Test Engineer Stand-Up

James M. Costello

*** ** **** **, *******, Washington 98115

Primary: 425-***-****, E-mail: ****************@*****.***

Career Summary

Highly qualified industry veteran offering years of experience in Mobile, PC, and Console development – including Production, Project Coordination, QA, and Support.

Project Workflow Management

Documentation & Operating Texts

Mentorship, Training, & Leadership

Multifaceted Usability & Feedback

Internal & External Partners

Highly Organized

Development Milestone Feedback Managing Difficult Situations Helpful to Employees and Projects

Q Analysts LLC (Client: Microsoft) March 15, 2021 – Dec. 30, 2022

Position: Validation Test Engineer

Responsibilities include performing Augmented Reality test passes, attending daily scrum/stand-up meetings with QA, field-testing equipment, testing demonstrations, and compiling frequent reports with test results.

Specific tasks include:

Testing various AR areas daily, and reporting findings to the team including stakeholders.

Working through scenarios, and testing demos for stakeholders.

Planning, writing, refining, and executing test cases, test areas, test passes, scenarios, ad-hoc.

Insight Global (Client: Microsoft) June 15, 2020 – Aug. 28, 2020

Position: Test Engineer II

Responsibilities include test casing, attending daily scrum/stand-up meetings with QA and Production, facilitating tasks to downstream test teams, and supporting Test Analyst team members. Worked closely with the Test and Production teams to explore areas for test planning.

Specific tasks include:

Devising test planning for exploratory test teams.

Planning, writing, refining, and executing test cases, test areas, test passes, scenarios, ad-hoc.

Experis (Client: Microsoft) Feb. 16, 2018 – June 28, 2018

Position: Test Engineer III

Responsibilities include, test casing, attending daily scrum/stand-up meetings, providing design input, participating in team-wide project management through Microsoft Visual Studios, and other select tools. Additional tasks include reporting milestone status daily to team along with stakeholders, running product demonstrations, and Usability testing sessions – both planning and implementation. Worked closely with the development team to explore areas for test planning.

Specific tasks include:

Assisting, and recording trends in Customer feedback and issues. Helping to implement improved methods of implementing changes in the games based on customer reception.

Planning, writing, refining, and executing test cases, test areas, test passes, scenarios, ad-hoc.

Coordinating with Management, UX Design, Product Owners, Development, external users, and much more.

Areas of Ownership: Test, Visual Studio reporting, and maintenance of the Test areas. Additional ownership includes training peers

Testing on all available hardware combinations we had – using planned discretion of course. Using mice, keyboard types, gaming peripherals, different mobility, different surface tracking. Newer peripherals versus older is tested. In addition - connection type to system/processor, dongle, peripheral, RAM, Video, and program/app.

Hyperspace XR Sept. 13, 2016 – May 1, 2018

Position: Producer and QA Manager – Non-Paying (Profit Share, on contract.)

Responsibilities include:

Setting milestones for bi-weekly sprints,

Providing creative input, driving all processes with varying degrees of involvement.

This is an Extended Reality startup, working in-house at the Pacific Science Center.

Attending VR, AR, XR, and technology driven Film Making seminars.

Acted as resident game industry expert, developed the concepts for the XR Marketplace that is currently under development.

Tested both the VR system using a headset, backpack, and controllers.

Applied my previous hardware test background to focus testing to Soft Feedback on first pass, with bugs written or saved based on next build's expectations.

Provided feedback on audio system, spatial layout, and other aspects of the actual location field. Applied this to all area tests – with VR, you test physical gear, gear firmware, using the environment of the device, processor and everything on the device, motion, position, safety, etc…

Continue to act as an advisor to the CEO, and/or others on a non-paid basis when time permits.

Cat Daddy Games (Take 2 Interactive) Feb. 24, 2016 – Jan. 10, 2017

Position: Tools Support

Responsibilities include Assisting Support team with customers, and tool development. Used Zendesk, Confluence, and Azure among other tools.

Specific tasks include:

Assisting, and recording trends in Customer feedback and issues. Helping to implement improved methods of implementing changes in the games based on customer reception.

Monitoring Forums and Social Media for player facing issues and relaying those details to the developers.

Coordinating with Management, QA, Production, and Community Management on a regular basis to ensure everyone is up to date on current events and issues.

Areas of Ownership: Working in a customer service department, while providing collective feedback to Production.

Cat Daddy Games (Take 2 Interactive) Dec. 14, 2015 – Feb. 24, 2016

Position: Associate Producer

Responsibilities include Producing Third Party Free to Play Games.

Specific tasks include:

Developing Milestones and Timelines and seeing them through.

Working with Developers, QA Leadership, Art, and other departments to shape, and guide the game to completion.

Working closely with many other departments, including tracking metrics for gameplay performance, and trends on a weekly basis.

Areas of Ownership: Managing, Developing, and implementing weekly events and sales in three Live Mobile Apps.

Big Fish Games (Churchill Downs Inc.) Dec. 1, 2014 – Aug. 17, 2015

Positions: Associate Game Producer

Responsibilities include Producing Third Party Free to Play Games.

Specific tasks include:

Developing Milestones and Timelines and seeing them through. Various game genres including, Card, and Casual.

Working with Developers, QA Leadership, Art, Customer Support, and other departments to guide the game to completion. Used Confluence, JIRA, among other tools.

Areas of Ownership: Game Feedback during all levels of production, developing and evaluating monetization strategies, Usability testing usage, working in a team environment with other producers, communicating with external developers, and internal engineering teams.

