Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: GoldenPhoenix on October 18, 2006, 12:48:07 AM
Title: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on October 18, 2006, 12:48:07 AM
Well yesterday I went to a playtesting session at Microsoft for a game, can't say what game it was, but honestly I am completely lost as to why I needed to sign an NDA because the game is already out! Anyway after filling out a survey and stuff we were all given a choice of gratuity, I chose Windows XP Pro. Just wondering if anyone else here has done playtesting for a company?
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Nick DiMola on October 18, 2006, 02:24:50 AM
I would imagine you had to sign an NDA just in case, that way Microsoft can sue your pants off if you let something out that nobody else knew about.
I've never play tested but I heard it's a pretty interesting position (for a little while at least). My buddy down in Gainesville, FL recently started working as a tester for Artificial Studios play testing Monster Madness for the 360.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: couchmonkey on October 18, 2006, 06:22:16 AM
Microsoft can sue my pants off any day! Grrrow!
I'm guessing they don't want you to accidentally reveal a huge gaping bug in the game and tell the world about it before they have a chance to fix it.
I'd like to do some play testing, but there's only one developer around here and I think they manage all that internally.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Shecky on February 27, 2007, 04:15:11 PM
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Kairon on February 27, 2007, 05:00:11 PM
I've done a bunch of focus-testing for both games and hardware... but that isn't the same thing I take it.
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red Kairon@aol.com
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Ages on February 27, 2007, 05:00:43 PM
I have a friend workin as a tester for Bungie right now, but he won't tell me a damn thing about it! Damn NDA's
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on February 27, 2007, 06:26:12 PM
Then it's not worth talking about, just like Nintendo.
Title: RE:Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Arbok on February 27, 2007, 06:37:15 PM
My friend worked at LucasArts as a play tester a few years ago. The first game that he really got to work with was Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb. He loved the job at first, as many can imagine, as he was living a childhood dream many of us probably had at one point where he was getting paid to play video games. All considering, the pay wasn't bad for that type of work, better then what I was making at the time. However, the monotonous aspect of the job kicked in and he really started to hate the assignment, especially near the end when long hours of overtime well into the night were expected.
Suffice to say, he left right after the title went gold, which isn't unusual as from my understanding there is a high "burnout" rate in that position.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Bloodworth on February 27, 2007, 11:30:27 PM
Full-time testing positions are for the gullible. Ridiculous overtime, meager pay, usually no benefits, and the companies can keep doing it as long as there are kids fresh out of high school who think the job's cool.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Ages on February 28, 2007, 06:34:22 AM
The position does seem rough at times, but my friend is convinced it'll help him get int the game development industry, so I support him all the same.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Kairon on February 28, 2007, 06:52:13 AM
Hell, I'D do it if it would act as a stepping stone to a dream job. And I'd the best tester they ever had!!!
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red Kairon@aol.com
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: KDR_11k on February 28, 2007, 08:44:45 AM
my friend is convinced it'll help him get int the game development industry, so I support him all the same.
Loadsa nonsense, you get hired for a position. If he was qualified to be a developer he should have applied for that. If you'Re a good coder or artist apply for the position you want.
Hell, I'D do it if it would act as a stepping stone to a dream job.
Dream job? Which path do you plan on, coding or art?
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Ian Sane on February 28, 2007, 09:04:41 AM
I've never tested a game but at my work all developers both program and test other people's work so I've done software testing at a professional level. I really don't like it much. It's actually not bad if I do it as a short break between programming. Then it provides some variety. But if I have nothing to do but testing for a few days it really sucks. And at least my company can issue fixes in patches. On a console if I missed something in testing it couldn't be easily fixed.
Title: RE:Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Kairon on February 28, 2007, 09:28:19 AM
Quote Originally posted by: KDR_11k my friend is convinced it'll help him get int the game development industry, so I support him all the same.
Loadsa nonsense, you get hired for a position. If he was qualified to be a developer he should have applied for that. If you'Re a good coder or artist apply for the position you want.
Hell, I'D do it if it would act as a stepping stone to a dream job.
Dream job? Which path do you plan on, coding or art?
The idea is that some companies hire from within. Of course, I'd MUCH rather start a Q & A coder instead of a tester, but when you're trying to break in, you want every possible chance to prove yourself.
~Carmine "Cai" M. Red Kairon@aol.com
Title: RE:Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Sir_Stabbalot on February 28, 2007, 10:33:53 AM
If you count using the leaked Half-Life 2 Beta/Alpha, then yes.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Shecky on February 28, 2007, 12:11:24 PM
I think those Carnegie Mellon University students did an excellent job with their skit and use of Playmotion(R).
And Bloodworth is right... there are a lot of traps for coders/testers fresh out of school, and the pool of volunteers doesn't seem to be drying up.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: KDR_11k on February 28, 2007, 06:08:47 PM
The idea is that some companies hire from within.
Yeah but this is like hiring someone from your legal department for servicing rocket engines. Few if any companies take testers into developer positions. Sure, you're close enough to the people to hand them your CV in person but that doesn't count for much. If you have the ability just apply for the position you want directly, that way you don't waste time testing when you could be in a position that's appropriate for your skills. Plus you can apply to more companies than just the one you're testing for.
Title: RE: Have any of you guys playtested?
Post by: Arbok on March 01, 2007, 05:49:26 AM
Yep, KDR has the right idea here. If your friend has gone to college, and already has some of the qualifications for the job he might want, then he should be applying for higher positions in the company. Playtesting isn't exactly part of a larger ladder, much in the same way you wouldn't expect to see a janitor become a principal of the school some day.
