Playtesting is a crucial step in the game development process. With the rise of the cloud, the increase in users from 160.2 million in 2021 to 220.2 million in 2023, as well as the growth in market capitalization from $1.3 billion in 2021 to $2.3 billion in late 2022, playtesting in the cloud is becoming a popular option for game developers. This research will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of playtesting in the cloud and provide insights into the current supply and demand of cloud playtesting solutions.
There are benefits of using the cloud for playtests:
- The company can be sure that it’s possible to run games for every respondent because there are no hardware compatibility issues as if the game were running on the responders' devices. So, the cloud can save time and give exactly the same gaming experience for all respondents;
- Respondents don’t get access to files. Even the passing of login and password happens when screen sharing is enabled.
The main difference between games in the cloud and local devices is that in the first case, there’s no need to set up a game. After logging in to the cloud, players only need to wait 2–5 seconds to start the game. Therefore, respondents don’t face the device preparation process.
To run a game with FHD 60fps in the cloud, people only need to have an internet speed of only 15 megabits per second. So, the custom cloud works regardless of the quality of the internet.
The main advantage of playtesting in the cloud is reaching a wider audience in different countries, because you don’t need to do playtests in-person or in-house.
Game source code leaking is, by itself, impossible. Studios only ever share playable builds, so the only possible risk would be from that.
Each and every playtester agrees to an NDA before each playtest. It’s all done automatically through our platform.
We track many interactions that players have with the game and have numerous legal and safety measures to ensure the risk of leaking is as low as it can be. If a leak ever happens, we’ll use all means at our disposal to take action.
There’s a possibility that respondents can screen capture something. They can also save materials if the company gives them a setup file.
Game sessions are recorded on video but there’s a possibility that respondents can screen capture something from aside camera or in a different way.
Each respondent agrees to the NDA, so legally it’s well protected. Still, players tend to share experience when they have plenty of emotions, generated by a game. So it’s impossible just to restrict, instead, we suggest freely sharing experience from playtest regarding company, moderators (if are), and any experience, related to the company - then it’s easier to not violate NDA sharing emotions, related to the playtested game.
Placocola focuses on indie developers and their special needs. It translates to an affordable, easy-to-use, low-friction, and quick feedback loop. If people have to register and be accepted on other platforms, it can take days with Playcocola. You can receive feedback in 10–60 minutes and don’t need to go through the acceptance process and learn the contract.
The demand for developers to do playtests through third-party services depends on the market. Indie developers don’t pay much attention to professional playtests. The reason is the budget. Before Playcocola, If you want proper playtesting, you need to invest a lot of money.
Techland playtests are focused on the quality of the experience, not using it to catch bugs. Playtests are used for gathering data about how players consume products and collecting feedback and information regarding specific features that the company has doubts about. Playtests are done before putting features into the game and before this game is released to the market.
The application of cloud technology depends on technical progress. It also comes from the change of perception and perspective. If studios do playtest through the cloud once and it works, they will try it again and again. They will be braver about it because people are always a little bit hesitant about something new. So, if the risk of latency is solved and there’s a mental willingness to do something new, then the company will be able to conduct playtests in the cloud.