One of the benefits of being currently unemployed is that I can set my own schedule: it’s nice for me to be able to screen the online job openings at night when I don’t have so many interruptions, for example. Having some free schedule time today allowed me to take a break from job searching to go spend some time in Belltown with the nice folks at Gamehouse, a division of Seattle’s very own Real Networks testing a new game. (I don’t know if I”m allowed to say what it was, but it was a very fun game.) Since I’ve never tested a game before I had no idea what to expect–it was an interesting experience, definitely. I sat in a room in front of a PC and played the game in stages while the assistant assigned to me asked me various questions about my understanding of the game.

In another room, game development staff watched me via camera to see how I used the game and to spy on my reactions. (Sorry, dudes, I know I need to cut down on the cursing.) I could hear them talking to one another but not quite make out what they were saying; afterwards, however, I was told that they were very excited by my ability to play the game well. My mother always said that being good at playing computer games wasn’t going to get me anywhere in life but I had a great time doing this and got some excellent parting gifts as well.

How I got selected to be a usability tester I’m not quite sure: I’ve bought games from Gamehouse in the past which requires supplying an e-mail address. It was an experience I would highly recommend to anyone who gets a chance for it, though; maybe I’m a geek*, but it was really fun.

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*Well, ok, there’s really no “maybe” about it..

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