Testology: Testing still a viable career path

In a feature written especially for Develop, Testology's Andy Robson has been discussing the merits of a QA position as a first step on the game development career ladder.

"Testing is still, irrefutably, a way to break into the industry, with obvious progressions being design and production," said Robson, adding: "although it's certainly not limited to those two professions alone".

While the tester's role has long been seen as a way into game development, at the same time it is often considered to offer a future career in games to only a tiny minority of those who secure a junior role with a QA company.

However, according to Robson, who describes testers as "the consumer's eyes in the studio', for the increasing numbers considering the video game industry as a potential career path, a QA position can provide a wealth of opportunity, even lending employees the skills needed by a producer.

"We don’t consider our testers as insignificant ‘numbers’, but instead nurture their skills so they can become well-rounded, capable workers in multiple development roles," revealed Robson. "When setting up QA departments at Bullfrog Productions and Lionhead Studios both Peter Molyneux and I both agreed on this point and considered QA staff as potential talent."