C.Dump Magazine

Here at C Dump Magazine we have had the opportunity over the course of a few years to work with many people in QA. This includes people who were clients and co-workers at both 3rd party testing companies and development companies. For our first interview on C Dump we had a chat with former co-worker and close friend Paul Loynd who now works at Microsoft with the Xbox LIVE Arcade Group.

Jack Rage: Can you describe your role in QA at the Xbox LIVE Arcade Group?

Paul Loynd: My official title is SDET/Test Lead but I perform more Associate Producer type tasks. I am in charge of driving titles all the way from Alpha to Release which entails coordinating tests, triaging bugs, giving game design feedback, processing milestone submissions (in addition to making a pass or fail calls), sometimes demoing titles at public venues like PAX, E3, CES in addition to the basic QA lead duties. My team handles all first party titles for Xbox LIVE Arcade so anything not published by EA, Capcom, Eidos, etc comes through our group. Think like Halo, Gears, Forza, but for Arcade titles.

Jack Rage: Obviously based on your now current role you have had quite a history in QA. Can you give us a little background on your experiences?

Paul Loynd: Originally, I started out doing what were called “Hardware shifts” for a company called VMC Game Labs. They were on call shifts where you would basically show up to VMC when they called you and hope that they had enough testing that day to need you. Imagine unemployed dock workers during the depression showing up for a days work and you will get the idea of what these shifts were like.

Jack Rage: I heard about that, we feature an article on our webpage about it written by an undercover reporter. (Note this was not a C Dump written article Check it out here.

Paul Loynd: We called it hardware shifts because the main purpose wasn’t to test games but the hardware itself or a new firmware for the hardware. They weren’t permanent positions, and the test being done was super base level testing. The requirements were basically ‘do you have a pulse’. *Paul Laughs* But it was a start right?

Jack Rage: For sure, you have to start somewhere.

Paul Loynd: I was pretty sure that any job where I basically worked with video games had to be the best thing in the world, and I was right. From there I had a friend who worked with the Microsoft Certification team for Xbox 360. He told me about a position he had open and told me I should apply for it, so I did; I got the position and that is where my road down TCR mastery began. I spent about 7 or 8 months working on that team doing certification for Xbox 360 titles. After that a friend of mine told me about a position back at VMC for a group called the Arcade group. The arcade team at VMC worked with the Arcade team at Microsoft. As Microsoft would get new games in their pipeline, they would need testing for those games. So they would outsource the testing to our group since they did not have a test team on site.

After spending time as a tester on that team I was eventually promoted to a lead position. Later I did a bit of work outside the Arcade team on other projects and I started working with a group up in Montreal while I was in Redmond. Because of my experience so far they Montreal office wanted to steal me away up to Montreal for a while to help build out a test team for G4WL PC testing. I was only supposed to be in Montreal for a couple weeks. But I immediately fell in love with Montreal when I got there, and the Montreal office was very pleased with the work I was doing in addition to the business I was giving them the opportunity to bring there because of my experience. So I got an apartment and stayed and you know the majority of the Montreal part of the story from there.

Jack Rage: *Laughs* Yes I do, you trained an amazing Compliance testing team and left them in charge when you went back to Redmon for a possible promotion.

Paul Loynd: And everyone I know on that team was a bad ass tester. I was very proud of the work they did after I left. From Montreal , I was informed of a position opening in Redmond as a Senior Test Lead for the Arcade Group, basically the Lead of Leads. I applied and was given the position which meant I had to leave Montreal. I was sad to leave as I made some great friends there but wanted to keep moving up in my career. When I got back I took over the Arcade group with a co-worker Scott Griffiths. After being on that team for a few months I was approached by the Test manager at Microsoft from the Arcade Group who is now my current boss. He told me about a full time position at Microsoft that had just opened up and told me I should apply. I did, and a few months later I was hired on as a full-time employee at Microsoft in the group where I have been working now for the last year and a half.

Jack Rage: You probably don’t realize how jealous I am and how you will make everyone in QA by telling this story. Can you describe the difference in work from where you started from where you are now?

Paul Loynd: *Laughs* Well I don’t do much testing now. I leave that up to the test teams that I coordinate with like VMC or other testing facilities being used. The little testing I do now is basically just regressing issues, or writing up design bugs. So instead of functional or compliance bugs I write up documentation bugs or bugs asking for a specific feature to be changed in a certain way.

Jack Rage: With such extensive experience now as a Test Lead what do you look for in a tester?

Paul Loynd: First and foremost I look for someone that is hungry, someone that sees test as an opportunity to get into the Games industry and then grow. Its the way I got into the games industry and although it can be tough and filled with competition its one of the best ways to get in.

Jack Rage: In your years to date, can you tell us about the weirdest bug you or a member of your team found?

Paul Loynd: I had a tester once write a bug where graphics would get corrupted and the game would crash when he had a bottle of red Gatorade next to the console, in a very specific scenario.
Here is the scary thing, the devs tried the repro steps over and over and over and could not get the bug to repro; so I had him come into my office to try and repro the bug. He put the bottle of red Gatorade down next to my console and reproduced the bug right there, first try. My mouth has never dropped open so fast in my life as it did that day *Paul Laughs* We closed the bug as “Won’t Fix” and put in the notes that people would just have to suffer the consequences of leaving red Gatorade next to their console.

Jack Rage: *Laughs* That is bloody insane, we will be sure to remember to keep our Gatorade away from our Consoles then. You recently previewed the anticipated Xbox LIVE Arcade game Toy Soldiers at CES, are there any other titles in the pipeline you can talk about with us?

Paul Loynd: Toy Soldiers is definitely one of our bigger titles this year, and I am excited to be the one working on it, but we have many others. Unfortunately at this time I can’t officially speak on any of our upcoming titles, which is a shame because we have some great ones coming. I can however say that you should definitely keep your eyes on the XBLA space because we have some GREAT content lined up.

Jack Rage: I know I am excited, if the concepts coming from your team are anything like Toy Soldiers, it sounds like it’s going be wicked 2010/11 year for XBLA. Since you cannot talk about other titles being released can you give the readers any tips for Toy Soldier’s when it releases?

Paul Loynd: Don’t Blow all your money on building lots of guns. A few well placed gun emplacements if controlled by the player are 10 times more effective and will help get the highest scores. Combos are also key, stringing together kills to get extra money is what will help you upgrade faster and get a bigger bonus at the end of a level.

Jack Rage: You’re pretty much a QA success story; do you have any advice or words of wisdom for people looking to move up in the gaming industry that are starting out in QA?

Paul Loynd: Go above and beyond. The biggest thing that separates you in a sea of testers is your willingness to go above and beyond your normal duties and show what you’ve got. Don’t be afraid to stick your neck out, but make sure you are right when you do it.

Jack Rage: *Laughs* great advice! My last question for you is a little off topic but relevant. If you had to torture someone with the intro level of a game on loop for 24 hours what game would it be?

Paul Loynd: Oooooooh tough question, I think it would be the intro to Sneak King just because it is SO repetitive and yet creepy at the same time. Eventually you start getting the impression that the King is watching you…

Jack Rage: *Laughs* I like that choice, and you are correct.*Shivers* Paul thanks for chatting with us today and giving the people in QA hope for a future. We look forward to the release of Toy Soldiers on XBLA and the upcoming unnamed titles from your Arcade Group.

Paul Loynd: Thank you it was no problem at all, any time.

- Jack Rage