The gaming industry is renowned for its dynamic nature, demanding a keen ability to adapt—a crucial quality for any project manager. Enter Sampath Kumar, Associate Project Manager at iXie, who possesses this adaptability in spades. 

Embarking on his journey as a test lead and ascending to the role of project manager, Sampath’s trajectory unfolds in this exclusive blog. Join us as we delve into his experiences and insights, navigating the ever-evolving landscape of game development. 

Games, Games and More Games! 

As a child of the 90s era, Sampath’s passion for gaming ignited with classics like Mario, Dave, Road Rash, and NFS—just like many of ours did. His journey evolved as he made the leap to PC and delved into the realm of multiplayer games. Upon entering college, Sampath discovered his gaming clan, bonding with friends over intense sessions of Counterstrike. The thrill escalated as he actively participated in tournaments and college fests, elevating his love for gaming to new heights. 

Game Testing, What’s That? 

It was a quirk of fate that brought Sampath into the gaming industry, arising from a routine interview for a call center position that unexpectedly unfolded into a unique opportunity. Much like many gamers of his time, Sampath was initially unaware of the existence of a role called a game tester. It was during the interlude while awaiting a call center interview that he first encountered the term “Game Tester.” Intrigued, Sampath swiftly opted to attend the game tester interview instead, requesting a week for preparation. The rest, as they say, is history.  

Entry into iXie 

Sampath, with four years of experience in the gaming industry and an additional four years as an entrepreneur, made a significant career shift when he joined iXie, the gaming division of Indium Software. Following his entrepreneurial venture, he recognized that this path was not aligning with his professional goals. Seeking opportunities in the industry, Sampath reached out to his network, and it was through one of these connections that he secured a position at iXie. 

“I like working at iXie. They are very open about the opportunities which they have here. Even though I re-joined the gaming industry after a 4-year break, they valued my opinion and if we are proactive and make contributions, we get recognized for it.” 

Life at iXie 

Over the course of five years at iXie, Sampath experienced notable career growth, progressing from a senior game tester to an Associate Project Manager. Throughout this period, he actively contributed to various captivating projects. One of the most challenging yet intriguing assignments was when he initially joined iXie and was assigned to the Center of Excellence (CoE) team. Tasked with testing a demanding PC game, Sampath described the project as exceptionally challenging, with the team working tirelessly, even overnight, to meet tight deadlines. 

Reflecting on the experience, Sampath acknowledged the project’s difficulty but also emphasized the enjoyable moments, highlighting the camaraderie among the team, making the challenging endeavor a memorable and rewarding one. 

The Future Path 

When queried about his future aspirations, Sampath, drawing from his entrepreneurial background, expressed a keen interest in transitioning into game production—an area that captivates his attention. He concluded by emphasizing the promising prospects of the gaming industry, highlighting the abundant opportunities available for individuals looking to venture into this dynamic field. 

“Technology has played a vital role in bringing gaming to where it is today, and I am sure that it will continue to do so. So, there are a lot of opportunities for gamers who are interested in joining this industry.” 

The post The journey of Sampath Kumar, Associate Project Manager at iXie  appeared first on iXie Gaming.

This quote proves itself very true in the case of Saravanan R, Senior Test Lead at iXie. Their unwavering passion for gaming led them to iXie, and it continues to propel them forward in the fiercely competitive gaming industry. Join us as we embark on a journey through Saravanan’s remarkable career in the gaming industry. 

Saravanan’s gaming odyssey began in his childhood, just like many gamers, as he immersed himself in brick games and console titles. However, what sets him apart from others is his unwavering commitment to a gaming career right from the onset. In his own words “My passion for games led me to pursue my first job as a video game tester. I instantly fell in love with it and knew it was the right career for me.” 

Entry into iXie 

Saravanan came to iXie with nearly 3 years of experience in game testing prior to which he has worked in a variety of companies. In his prior roles at other companies, his primary focus was on testing console games. However, since joining iXie, he has had the chance to broaden his experience by testing games on various platforms, including PC, mobile, consoles, and more. He’s also had the opportunity to engage in web testing. He states that iXie has been instrumental in expanding his skill set and advancing his career.   