Other Tasks: iTunes Connect, Xcode, Google Play Developer Console, Amazon Storefront, Documentation, working with our embedded Narrative Designer, and other additional areas of ownership.

Extras: Many years of Free to Play Gameplay experience, production experience, and development/QA experience all add to my position.

Big Fish Games Jan. 10, 2012 – Nov. 30, 2014

Position: Project Coordinator I, Project Coordinator II

Responsibilities include coordinating third Party project entry into QA, and the project’s ultimate completion during the QA phase.

Specific tasks include:

Performing Beta tests to determine if a game is ready for QA testing.

Working with Developers, QA Leadership, Producers, Art, and testers daily to make ensure Projects continue to move toward completion.

Areas of Ownership: Beta Pass process – Improved process to allow more games to enter and Exit QA.

Other Tasks: Emailing and communicating with developers. SharePoint usage, iTunes Connect, Xcode, SVN.

Working with Customer Support to make sure all details of customer reports filed as bugs, or design suggestions as provided by their department, or customers.

Extras: Participating in Game Feedback sessions. Years of experience with games. Familiarity with third Party Mobile Production Team. Past Android experience both at Big Fish, and at Sandlot Games.

Big Fish Games Feb. 23, 2011 – Jan. 9, 2012

Position: Mobile QA Tester

Responsibilities include ensuring highest product quality, and customer satisfaction for Mobile games.

Specific tasks include:

Contributing to the creation of test passes, and test processes on the Mobile QA team.

Areas of Ownership: Mobile Go-Live process – testing games as they launch on the App Store.

Performing test passes, ad-hoc, and other testing to ensure highest product quality.

Testing on iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Android, and working with multiple Operating systems, and Mobile devices.

Testing marketplaces where both mobile, PC, Mac, Amazon, Google, and many additional test methods.

Owned the “Go Live” Release testing team and given a substantial bonus for work on this team.

Sandlot Games Inc. Feb. 25, 2008 – Feb. 1, 2011

Position: Lead QA Engineer

Owning a test lab, test team, status reports, and approval test passes.

Specific tasks include:

Writing and managing test plans and passes across multiple platforms – including iOS and Android.

Working with the QA Manager, the Producers, and upper management constantly.

Leading a team of 2 to 9 full time and contract testers. Genres include Casual, Casino, Hidden Object, Arcade, etc…

Contributing to the company with ghost writing (uncredited Narrative Design), branding builds, and working with launch partners.

Testing on PC, Mac, iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad (shipped iPad 1 launch title ‘Snail Mail iPad’), Nintendo Wii and DS, Facebook applications, Flash, Website testing, and other mobile devices.

Microsoft Games (Contract though ‘Volt Inc.’) Aug. 13, 2007 – Feb. 8, 2008

Position: Software Test Engineer (Level 2)

Core test team, responsibilities include:

Writing and managing test cases for owned areas of User Interface and Combat,

Leading a team of Test Associates in owned areas,

Providing game-play/design feedback to developers, and

Communicating results to Leads, Managers, and stakeholders.

Worked with UX Designers by testing early concepts of UI, and Combat before approval for development.

ArenaNet (Consulting through ‘Wimmer Solutions’) Apr. 19, 2007 – Aug. 10, 2007

Position: QA Tester

Software testing for the Massive Multiplayer Online game/service ‘Guild Wars’.

Ran various test passes related to the upcoming Guild Wars expansion, and tested updates for the currently live game.

Worked closely with Developers and provided design notes/feedback/suggestions for Guild Wars: Eye of the North.

Microsoft Games (Contract through ‘Volt Inc.’)

July 14, 2006 - April 3, 2007

Position: Test Associate 3

July 25, 2005 - March 31, 2006

Position: Test Associate 2, Test Associate 3 (Promoted 3/11/06)

July 7, 2004 - April 2, 2005

Position: Test Associate 2

July 14, 2003 - April 15, 2004

Position: Test Associate 2

Quality Assurance Testing for Microsoft/Bungie Studios.

Worked on Halo 3 as Test Associate 3 – testing Multiplayer, UI, and working with the Localization QA team.

User Interface testing, debugging tools, Automation, Documentation, Networking, Creating Test Matrix/Cases, Test Passes.

Quality Assurance Testing for the Microsoft X-Box 360 Launch Title “Kameo: Elements of Power” (Credited).

Nintendo of America (Contract through ‘Option One’) Dec. 18, 2002 – Jun. 3, 2004

Position: Product Tester (Project based Contracts)

April 14, 2004 - June 3, 2004

Position: Product Tester

June 9, 2003 - June 23, 2003

Position: Product Tester

April 3, 2003 - April 18, 2003

Position: Product Tester

December 18, 2002 - January 15, 2003

Position: Product Tester

Successfully tested games and gaming tools on four occasions for Nintendo of America as a Software Tester.

Education

Western Washington University

August 2001 – Earned a Bachelor of Arts: General Studies supplemented by Minors in English Literature, and History (Classical Studies, Middle Eastern and Modern/Post Modern Colonial History). Served on the Student Senate from 2000-2001.

Other Qualifications

Project+ Certified Professional (#COMP001004221394)

Organization Memberships: Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (Peer Panelist member for the AIAS yearly awards, received two certificates for participation), International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and Casual Games Association (CGA).

Volunteered at Casual Connect 2017 Seattle as an Indie Game facilitator, and demo guide.

Personal Projects August. 1, 2018 – Current

J.M.C. Interactive, LLC.

Position: Sole Owner & Operator

Started an LLC. and have been working on several personal projects. These include game designs, articles, painting, and other media related projects.

References provided upon request.

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