Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction testers share game testing insights

Posted Nov 1, 2007 at 4:27AM by QJ Staff Listed in: PS3 Tags: Billy Parmenter, Brian Mathison, Insomniac Games
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Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction - Image 1  


Insomniac Games' Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction">Billy Parmenter and Brian Mathison, quality assurance testers for Insomniac Games' Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, shared insights into the nature of their work in a recent developer's diary interview. Parmenter and Mathison talked about their methods of dealing with Ratchet and Clank's in-game bugs and the relationship between game testing and gaming skill, among other things.

According to Parmenter and Mathison, game testing is a lot of hard work. They've likened their system to the scientific method, where in order to locate and identify bugs, they narrow down all the variables until they get to the base of the problem. Variables are also tested, Parmenter and Mathison said, to find out what doesn't cause the bug. The two have also explained that their work hasn't really made them better players. In fact, their skills with other games have suffered after having logged so many hours on Insomniac Games' Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Detruction.

While both Parmenter and Mathison have admitted that they have a tendency to dwell on the negative aspects of games due to their training and the tedious nature of their work, the pair have also acknowledged that once the final version of a game like Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is released to the public, they, too, are amazed at what they've accomplished.

 
 
 

Comments

by Mister Common Sense - 2007-11-01 09:36:19
I don't think so....

"According to Parmenter and Mathison, game testing is a lot of hard work." Blow it out your ass you f*cking crybabies and get a real job if your going to b1tch about your job millions of people could only dream about. Do you want my job instead? Do you want to swap out a 2,000lb 100 horsepower motor that's 20 feet up in the air in a dirty, oily factory? Do they even know the definition of hard work? "pair have also acknowledged that once the final version of a game like Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is released to the public, they, too, are amazed at what they've accomplished." I wouldn't say they've accomplished much, since playing games and reporting bugs really can't be called skilled labor. I'd say the artists and programmers did the real work on the game, and yes I think they did a very good job, but you don't hear them complaining about it....
by Mr Toasty - 2007-11-01 19:38:03
so...

you skipped the whole part about checking variables? It may not be what you described, but it's probably not as fun as it sounds.
by - 2007-11-02 06:49:33
re:

Note that, in the video, Parmenter and Mathison admitted that they tend to see the negative side of things. It's part of their training. I guess that extends to their job as well. It's easy to miss the forest when you're standing too close to the trees. :)

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