Monday, July 17, 2006

Tips For Breaking Into Game QA

Zachary Slater is a game quality assurance engineer. This would be that breed of cat that mythically just plays games all day ... complains about them ... and gets paid for it. In reality, being a QA person can be a brutal career. I know, I've caned more than a few myself.

Know some games you like, beyond just "Metal Gear Solid is awesome!". Talk about how you think that perhaps Hideo Kojima should have gone a little bit easier on the story arc and made it less confusing. Or about how Halo 2 has obvious Level of Detail errors during the cutscenes. People you talk to at your prospective employer will want to hear about your real interest in games, if they don't hear it, they will think you're just there because you think the job is easy (regardless of you saying exactly the opposite). You must sound interested and well-prepared.
-- So, You've Decided to Interview For Game QA (digg it)



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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:11 AM

    This post addresses a common misperception of game QA testers regarding the qualifications and training required for a career in game QA. As you mentioned, outsiders might disregard the career of game QA testers as simply playing games all day. However, these experienced and knowledgeable experts are greatly valued and needed in the gaming industry.

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