Almost all of us have played computer video games at least once in our lifetime be it in consoles, – Nintendo or even the current crop of smartphones. On the other hand, there do exist quite a lot of YouTubers and professional gamers for whom playing and testing the game is bread, butter as well as fun. Microsoft has been pretty much into the gaming scene and now it has been bringing in gaming titles from the Xbox to the Windows Store, a move that will hopefully hook many newbie gamers.
Microsoft Playtest
Microsoft has also fired up the program that will let young gamers enroll themselves and test out the latest gaming titles. The participants need to head out to the Microsoft Campus and can test the games out. The Playtest is more like a survey but only for games. Unfortunately, this program is not available worldwide and is currently restricted to the U.S.
The minimum requirements for enrolling into the Microsoft Playtest is as follows, one should be living in the Puget Sound area and be able to hop into the Microsoft Campus. He/She should be at least 13 Years old and should have parents’ consent. Furthermore, the participant is also required to declare that they don’t work at Microsoft as an employee, temporary, independent, contractor or even as a vendor. Please ensure that you bit the bill for all the three perquisites else Microsoft will not consider your applications. If you are interested in enrolling head over to this link and filling in your details. Mistake, not Playtest has been around since the 90’s and people have been testing the same since decades.
Please ensure that you bit the bill for all the three perquisites else Microsoft will not consider your applications. Mistake, not Playtest has been around since the 90’s and people have been testing the same since decades.
How to enroll in PlayTest
Considering that you have met all the perquisites, signing up is straight forward. The questionnaire will run you through some basic questions that are used to determine your gaming habits. It is here that you can choose which device you want to beta test the games. You may participate in the Playtest once in two months and most of the Playtests are held in Studio D User Research facilities in Redmond, WA. Microsoft also requires the participants to sign an NDA so that they won’t leak the information
What do you get in return?
Most of the participants who attend the Playtest do so for the love of the game and for the gratuity in the form of hardware or software. However, the participant needs to endure a lot during the playtest as the games are still in early stages of testing and this needs a lot of patience.
This is what a Redditor had to say about his/her experience:
It’s a fun job, but it can often be frustrating as well. In the case with Crackdown, I had completed most of the game by the time the two days was over, and I would have finished it if not for the constant falling through worlds and crashes and such that you get in an early build. Often too if it crashes, they ask you to wait, raise your hand, and have someone come restart the console for you.
The bottom line – if you are an avid gamer and would love to test new games in exchange for cool merchandise and gratuity from Microsoft Playtest is perfect for you. In case you are a parent and your kid wants to enroll into Playtest fret not Microsoft takes care that the kids get access to only the games that are in accordance with their age. Also, ensure that you stick by the NDA since Microsoft is very serious about the same.
Go here to
sign up for Microsoft Playtest and become a beta tester for Microsoft games!
twc
