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Interview at EA: Tips on recognizing bugs?


Oerwinde

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I also posted this in the Dev's Corner, but I don't think people check it as much.

 

I have an interview tomorrow for a QA position at EA and I was wondering if any former QA devs or just general gamers had any tips for recognizing bugs. Part of the interview involves watching videos and pointing out at least 3 bugs. So I have to recognize them simply by watching instead of playing. I'm currently unemployed and my other options are minimum wage jobs at grocery stores pretty much, so I really want this job.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

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Watch out for:

 

-Graphics glitches

-Stuttering/lag

-Repetitions of sound, text or parts of scripted scenes

-Abnormal loading times

 

 

(Stanley Woo at Bio says also)

-Spelling errors

 

 

I really hope you get job. Good luck!

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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-Bugs in AI (like moonwalking people, enemy's not responding even when infront of you, enemy's opening/closing doors 5 times before they can get through, or concurrents in race games that take the wrong route...)

 

-Scripting errors (Hard to see in a movie, but isues with supposed to happen things, like a NPC supposed to follow, but never does or a NPC who should be invincable (due to story reasons) which you can kill)

 

-For RTS: If you test a AoE (Or C&C Generals) type you deal with upgrades. These should work. (A +20% health for all units shouldn

Edited by Battlewookiee
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You really want to work for EA? Their reputation as an employer is not exactly gold in the computer-gaming industry.

 

Well, treat it as your first break into the industry, and hopefully after a couple of years of being driven to death by your corporate masters, you can get a nice cushy job as a designer at Obsidian Entertainment. :cool:

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"You really want to work for EA? Their reputation as an employer is not exactly gold in the computer-gaming industry."

 

Exaggerations. If they were as horrible as some claim; EA would have crashed a long time ago...

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

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"You really want to work for EA? Their reputation as an employer is not exactly gold in the computer-gaming industry."

 

Exagerations. If they were as horrible as some claim; EA would have crashed a long time ago...

Yep, I'm sure they're just as good (bad) as the rest of the industry .... :blink:"

OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS

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OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT

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"You really want to work for EA? Their reputation as an employer is not exactly gold in the computer-gaming industry."

 

Exaggerations. If they were as horrible as some claim; EA would have crashed a long time ago...

i read the letter, btw, from the wife of an EA employee... whine. it seemed to me that everybody working there knew what to expect before taking the job. she was just pissed because it turned out to be true.

 

"oh no, you actually have to work to earn your pay?!!!"

 

guess what, it's not unusual to have to actually work for a living. i do.

 

good luck, oerwinde... so has there been any verdict yet?

 

taks

comrade taks... just because.

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Its for EA Canada, so they're not as bad as the California chapter. We have stricter labour laws. Also its not a salary position, so they can't get out of paying overtime. They told me right up front that my hours would be between 40 and 70 a week and I said that was fine. I just spend that time surfing forums right now anyway. I just need something game related on my resume, and figure this would be a good start. EA Canada is mostly sports games, they asked me a lot about hockey on the phone, so I'm guessing I'll be testing NHL 2006 if I get the job.

 

I'll tell ya how it went when I get back.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

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They're actually gonna make a 2006 NHL game even with the canceled season? WOWSERS! I wodner how much this one will sell.. of course I'll probably buy it. LOL

 

40-70 hours? Your paycheck is gonna be awesome! (w00t)

 

Anyways, where is the headquarters for the Kanada EA? And, what are the minimum standards for their QA testers! I'll sign up!

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

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Oohh, a new NHL game..

 

Actually, they could as well just release NHL 2004 in a new, shiny box, call it NHL 2006 and I'd still buy it, play it and be totally satisfied. Ignorance is bliss.

Swedes, go to: Spel2, for the latest game reviews in swedish!

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"Actually, they could as well just release NHL 2004 in a new, shiny box, call it NHL 2006 and I'd still buy it, play it and be totally satisfied. Ignorance is bliss."

 

Take yer blatant sarcasm elsewhere, please. :o

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

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Is it mandatory for all inhabitants of the Great White Land heretofore known as Canadia to love Hockey? Is it in the constitution, something sworn when taking the citizenship oath? :p

OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS

ingsoc.gif

OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT

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No.

 

But, it doesnt' stop me from doing so.

 

I also like basketball, AMERIKAN football, and baseball (thoguh watching this can be VERY boring).

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

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To Volourn: The EA Canada headquarters is in Burnaby BC, half hour from where I live. The building is huge. They employ about 1300 people in that building, plus another 600-700 in one of their 2 other offices in the lower mainland. (One in Vancouver, and one down the street from their big one) They're also expanding the campus to make it big enough to bring the other two offices into the main one and hire another 1000-1500 people.

 

The interview went well, started out with a little bit of a tour... one thing is for sure, with a cafeteria like that I'll definitely be eating better if I get the job. Anyway, we had to watch a video and pick out the bugs, I got probably 8-12 for each of the 3 games, my 3d experience helped a lot there. Then they split us into 2 teams and made us build a tower out of paper cups, straws, paper clips, and rubber bands. The winning team was the one with the tallest tower that was the most stable. We won. Anyway, then they interviewed us individually. All in all it was pretty good. The guys were honest about the overtime, but they said the real problems were in Tiburon and Maxis. Tiburon works them too hard, and Maxis just hated being bought out by EA and fights it every year. They said they do require a lot of overtime there, but you get paid for it.

 

The EA building is awesome. Its built into a rock face, theres stonework inside with huge windows, and its set up like a university campus.

 

The guy who interviewed me didn't know what Planescape Torment was.

 

I'll know if I got it in about a week. My 3d experience and the experience with long hours at VFS should help me out.

 

Edit: Oh and asking hockey questions didn't mean anything. One of them got asked about cars, another about baseball, and another about soccer.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

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The guy who interviewed me didn't know what Planescape Torment was.

I know you have to eat, but... :p

 

Sure you want to go there ? :ermm:

 

Well, good luck anyway :devil:

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein

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Does that means if you get the job I can blame you about The Sims 2 Nightlife bugs?

 

Nope, they handle that down in LA. But you can blame me for pretty much any of the sports games except the football ones.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

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Can I blame you for FIFA 2006 :devil: ?...by foootball you mean American right?

 

Yeah, by football I mean American. Damn Vin Diesel for confusing the world by making North Americans call Football Soccer.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

Devastatorsig.jpg

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Then they split us into 2 teams and made us build a tower out of paper cups, straws, paper clips, and rubber bands. The winning team was the one with the tallest tower that was the most stable. We won.

 

 

 

They actually did that? Well, after paying whatever "Social Competence Consultant" they hired to tell them it was a good idea, they probably felt they had to in order not to feel completely moronic.

 

 

 

Btw, what kind of bugs was it?

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Then they split us into 2 teams and made us build a tower out of paper cups, straws, paper clips, and rubber bands. The winning team was the one with the tallest tower that was the most stable. We won.

 

 

 

They actually did that? Well, after paying whatever "Social Competence Consultant" they hired to tell them it was a good idea, they probably felt they had to in order not to feel completely moronic.

 

 

 

Btw, what kind of bugs was it?

 

Most of the bugs were graphical. Missing textures, clipping, wrong models, etc, but there were a few sound glitches and such too.

The area between the balls and the butt is a hotbed of terrorist activity.

Devastatorsig.jpg

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