Publishing standards

[Jon Goikolea]

This is my very first post so, first of all, hi everyone.

 

I'm finishing my first mobile browser game and I would like to know witch ones are the cross device performance standards you use to validate the game. How many different devices do you use for testing? Do you only test the game in the modern ones?

[rich]

I test on iPhone 3 with iOS5, iPhone 5 with iOS6, iPad 1 with iOS5 and iPad Mini with iOS6 - that covers pretty much the whole spectrum of the Apple side of life. Lots of people only test iOS6 and ignore the issues that prevail in earlier versions, so don't make that mistake (especially when it comes to audio!)

 

For Android I bought an old 2.3 mobile and also a Samsung S3. You will hit issues with devices in the middle of those two extremes, but depending on country depends how important Android is to them. For example I've clients in the US who don't care less about Android support. But on the other side of the world it's vitally important.

 

In terms of tablets I have a Kindle Fire HD (the WORST possible html5 performance going) and a Nexus 7 (excellent canvas, terrible dom performance). To be honest the phones would be enough, but it's useful to debug with the nexus hooked to my PC.

 

I do have a Windows Phone but you can safely ignore them, along with RIM devices. No portal will care.

[flash1293]

@rich @valhalla very interesting, thank you for sharing. Do you really own all this devices or is there an other way to test on them? I assume a simulator wouldn't work in case of performance...

[benny!]

Speaking of emulators - of course - nothing beats real-life-testing, meaning testing on real devices in real situations (e.g. being on a train with bad internet connection etc).

 

That said - of course - it is hard to test and own numerous devices. Personally, I make some good experience with the Opera Mobile Emulator.

 

Despite that, I can just second what Rich and True Valhalla said.

 

You might also think of tracking a demo version of your game. E.g. track the device the user players. If your game for example is level based and a player with a certain device reaches a certain level - you could assume that your game is at least playable.

 

Best,

benny!

[Jon Goikolea]

Some useful information from you all here. Thanks!

 

I'm giving a try to the Opera emulator. That should cover the basics. For the multi device testing , for the time being, I'ill quote Freddy Mercury: "Friends will be friends"!

[rich]

Devices I currently own and test against:

 

iPhone 3 (iOS5, will never upgrade this as it's a great mobile iOS5 testbed)

iPhone 5 (kept to latest iOS)

iPad 1 (iOS5 of course and a perfect test-bed piece of hardware because it's so slow

iPad 2

iPad Mini

iPod 4 (equivalent of an iPhone4)

iPod 5 (equivalent of a slightly lower spec iPhone5)

 

Android Nexus 1 phone (Android 2.3, slow as hell)

Android Nexus 7 tablet (was lovely until a recent update slowed it right down!)

Samsung Galaxy SIII phone (top of the crop Android hand set and a REAL trouble maker, always have to test against these bad boys)

Kindle Fire HD tablet (want to see terrible html5 performance? buy a Kindle)

 

Nokia Lumia 9200 (for Windows Phone 8 testing, such a beautiful phone actually!)

 

I buy the SIM free versions of all the above and yes I test our games against every one of them, because our clients demand it (and quite rightly too!).

[MichaelH]

Was thinking about what other devices i should be buying through this coming month, so great thread!

[Rune]

I've only got 3 devices that I test on, but it's a good little selection.

 

- Samsung Galaxy Prevail

- Samsung Galaxy S2

- iPod 4

 

I would like to get a cheapish Android tablet in the near future, as I'm still stuck on the small screen.