[continued from What Quality is Not]

Keep Looking Up

It is rare that anyone would deliberately ship a shoddy product or knowingly provide a poor service. However, this does happen for a number of reasons. Some of these include limited funding, lack of time, and insufficient talent, which cannot be remedied directly by attitude. On the other hand, sometimes the problem is with perception and awareness, or just a failure to pay attention to detail.

I make the assumption that, as [software developers] who have read this far, you are interested in improving product quality and, therefore, probably already have products that are fairly high on that scale. Nevertheless, we can all improve, and it is important to take the attitude that even the little things make a difference. We need to listen to our users and reviewers closely and resist the natural temptation to dismiss or rationalize criticism. All comments are valid, whether or not they are accurate, and we must pay attention as they tell us where we can yet improve.
Simply by taking the attitude that quality is important and that knowingly providing less than our best for our customers is unacceptable, we can improve both our products and our bottom lines.

Gregg Seelhoff is an independent game developer who serve[d] on the ASP Board of Directors. He can be reached at seelhoff@sophsoft.com.

[end of article]

[continued from Crafting Excellence]

What Quality is Not

In more than two decades in the computer software industry, my experience is that most computer programmers are, in fact, human. For the sake of argument, I will make the logical leap that this also applies to most other jobs within this and other industries. As humans, we are prone to make mistakes occasionally.

Knowing that mistakes are likely to happen, it is important to point out that quality is not the same as perfection, nor should it be. There are too many subjective attributes of even the most basic software to ever achieve perfection, and never shipping any product in the futile search for perfection certainly does not denote quality.

Ironically, mistakes can be opportunities for improving the perception of quality. Most software users are at least sophisticated enough to understand software that does anything worthwhile is bound to have a few bugs. If a publisher or developer is responsive to a bug report from the user, that can potentially instill a greater feeling of comfort, despite the occasional problem. Likewise, involving testers and others in the process helps to create a feeling of proprietorship and, to some degree, loyalty.

Another potential development pitfall that should not be confused with quality is a situation known as “feature creep”. This is the process, basically, in which one begins to think of the omission of a feature as a failure and, hence, continues to add new features and code, seemingly forever. It is tempting to want to incorporate every single feature that any competing product has, but that can be detrimental to the final product. A title with six major features implemented well is more likely to be considered a quality product than one with a dozen poorly implemented features.

[continued in Keep Looking Up]

[continued from Application to Shareware]

Crafting Excellence

Back in medieval times, guilds played a major role in European society. Craft guilds served to train new craft workers and pass the knowledge of an industry down from each generation to the next. A boy would begin training as an apprentice at a young age, learning the rote skills of the craft. After many years of apprenticeship, the young man would be allowed to take a test to prove his knowledge to the guild. If he passed the test, he would become a journeyman.

As a journeyman, the young man would work for a number of different masters, learning and enhancing his fine craft skills. During this time, he would begin creating one very special item to prove his abilities. This would be an arduous task, since the work had to be done in his limited spare time, and the process could take years to accomplish. When finished, this ultimate example of his craftsmanship would be presented to the guild, which could convey upon him the status of master craftsman, if the item showed sufficient craft. This was his “Masterpiece”.

Our company adopted a motto several years ago: “Nothing short of a Masterpiece.” To us, this motto is far more than a marketing slogan. It is a guiding principle, based on the ideas in this article. It represents our joint desire to do our best work on behalf of the company and our clients, and it has become imbued with meaning from shared experiences of both triumph and failure.

In practical terms, the motto says in five small words what otherwise would take much longer to say, if it could be fully expressed. When we have to make a decision regarding an issue that could affect the quality of our work, it only takes one of us to repeat the motto, and we are reminded of our goals and principles. This is certainly not a unique idea; Ford managed it in still fewer words with “Quality is Job 1.”

[continued in What Quality is Not]

[continued from Quality – What is it?]

Application to Shareware

With a working definition of quality, we can attempt to apply this concept to shareware. In this case, the viewer is primarily our potential customer, but it also refers to the press, our possible detractors, and anyone else who can be influenced positively or negatively by any interaction with us, the creators and operators.

The first thing to realize here is that the perception of quality is not limited to our software or services. It encompasses every interaction we have, whether or not we are aware of it. This means our web site, our documentation, our press coverage, and our conversations on unrelated public newsgroups. It even extends to items we cannot directly affect, such as word of mouth, so it is important to convey quality in the arenas that we can control.

It is definitely important for developers to have a quality product, and just the basic issues related to that are a whole separate article. In general, though, this is accomplished by having the fundamental skills, testing, using good programming practices, testing, utilizing available tools and resources, and conducting more testing. Without a good product, the rest of the discussion of quality is basically moot.

Having a quality product, however, is just the beginning. All venues for communication must have similar standards. The documentation should be clear, easy to use, and fully proofread. The product web site should be informative and not appear to be an afterthought. If a phone number is published, that phone should be answered professionally. The ordering process must be straightforward and foolproof.

