Submission Impossible: Compliance in Quality Assurance Testing
Congratulations, you made it!
You are here, at the final frontier of game development: submission. After so much hard work, you’ve arrived at the endgame. But as you know, this mission can be tricky, as your title must pass through the highly specific, often overwhelming requirements of platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, or GOG.
You cannot give up in the final hour. You need to stay focused. You know that no matter how great your game is, if it doesn’t comply with each of these platforms’ regulations, it will not get through to your players.
To achieve this mission, you don’t need a miracle, you only need a solid plan. We’ve been at this final level many times before, so allow us to walk you through the process.
Here are the things you need to remember:
1. Platform requirements are not a questline that you can later return to
Compliance is much more than just a formality, the submission process is a technical and procedural test. Each platform has unique requirements, many of which are non-negotiable, they will look closely into every detail before approving or rejecting a submission.
The requirements are not general quality or design issues, but platform-specific rules that must be met in order to pass certification. Some platforms are more rigorous than others and meeting technical specs isn’t enough. Guidelines and checklists can have detailed rules for system messages, save/load behaviors, trophies, error codes, formatting or parental control handling.
Developers must also navigate a maze of functionality and content restriction guidelines that in some cases might not be even listed in the requirements. These include usage of certain flags, banner historical symbols, controversial product mentions, specific imagery and others.
Compliance specialists know the ins and outs of submission guidelines, they know what to look for and how to prepare the documentation to increase the chances of approval right from the first try.
2. Don’t underestimate your „opponent”
Usual submission windows take between 5-7 business days, and the entire process can stretch up to 2 weeks, depending on the platform, region, and complexity of the game. Submissions are costly, both when it comes to registering the documentation and the allocation of resources prior to the submission in order to meet the expected regulations.
And in case of failed submissions, you’ll need to fix, reset and resubmit, which means additional time and resources. Yet one of the most common mistakes in the submission process is to begin compliance rounds too late in development or too close to the launch date, when it’s harder to make considerable changes.
This is why we advocate for adding Compliance Quality Assurance in early builds. Ideally, starting from later alpha builds, all subsequent versions could benefit from it. Since on each platform, games can be rejected for aspects such as incorrect button prompts, icon usage, localization inconsistencies, IP and branding violations, and many more, developers need to make sure they’ve prepared the game correctly in order to be eligible for the targeted stores.
By checking early, we’re able to flag potential validation risks when they’re still easy to address. Often the difference between a smooth submission and a costly delay can come down to when compliance testing began.
However, since this might not be possible for all studios, we frequently end up testing certification requirements in versions closer to the gold stage, which is why we are always prepared to deal with the time constraints accordingly, within the submission timeline.
Just remember, when it comes to compliance, the sooner the better!
3. Localization can make or break the submission process
Although often underestimated, language is an essential aspect of compliance documentation. The importance of localization in games cannot be understated, but in the general context of game testing, sometimes it may not seem as relevant as other technical aspects. Compared to significant issues like sudden FPS drops and or crashes, spelling mishaps might not be marked as critical.
But in the submission process, they can make or break the entire application. Language and localization are an essential part of compliance testing, and each platform has a long list of terms that must be implemented and localized correctly. Most platforms require exact phrasing and formatting in multiple languages. That’s why, even small errors can lead to failed submissions.
Compliance testers check the lists and consult with linguists to ensure correct usage of terms all throughout the required parts of a game.
4. New game plus: learn from the first try
Sometimes you are right down to the final boss, all the experience points have been spent, all the right armor has been acquired, still the first try is unsuccessful.
If things go sideways, resulting in a rejected application, we perform a post-submission evaluation, analyze what went wrong, and break it down to you. We offer context, look up bug numbers, provide suggestions and share feedback to help you quickly fix what is needed in order to be eligible for the next submission.
Our dedicated specialists are by your side, ready to guide you to the process and prepare the right submission documents.
5. XP is valuable for leveling up your compliance game
Most platforms have their own test cases, but it takes an experienced team to navigate through regulations. We know the terrain because we’ve been through it every week for the past 20 years, and our goal is always the same: make compliance a seamless part of your process, not a surprise quest that hijacks your launch window.
It’s our responsibility as compliance partners to stay up to date with constantly evolving platform requirements. Of course, compliance is a continuous learning process for QA testers too. We are constantly updating our library of best cases and practices shaped by years of hands-on experience across Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC storefronts.
Some of the most frequently encountered issues are related to stability (crashes, low FPS), performance, language and multiplayer-related problems. But even though we follow the procedure, most bugs are often found outside of the test cases. Outliers and edge cases are usually discovered while performing free checks.
Beyond simply following the procedure, our experience and deep understanding of the regulations adds value to the compliance process.
Are you ready to complete your mission?
Remember, it’s never too early to start thinking about compliance and submission validation. If you have an upcoming game and you need a team to guide you through the complicated process of submission, let’s have a chat.
