Quality Assurance Manager, Scott Wittbecker, talks
about getting started in the QA department

The Bug Stops Here

QA is short for "Quality Assurance," and the Firaxis QA department is responsible for thoroughly play-testing every part of all of our games throughout the development process, and documenting the issues we encounter. QA is a critical component of the game development cycle since there’s no way that the programming and art teams can verify every aspect of the game prior to release. Excellent QA is critical to making a great game, and the feedback the QA department provides to the development team allows for the gameplay polish that will ensure the game is as reliable as it is fun.

A Great Starting Place

Most people starting in QA work as contractors for the publisher, making an hourly wage, and they’re usually hired for a fixed period of time - a testing cycle. These types of QA job opportunities are typically posted on developer websites and places like the local Craigslist. Once you’re hired for one of these positions, you (or a small group) will be assigned a specific aspect of the game to test. For example, you might spend all day playing four-player multiplayer games with three other testers, or you might be told look at gameplay balance or networking issues. Regardless of what you’re asked to do, you’ll have to report any problem you experience with the gameplay, rank its severity (all the way from game-ending crashes down to grammatical errors), and then you might have to reproduce the problem many, many times, so that the dev team can locate the issue and correct it.

While a love of gaming will help make you a better QA tester, this isn’t the only requirement for being a successful member of the team. Keeping in mind that you’re going to be playing the same game (or maybe even a tiny part of the game!) for hours on end each day, concentration, attention to details, and diligence are very important attributes. Other skills vital to being a successful QA tester are strong writing abilities and basic computer proficiency. Most importantly, you need to be able to write clearly and concisely. If the programmers can’t understand what you’re trying to tell them, they’re not going to be able to pinpoint where problems are occurring and you’re going to spend even more time focused on a single issue, which isn’t a good use of your time or theirs.

You’ll also need at least, basic computer skills. Can you install and uninstall hardware? Can you install and update drivers? Do you know what DXDIAG is? Are you familiar with Microsoft Office? These are the types of things we would ask a potential QA applicant. If you’re a serious PC gamer then you’ve probably handled things like this before, and those are the skills that will get you started.

Going To the Next Level

Many people will view QA as a "foot in the door" sort of job in the games industry, but it’s up to you to pick the direction in which you want to grow. There are many exciting options in the areas of production, art, and programming. Often QA people will move on to become associate producers and eventually full producers, as these are jobs that utilize the organizational and management skills you gain from working on a QA team. I started out as a contractual QA tester and eventually became a full-time QA lead. Now, as the QA Manager, I’m responsible for the QA leads and keeping the QA department organized, and overseeing the QA testers who are hired for part of a testing cycle.

QA can be a tough job. There will be lots of overtime involved during the final development push, and some people burn out from the repetitive nature of testing. If you can stick with it, you’ll gain invaluable experience with and knowledge of the game development process, making you a valuable employee, well equipped to move ahead with your career in making games.