gamers. The company’s iconic Triple-Headed Snake logo is recognized globally across the gaming and esports communities. Razer has built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem through hardware, software, and services, including high-performance gaming peripherals, the award-winning Blade gaming laptops, and software like Razer Synapse and Razer Chroma, utilized by over 250 million users. Razer is committed to a sustainable future with its #GoGreenWithRazer initiative that aims to minimize environmental impact through a 10-year plan. Headquartered in Irvine, California, and Singapore, with regional headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, and Shanghai, China, Razer’s global presence spans 19 locations. They are set to celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2025 with various brand initiatives scheduled for launch. More details can be found at https://rzr.to/20anni.