What’s a day in the life of a QC Director like at Ubisoft?
A day in the life of a QC Director at Ubisoft is incredibly dynamic and multifaceted. It focuses on long-range strategic planning to transform the quality control capabilities of the India Studios while accelerating growth and enriching players lives by creating memorable and meaningful gaming experiences.
Throughout the day, I lead meetings with my directs\project managers to review the key project status updates and QC initiatives to refine processes, implement new testing methodologies, while staying current on industry trends and best practices. I also work closely with production Leadership to provide feedback on gameplay mechanics, user experience, and overall quality.
Collaboration and communication are key aspects of my role, as I work closely with stakeholders across the organization to ensure that quality remains a top priority throughout the game development lifecycle.
Overall, my role as a QC Director is dynamic, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. It requires a combination of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and strong leadership skills to ensure that our games meet the highest standards of quality and deliver an exceptional experience to players.
The QC department forms a formidable percentage of Ubisoft India employees. How do you keep so many employees and colleagues motivated?
I’m good with people and I strongly believe my team is my strength. When it comes to keeping employees engaged – clear & transparent communication is the key that fosters a positive work environment, promoting professional growth, and recognizing individual contributions.
Encouraging an open and supportive culture where employees feel comfortable providing feedback, seeking assistance, and collaborating with colleagues to overcome challenges, plays a crucial role. It’s crucial to promote a culture of continuous improvement by soliciting ideas for process enhancements, efficiency gains, and innovation from employees at all levels. We ensure that people understand why we bring changes and how they will help us grow. The QC Leadership and I lead by example by demonstrating commitment, integrity, and professionalism in all aspects of our work and interactions with colleagues.
Also, by empowering each and every individual at different roles, I strive to create an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to contribute their best efforts to the success of the QC department and Ubisoft as a whole.
What are the different kinds of roles available in the QC department? What are some unique capabilities that reside in QC?
In QC, there is a diverse range of roles available. Beginning with the conventional Testers, that constitute the largest part of our teams and serve as pillars for overall game quality. Additionally, we have Specialists in various domains such as Networking, First Party Standards, Online, PC/Mobile Compatibility, and more. These Specialists represent an expanded branch of testers who concentrate on specific areas.
In QC a majority of our team members are avid gamers – individuals who love playing games and bring a very good understanding of game design elements and mechanics. This helps them have a different perspective when testing and also give good relevant feedback from an end-user perspective which is appreciated by our dev teams. Over and above the usual capabilities across QC teams we also have unique capabilities such as creative problem-solving skills that help them look at game objectives in different ways, adaptability to player perspectives for different tasks, familiarity with game engines and different platforms etc.
In addition to testing, the QC department encompasses a wide range of diverse technical profiles that contribute to the overall quality assurance process. These profiles include:
- Automation: Our automation experts develop and implement automated testing frameworks and tools to streamline the testing process, increase efficiency, and ensure consistent quality across projects.
- Data Analytics: Our data analytics specialists analyze testing data and metrics to identify trends, patterns, and insights that inform decision-making, help with predictive analysis, and optimize testing strategies. By leveraging data analytics, we can uncover hidden issues, prioritize testing efforts, and drive continuous improvement.
- Research & Development: Our R&D team explores cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), to enhance test automation capabilities. By exploring AI-ML based use cases for test automation, we can leverage advanced algorithms and predictive analytics to automate complex functional testing scenarios\repetitive tasks, improve test coverage, and identify potential defects more efficiently.
- Gameplay Mechanics Experts – a specialized team dedicated to offering data-driven insights into both technical and gameplay elements of our games.
What are the major differences you see in a traditional IT industry versus the gaming industry in India since gaming is seen as software?
This is quite interesting, the major differences between the traditional IT industry and the gaming industry in India stem from their distinct focuses, target audiences, and development processes.
The IT Industry is much connected and global in nature, mature in processes and focuses on developing software solutions for business applications while gaming is all about passion and creativity – primarily focused on creating interactive entertainment experiences, including video games, mobile games, and virtual reality (VR) experiences. These products are designed to entertain users, provide immersive experiences, and evoke emotions such as excitement, challenge, and joy.
What’s your message to gamers and enthusiasts planning to join the gaming industry in India?
Fun fact: I am often asked this question at most of the conferences and educational institutes that I visit. What I always say is –
“Embrace your passion and seize the opportunity to be a part of the rapidly growing gaming industry. Be prepared to immerse yourself in the world of game dev and test automation, where creativity, innovation, and collaboration are key. Whatever role you aspire to in the industry – cultivate your skills, stay curious, and never stop learning.
Remember that success in the gaming industry requires perseverance, resilience, and a willingness to embrace challenges. Stay committed to grinding your craft, building meaningful connections, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Above all, let your passion for gaming fuel your journey and inspire you to create\work for games that entertain, engage, and leave a lasting impact on players everywhere. Welcome to the exciting world of gaming in India, where your creativity has the power to shape the future of interactive entertainment.”
And if you are coming from different Industry – TRUST me, you are going to love the work. As gaming continues to emerge as a prominent form of entertainment and a thriving sector of the global economy, there has never been a better time to pursue your dreams in this dynamic field. We’re a diverse and inclusive community united by our love for gaming and our drive to make a difference.
You’ve traveled to countries overseas where gaming is more mainstream than India. How do you see India growing as a market? What are the notable differences in culture in the gaming industry?
Well, I’m very new to the gaming industry, I would try putting my perspective for the limited time I’ve spent and the exposure I’ve had so far. India’s gaming industry has experienced significant growth in recent years and is poised to become a major player in the global gaming market. Mostly I understand with technological evolution – better network bandwidth, increasing smartphone penetration and the increasing accessibility across devices and platforms, is helping grow the market share.
We see the rise of esports, gaming communities, and gaming events. As more players engage with gaming as a form of entertainment and social interaction, gaming is becoming increasingly mainstream in Indian society.
Overall, by understanding the unique characteristics of the Indian market and catering to the diverse needs and preferences of Indian players, game developers can capitalize on the immense opportunities presented by this dynamic and rapidly expanding market.