Spopasquini wrote:I might go. Sounds like fun!

I might go too!! (Well, first I need to be invited) I live in the North Bay, in Santa Rosa, CA... It's like 35 minutes from Emerville (without traffic, lol)

How do my 13 year old son and apply to do this we used to live in Emeryville (E-VILLE) and now would need to drive from Monterey California but we are excited about the possibility. I would really like to get my son there he loves the game we both play and I went to high school with the companies ex founder David Stafford. I work at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and we have a very lax schedule this month so please can we come?

by the way we both meet the 1st 2 criteria and we also have alot of interest and have played many MODS of a variety of games. I was also a professional software/hardware tester for Iomega back in the day.


George Krieger
Technical Services Manager
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

PopeBarley wrote:Wouldn't releasing a demo or a beta to pre-paid customers like Stardock did with their Gal Civ II Twilight of Arnor Expansion pack;

A) Increase the sample size and feedback

B) Reward cuustomers loyal enough to pre-order

and

C) Help root out more bugs before release than a team of testers would

Just an idea that could help around the 'I don't live in California' problem

hmm, that may help, but i doubt many people would have pre-paid for spore

Im in australia but i wish i was there

Doglover wrote:

PopeBarley wrote:Wouldn't releasing a demo or a beta to pre-paid customers like Stardock did with their Gal Civ II Twilight of Arnor Expansion pack;

A) Increase the sample size and feedback

B) Reward cuustomers loyal enough to pre-order

and

C) Help root out more bugs before release than a team of testers would

Just an idea that could help around the 'I don't live in California' problem

hmm, that may help, but i doubt many people would have pre-paid for spore

Hundreds, if not thousands... We were the firsts to try the game and cry out loud for the lacks on serious game-orientated veta-testing. Some of the stuff has been adressed, I'd say a 5% of it... none of which implies game-play. Only server orientated.

DANG! It's on Tuesday and Wednesday. I could so go to this if it was on the weekend. But then again, traffic on 880 and 580 would be bad either way.

People: I live in San Jose (near Emeryville) and I want to know what you think should be said if I am chosen to go.

• Someone who has done player-created mods for PC games--not only Spore, but for games such as Starcraft, Counterstrike, Battlefield, etc.

Honestly Maxis.. if you're looking for Industry Ready QAs go no further than recruiting on ModDB www.ModDB.com, go to the forums, post in the recruiting section.. Plenty of QA testers on there, some pros even.

Oh btw I'm a professional QA Tester, I'd offer my services to you for free if you were prepared to send me a beta and an NDA contract that didn't stop me from expressing my opinions of the game AFTER release to the public. Sadly I don't live in the USA rather Australia but if I did I'd be down their so fast to give you a 10,000 word thesis on why Spore failed miserably and why this expansion will or will not save it in gory details. All this could be yours if you just open the testing to EVERYONE not just Californians. Assuming that is, that this isn't a lame SPORE E3 style Tech Demo where they play the game for 10mins walk away and think "man that sucked" like I'm sure they did at E3 2007.

Anyway I'd suggest mailing out a closed beta to users as opposed to making them come to you. or better yet let em download the beta. I think the Face to Face element isn't needed and you're really just inconveniencing people and also over glorifying yourselves. Besides I'm thinking all you'll get is work experience kids/Interns as opposed to REAL QAs who are employed in the industry or meet the standards of the industry.

Heck if you were really serious you'd post this on Gamasutra Sounds to me you guys are just doing a meet and greet with no real purpose. Prove me wrong though.

Please PM me if you'd like to have me on as a casual tester (as my job takes up most of my time.) You'll find me to be one of the fastest QAs around. and yes I meet all of your requirements.. and then some.. its just you have an entire ocean in the way. If you found my comments to be rude.. well.. what kind of QAs do you have working for you? honestly a good QA doesn't suck up.. at all- else they're just sugar coating problems.

did you guys include you can beam down your creature from the spaceship? caz if it does al buy it

hi i am interested i joining your jan 13th and 14th testing please let me know i am in the sacramento area and i am a retired army vet and some free time and my entire family loves spore so this would be cool thanks jeff

if only I knew how to mod. I would personally make it my misson to get that code out of spore to get alll the stuff that was in the e3 2005 back into the game.

does this by the way mean new info about the expansion will be released very very soon? (unless the people visiting maxis get a NDA)

I would go but I need a way there.... I live in the opposite corner of NA..........

People interested in participating should probably learn to read and follow instructions:

If you’re interested, please send your email address to MaxisSaguaro@Maxis.com

The testing starts today, so it's probably too late to apply anyway.

I'm wondering if the people, that went to it can tell a bit about it.