Blitz 1UP
Taking a new approach into PC compatibility testing.
OCTOBER 16, 2009, LEAMINGTON SPA, UK As the Blitz 1UP label from Blitz Arcade (a division of Blitz Games Studios) gathers pace, plans have been launched to crowdsource PC compatibility for its partners.
“PC compatibility can be a huge problem for indie developers and is something we have also had to deal with ourselves in the past,” says Blitz 1UP Producer Neil Holmes. “We’re therefore launching a crowdsourcing approach for testing the titles, with volunteers receiving free copies of the game in return for lending a hand.”
Neil explains the idea behind this approach to PC compatibility testing: “It’s an area that can be pretty expensive if you pay for the good external companies to fully test your game on a wide range of hardware, and it doesn’t scale down in price just because you’re a small indie game. Even though Blitz Games Studios is a 200+ strong company, our machines are all of a similar high spec so we can’t do much to help internally either.
“Crowdsourcing therefore makes perfect sense on this occasion. We’ll be able to test on a huge and diverse range of hardware and software, which will lead to improved stability for our partners’ games. At the same time the hardcore indie fans will be receiving free copies of the games in return for their services, so everyone’s a winner.”
People interested in helping out with testing the latest Blitz 1UP titles should visit www.blitzarcade.com/blitz1up/qa_testers/ for more details on the programme.
For press only, contact:
Debbie Henderson, Assistant PR Manager, Blitz Games Studios on dhenderson@blitzgamesstudios.com
About Blitz 1UP:
The Blitz 1UP initiative was launched in 2008 as an outlet for small, independent teams to bring their titles – finished and unfinished – to market on XBLA, PSN, PC, WiiWare, iPhone and Flash. The scheme offers tailor-made packages to indie developers including PR, QA and access to its established distribution channels. The initiative provides a wide range of services, from design and production advice through to assistance with finding distribution and publishing partners. www.blitzarcade.com/blitz1up/.
About Blitz Arcade:
Blitz Arcade was founded in 2007 and is dedicated to producing top quality downloadable games across all platforms. Blitz Arcade is a division of Blitz Games Studios and uses its industry-leading proprietary technology, BlitzTech. Blitz Games Studios is based in Leamington Spa in the UK and was founded in 1990 by industry veterans Andrew and Philip Oliver and now has more than 200 staff. Its six divisions encompass Volatile Games (mature titles), TruSim (Serious Games), Blitz Games (family titles), BlitzTech (proprietary middleware) Blitz Arcade (downloadable games) and Blitz Academy (education division)