Feature: Take This Job and Love It! - Game Tester - Sean C. Johnson
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Name: Sean Christopher Johnson Title: Treyarch QA Manager Notable Past Projects: Spider-Man the movie game (PS2, Xbox and GC), NHL 2K2 Dreamcast. Current Project: Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer (PS2, Xbox, GC and GBA), Minority Report (PS2, Xbox, and GC). Schooling/Degree: High school, some college. Starting Salary Range: Annual is 28K and up. General duties of your position/title: I manage testers who handle different tasks on a variety of titles and, most importantly, I keep on top of all the bugs in the games. I deal personally with game producers to create status reports on games, update bug lists and make sure everything is verified and fixed. I also make sure that QA is supplied with all of the latest equipment that is needed for future, and current, titles. How many people are in your department/team? If you are a manager, many people do you oversee? We currently have four testers with more on the way. What was the most valuable bit of knowledge or experience you brought with you to the job? I worked in QA at Interplay for over four years and the knowledge I gathered there was how to find "crazy" bugs in games. Even after one year at Interplay I began to feel that every game I played was played as a tester - after all, you know you've got it down if you can break every game you play! Therefore, a good eye for errors is the experience I have brought to Treyarch's QA department. What was the first major lesson you learned once you started working in the industry? To keep your eyes and ears open and only open your mouth when it's the right time; learn as much as you can; find the road you wish to follow; learn ALL the do's and don'ts of making games; don't take it so seriously ? after all, they're video games and are supposed to be fun. If you make everyday fun you'll most likely go places in the world of free pizza, soda and toys all over your desk, etc. Also, be patient and smart about your choices. If you have an imagination for games, then get on it and don't wait!! Just go for it but be smart and cautious. What academic focuses would you recommend for someone who wants to do your job someday? Just to gain experience by playing a lot of games - good and bad. Also you MUST be good with people and have a sense of humor because you will be dealing with people everyday. Common misconceptions about your job? That QA is not important. This is definitely a misconception because, after all, we are the people in the company who are going out there and playing tons of games and we are also the last to review product for bugs before it goes out the door. We also give our suggestions on what the game does and doesn't need. So, we are important and should NEVER be overlooked. Is college a necessity, a really good idea, or not required for your line of work? For this job you don't need to attend college. There are a lot of producers that did not attend college, started in QA, and worked their way up. What tools and software do you use on a regular basis? Every system that is available at retail and also systems not available at retail like dev kits. We also utilize a database to keep track of all of the bugs we find in the games. What's your advice for breaking into your line of work? Play a lot of games, familiarize yourself with what is out there but don't go too crazy. If you apply for a tester position find out if the company has a phone number you can call to check and see if they are still hiring. Don't return too often to fill out an application, maybe every few months or so, but not every week. Good luck, Gamers!!
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