Abstract
New gaming software must undergo a series of tests before its general
release. The objective of these tests is to ensure that the simulation
is appropriate for its intended audience, plays well, possesses the
requisite level of fidelity to the system being modeled, and is free
from programming errors. This article first catalogs the design parameters
associated with a good beta test. It then compares this ideal against
the beta test created for a first-generation online business game
released by a major online game publisher. It then examines the actual
behaviors and results produced by the study’s beta testers to determine
the degree the publisher and authors could be confident that the
game met the criteria of targeted audience propriety, playability,
model fidelity, and algorithmic accuracy. In this instance, this
well-designed beta test could not guarantee the release of error-free
software, and the likely reasons for this outcome are identified.
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