Life at iXie 

On joining iXie one of the first projects he was involved with was a Crane Simulation Game. “It was a fascinating project. We were tasked with testing the simulation created by a game development company boasting a 3000-strong workforce. This company utilized the simulation for employee training, and our role was to ensure its functionality met their standards.” 

One being asked if there were any tools or techniques, he used to complete the project this is what he had to say “In our testing process, we don’t rely on specific tools, as the choice often depends on the device we’re testing. However, our mindset and approach during the testing phase are key techniques. Our way of thinking while testing games plays a pivotal role in our work.” 

His advice to game testers tasked with continuous 8-hour gameplay sessions, is to break down the tasks into smaller, manageable segments and take regular breaks. This approach will make the workload more manageable and keep them focused.   

Future Plans 

Going forward Saravanan plans to learn a whole lot more about testing, gaming and much more to better advance his career. He has a genuine passion for VR technology despite its challenging nature. He finds it an incredibly intriguing field as it offers the chance to explore entirely new and diverse virtual worlds.   

His parting words to aspiring game testers who aim to join this competitive industry are as follows “My advice would be to find a company like iXie that offers excellent growth opportunities and a clear path to advancement. iXie’s Game Training Academy provides free training for anyone interested, making it the ideal destination for aspiring gamers pursuing a career in the gaming industry.” 

He hopes that future game testers will make use of the opportunities around them as getting the job or not getting the job all depends on being at the right place, at the right time, with the right skills. 

The post A Journey Driven by Passion: Saravanan R’s Odyssey in the Gaming World  appeared first on iXie Gaming.

He looked at the screen and knew that this was what he loved to do. While he had no idea where his passion for gaming would take him, the seeds of his passion first sprouted during his early childhood. 

If we were to describe Naveen in a few words, it would be dedicated, hardworking, somewhat short-tempered and a big Anime lover. His favorite animes are Naruto, One Piece and Death Note.  

How it started 

While Naveen’s love for gaming started in childhood, it was further developed during his college years when he came across a gaming course which led to him entering the gaming industry. His initial interest was in game art production, and he learned the basis of creating game art in this course.  

But while he loved this aspect of the gaming industry it was not enough to keep his interest. In his own words “While game art development was interesting to learn, there were certain limitations on what you can contribute. You will be given a concept and you will draw it out and push it out into the pipeline and that will be it. But as a game tester, you can play different genres of games and give your input which can be used to improve the overall specs of the game. I felt it was important for me to see the games from the user’s perspective and I could do that as a game tester.” 

This eventually led him to iXie. 

From Game Art to Game QA 

His first introduction to iXie was through the IGTA (The iXie Game Training Academy), where he learned everything he needed to know about the gaming industry and about his role as a game tester. After completing his training at IGTA, he joined iXie as a Test Associate in September 2018. Naveen will be completing 5 years with iXie this September. 

On being asked how his time at iXie has helped him scale up this is what he has to say “At iXie, we can learn a lot about all aspects of gaming, not just the technical aspects. The learning at iXie is great.” 

His 5 years of learning and growth at iXie have been a great help to him in his career. From a Test Associate he is now a senior test engineer who is currently working on a pretty cool VR game project. This is a very exciting project for Naveen, as VR is a relatively new field, and he looks forward to bringing this project to fruition. 

Future Goals 

Going forward, Naveen wishes to make use of the knowledge and skills he has in game art production and involve himself in game development in order to expand his scope further. 

His advice to gamers who wish to enter the gaming industry is “You should not expect to be immediately given a high-end game to test when you have just entered the industry. So, keep your expectations to a minimum. Once you are familiar with your job role, you can get exposure to other genres and improve yourself. Game testing is not like other 9-5 jobs with fixed hours where you can come, work and then leave. While the timings are flexible you should also constantly keep improving yourself to advance further in this field.” 

The post Behind the Screen: The Chronicles of Naveen Kumar, Senior Test Engineer  appeared first on iXie Gaming.