If you play games via Steam then you will be excited to learn that you could soon become part of the game testing process. Steam Playtest will allow developers to invite gamers to play the titles they have in development.
What Is Steam Playtest?
Steam Playtest, as announced on Steam Community, is a brand new service from Steam. It essentially puts some of the game testing responsibility in the hands of the players, rather than just accessing game demos or overriding the release date with a Steam Key.
Lots of people already buy games from Steam, and it is these very customers who will now be able to play games that are in development. This means that their feedback will be critical as the game is designed toward a release-ready status.
How Will Steam Playtest Work?
Steam Playtest will appear as a brand new feature, accessed via your regular Steam channels. It will work in several ways, both from the customer side and the developer side.
In terms of the players, you will be able to sign up to playtest a game. This will put you in a queue of interested parties. Once you are there, the game developer can approve your request to playtest their game.
Gamer feedback is crucial to devs, so you'd be playing a big part in how the finished product both looks and, most importantly, how it plays. Gamers will be actively assisting in spotting bugs and other issues within the game.
From the developer's side, they will be able to invite playtesters to take a look at their game. This means they can perhaps select players who are active members of the Steam Community to jump aboard and help them test a new game.
Not only that, but they can also release the game in batches to the people waiting in the queue. So it is unlikely that access requests will be dealt with one at a time; rather they can grant access to as many people as they want from the waiting list.
Another Wise Move From Steam
Steam continues to push the boundaries in terms of online and PC gaming; this is yet another positive step forward in creating a true gaming community that is built upon the interaction between game developers and gamers themselves.
Steam caters to a lot of varying tastes in terms of the styles and genres of the video games it has on offer. This means the Steam community will continue to grow. Incorporating playtesting for the players themselves will only serve to enrich the relationship between developers and gamers.