interested in QA testing as a volunteer

[The_Stuff]

I am interested in getting into the video game and looking for a good starting point. I was wondering if any game developers had a game that I could be helpful testing as a volunteer. The experience would be extremely valuable to me. Thanks for the opportunity!

-Geoff
gjhankinson02@hotmail.com

[jpoag]

hey, reminds me: ever heard of Morae?

http://www.techsmith.com/morae.asp

[Matt2East]

Geoff has been working really hard to get into the industry for the last couple years and not had much luck. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to help an indiegamer with testing or level design.

[jpoag]

Morae is just a tool, not a replacement for a real human being. I'm always interested in what tools that game testers use.

[Mattias Gustavsson]

Geoff has been working really hard to get into the industry for the last couple years

:eek: A "couple of years" is enough time to learn programming or art (at least to a workable level), surely?
So what's with the QA thing? :confused:

[mhuang]

come down to sol cal, 2k games, vivendi, activision, THQ, EA games are all hiring testers.

[Desktop Gaming]

:eek: A "couple of years" is enough time to learn programming or art (at least to a workable level), surely?
So what's with the QA thing? :confused:

I don't think you can 'learn' programming or art. Yes you can familiarise yourself with the ins and outs, but I think you need to have a natural aptitude there to begin with.

[Applewood]

My freeware DTD game will need a lot of play balancing and bug bashing when I get that far.

I would've thought it'd be the ideal project to cut your teeth on - 10 million fun settings to balance, all of which give immediate feedback on what happens when you change em.

Drop me an email if you fancy it ?

(I hate PM's - they're just like email only with little convenience and no useability at all)

[The_Stuff]

Hey guys thanks for the posts. I'll be glad to help Apple - gonna email in a few. I've actually looked into some programming but I expect to start out at a QA level anyways so its best to target QA specifically.

[Nikos Beck]

The_Stuff, you'll want to pick up some other skills as well. When you're tired of QA, you'll want to move somewhere else in the company. It doesn't have to be between programming and art. Game companies have HR departments and accountants that I'm sure would hire from within.

[Desktop Gaming]

I did QA for Gremlin Interactive (taken over by Infogrames, now Atari) ten years ago. I was only in the job four months before I got moved to motion capture and that was just in the nick of time. 70+ hour working weeks were taking their toll and I don't think I'd have stuck it for much longer.

Its not the easy job that a lot of people seem to think it is, and although it remains a good way into the games industry, previous experience of art, or programming, or.... something, will work in your favour.

[Mattias Gustavsson]

it remains a good way into the games industry

Some would consider any way into the games industry to be a bad way :rolleyes: