Last night, I was talking with my wife about my gaming hobby, and past games I'd played and tested. She pointed out that not including the many years we enjoyed Everquest together, I seemed to enjoy it the most when I was in a testing phase for a game.

And you know... she's right. It's no secret that I've always wanted to work in the gaming industry. The problem is, the barrier of entry is high, and I'm kind of stuck in my current job and financial situation, and am unable to take the risk of switching industries. So, I think, being a beta tester gives me a chance to "work" in the industry, help make games better, all while keeping my current job.

The problem now is that no one seems to be willing to pull me into a beta! SW:TOR: Nope. The Secret World? Nope. the White Wolf/CCP Vampire project? Well, I don't think it's even in beta yet, but maybe I should get REALLY into EVE so CCP gets to know me? Seriously, there's quite a few large and small MMOs in beta phases right now, and I've got no invites. I'm starting to think it's personal! >.>

I was in LOTRO from the first Alpha stage onwards. Many of the things that exist in the game now were fought for by myself and a dedicated group of testers. I really feel a sense of accomplishment, having successfully lobbied for a lot of things that are just part of the game now. I've been in many, many closed (and open) testing phases for various MMOs, and I always enjoy it. I'm just dying to get back into one.

I always follow the guidelines set forth for testing - I test what they want tested. In cases where there's no specific guidelines (as has mostly been the case in recent betas), I go around and try to break things, find bugs and exploits, and generally run through content to make sure it makes sense and is fun, etc.

I'm sure I'll get into one beta or the other soon, butin the meantime, I bide my time playing games for fun.