The current industry approach to game design and development is a high-risk ‘all or nothing’ system, which is no longer appropriate for today’s cloud-based games-as-a-service (GaaS) titles, according to a new report from Improbable.

How to iterate faster with CI/CD and playtesting highlights why the rapidly evolving game capabilities and content found in cross-platform multiplayer games require rapid iteration to keep up with player expectations.

The report features practical guidance and insight from developers across Improbable, and highlights the value of Continuous Iteration and Continuous Development (CI/CD) to development studios, alongside practical tips for developers that wish to deploy these techniques successfully.

Faster Iteration - Better Games

There are many different techniques studios can use to introduce and improve iteration. CI and CD provide studios enable faster identification of oversights and/or mistakes, while reducing the likelihood of updates and edits breaking the build. Faster, smarter testing gives deep insight into the player’s game experience, providing teams with valuable feedback in a highly efficient manner.

Aaryn Flynn, the head of Improbable, Canada, said: “We know that iteration speed is crucial to online multiplayer game development. Studios have the opportunity to work directly with players on feedback, incorporating changes at a pace that really impacts the community. So the faster you iterate, the better the overall gameplay experience.”

The full How to iterate faster with CI/CD and playtesting report includes case studies, and solutions to many of the common challenges that development of sophisticated multiplayer games-as-a-service titles face. The free report can be downloaded here.

You can find and download the full report here.