Many of you have contacted us with questions and inquiries about our playtests. That’s perfectly understandable: the chance to try out games before anyone else and pass on your views of them to the team in charge of their creation is just too good an opportunity to pass up! With the help of Marie Roman, our User Research Lab Coordinator, we’ve put together this article to answer some of these questions and advise you on how to prepare for taking part in a playtest!
So, let’s kick off with a basic question:
What is a playtest?
It’s a chance to help improve our games by sharing your player experience with us. Instead of playing in your living room, we invite you to play in one of our testing rooms! First, you need to understand: It’s not you we’re testing, it’s our games. In the lab, player skill or ability is not at issue. What’s most important for us is that our visitors enjoy themselves and share their opinions.
Who can sign up to take part in a playtest? How do you do it?
Anyone, irrespective of their gaming level (hardcore, casual or newbie) or preferred platform (computer, console or mobile) can sign up. For us, what really counts is their motivation to help us make our games even better! You can sign up quickly and easily right here with your Uplay account. And it’s not just in Montreal that we test games. We offer playtest sessions in nine different countries and 15 Ubisoft studios, all year round. That’s why it’s very important to select the studio closest to you!
Marie’s advice: Keep your Uplay profile up to date!
As you will use your Uplay account to sign up, make sure that all the information in it is correct so we can easily contact you.
How does the selection process work?
We send out all our invitations by email. Each email contains the dates, time, playtest selection criteria and a survey on player habits. Completing and returning the survey officially starts your application process. If your profile is selected from the pool of available candidates, you’ll receive a call from our team of user research moderators, who’ll then confirm your player profile with you. If everything checks out, you’ll be invited to our studio to start your playtest session!
Marie’s advice: Stay in contact with us!
Once you’ve received email confirmation of your participation, please do not hesitate to contact us if you are delayed for any reason on the day of testing.
What happens during a playtest?
On the day of the test, all participants must go to the Ubisoft office. Our team will meet the participants when they arrive. Marie will explain what the day will involve. Once she has run through this, it’s time to play as usual. We try to make you as comfortable as possible so you really feel like you’re at home.
Marie’s advice: Be honest!
The great thing about a playtest is that all your comments are taken into account, good and bad. We want you to be as honest as you can with us.
What are the benefits of taking part in a playtest?
Being part of a privileged group of players who test our games in development before anyone else, of course! Plus, all our participants receive some sort of remuneration, either financial or in the form of Ubisoft games.
If you have any further questions about our playtests, please email us at labomontreal@ubisoft.com.
And you can follow us on social media: Facebook – Twitter – Instagram.
Thank you to Marie Roman, the Montreal studio’s User Research Lab Coordinator, for all her explanations and great advice!
