8 Bit Pro—A Gamer's Guide to Testing

Let me take you back in time to the 1980s and tell you a story. A story of an 8-year-old boy, seaside arcades, chunky cartridges, tape drives, floppy discs, pokes, cheats, and magazines full of code! This is the start of how I became a tester. Gaming is often written off as a wasteful pastime. Hours of time are sunk into playing the latest games, just to get kudos amongst other fellow gamers. Some do take it to extremes and ignore all other aspects of their lives. I would argue that gaming is a productive activity. Gamers test all the time. Gamers explore, model, tweak, mod, exploit and play to win! In this talk, we will discover how gaming can be a route to learning and better testing! I’ve learned a lot about the world of technology and testing through my love of games and gaming, and how it has supported and enhanced my life, as well as kickstarted a career in tech. So together, let's explore vast open worlds, side quests, secret rooms and special upgrades. Will the strategy you take determine success or failure in your goal? Let's discover together how gaming can really add huge XP to your testing!