The pursuit of quality is a mindset that one can choose to adopt by simply refusing to be satisfied with work that is substandard. This mindset should encompass all of the above, plus any other items that could adversely impact the perception of either the product or of the company as a whole.

[continued in Crafting Excellence]

[continued from Quality: An Introduction]

Quality – What is it?

Of course, the answer to this question is obvious. Everybody knows what quality is, certainly. But if this is the case, why is there so much software that lacks quality? More generally, why is there so much about the world around us that seemingly lacks quality? Surely, the issue must be one of definitions, then.

My desk dictionary gives the following concise and relevant definition for quality: “the degree of excellence which a thing possesses.” This entry seems to cover the whole issue very nicely, primarily by replacing our need to define “quality” with a need to define “excellence”. In this context, these words are largely interchangeable.

From another context, these infamous words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart seem appropriate: “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.”

Justice Stewart continued on to say that the item in question from that case did not meet his criteria, and it is that clue which provides us with a better way of looking at quality and excellence. Though both are positive ideas, they are more adequately described by the lack of negative traits as seen through the eyes of the viewer.

Quality, therefore, is defined by the absence of issues that cause one to question the abilities or judgment of the creator or operator. This also suggests that the perception of quality is far easier to lose than to obtain, and practical experience shows this to be true.

[continued in Application to Shareware]

[continued from Quality: An Introduction]

Quality – What is it?

Of course, the answer to this question is obvious. Everybody knows what quality is, certainly. But if this is the case, why is there so much software that lacks quality? More generally, why is there so much about the world around us that seemingly lacks quality? Surely, the issue must be one of definitions, then.

My desk dictionary gives the following concise and relevant definition for quality: “the degree of excellence which a thing possesses.” This entry seems to cover the whole issue very nicely, primarily by replacing our need to define “quality” with a need to define “excellence”. In this context, these words are largely interchangeable.

From another context, these infamous words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart seem appropriate: “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.”

Justice Stewart continued on to say that the item in question from that case did not meet his criteria, and it is that clue which provides us with a better way of looking at quality and excellence. Though both are positive ideas, they are more adequately described by the lack of negative traits as seen through the eyes of the viewer.

Quality, therefore, is defined by the absence of issues that cause one to question the abilities or judgment of the creator or operator. This also suggests that the perception of quality is far easier to lose than to obtain, and practical experience shows this to be true.

[continued in Application to Shareware]

[This article was originally published in the October 2002 issue of ASPects.]

Money. Time. Quality.

All three of these items are good things, in general, and regardless of our individual situations, we could always benefit from more of each. Extra money provides opportunities, and there is never enough time. Likewise, any operation can benefit from improved quality.

Though I cannot help directly with the time and money, I want to provide you with a way of thinking about quality that can allow you to make more money and better utilize your time. This topic begins with a question.

[continued in Quality – What is it?]

Quality takes time.

One of our three basic tenets at Digital Gamecraft is Quality. The applicable dictionary definition of quality is “superiority of kind”. As the term is intended and understood around here, it is an attitude that only excellent work is acceptable. This approach is represented by our corporate motto:

“Nothing Short of a Masterpiece.“

Note that we take this attitude to heart and always attempt to perform at the best of our abilities. It does not mean that we always necessarily succeed, nor (as per the earlier Voltaire quote) that we have to create perfection or the ultimate product. What it does mean is that we strive for the best and do not make decisions obviously contrary to that goal. When faced with a decision, we will sometimes recite this motto to remind ourselves of the objective.

For the next few weeks, I intend to republish a series of four of my articles, written for ASPects, the monthly newsletter of the Association of Shareware Professionals, on the topic of quality (game) software development. In keeping with the style and length of blog postings here, each article will be broken into sections. These were originally published about 3.5 years ago, but the content should be just as relevant today.

Please enjoy.

Freedom is indivisible; we have it all, or we are not free.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A new documentary about video games is available online.

Beyond Pong: The Evolution of Video Games is a student documentary produced by Andy Nwoye of Michigan State University. The film is described as “a story about how video games have ‘come of age’ and how some have taken their passion for gaming to the next level.” It is driven by many interviews of people who have grown up with video games over the past 30 years and have a connection to them.

I was fortunate enough to be interviewed for Beyond Pong last June, and I do appear in the documentary (as does my younger son, William). Other interviewees included Jay Semerad of Red Leader Audio, Brian Winn of MSU’s GEL (Games for Entertainment & Learning) Lab, and Dr. Henry Jenkins of MIT, to name just a few.

The documentary can be viewed at the Beyond Pong web site. Note that the full running time is 40 minutes and it requires QuickTime 7 to play. (That latter requirement delayed this posting somewhat.)

My interview took place in my office, so the curious can see some of my working environment. It must be said, however, that my Williams Fun-Fest pinball machine steals the show. If one looks very closely, one can see a part of my large game book collection, too. (The book close-ups are just what I have directly behind me as I type this.) The shot of me getting beaten in Midtown Madness 3 by my son is in the living quarters, outside the office door.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go to the gym to lose the 20+ pounds that camera added…