Getting to Knowmade: James Wilson

Another champion of QA arises! Meet James, latest member of the hero squad to overcome wanton bugs and other such undesirables from our game! It’s his level head and excellent humour that make him truly indispensable, and we couldn’t be happier to have him on board. Now let’s get to know him, shall we?

James! What do you do at Glowmade?

I am a Quality Assurance Technician, which means I am on the lookout for bugs or things that are broken as Glowmade works its magic.

Now how would your mum describe your job?

Playing games all day, probably? But then they would probably have said that before I joined Glowmade!

How did you get to this point in your career?

This is my first role in the game industry. My first job was in an old fashioned sweet shop (not ideal for someone with a sweet tooth!)

I’ve also worked as IT support, delivered groceries for a well known supermarket, and been a picture framer (which was cool, as I got to see a lot of interesting art). My most recent, as well as longest held job, was in property administration.

What made you want to pursue games?

My good friend Alex (who also works in Glowmade QA!) let me know that the studio was looking for more QA staff, and he knew I was looking to move on to something new. After passing on going to university to study Graphic Design and Illustration, I didn’t think there would be much chance of me working in this industry; he pushed me to get my application in and I’m very glad he did!

Share something you love doing outside of everything video games.

Tinkering with technology; I have what has been described as a ‘computer graveyard’ with lots of different old PCs and parts. In a similar way, I’m interested in classic cars too.

Who or what inspires you?

My dad. I’ve always found the way he continued to get out of bed, commute, and work – despite having cancer twice – hugely inspiring.

What game do you wish you could’ve developed?

The original Doom. It sounds like it would have been an exciting place to be and it was made during a really interesting time in game development.

Share something you appreciate about yourself. Give yaself a pat on the back, why don’t ya?

I’m glad I’m open minded and empathetic. I always try to consider how something I say or do might affect someone else. Living in a busy city like London, it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race and become self-centered.

What’s the best thing about working at Glowmade?

There’s a few! The people are all super talented and lovely to be around. The studio culture is also great, always aiming to look after those working here.

Anyone on the team who stands out as a role model, or source of inspiration, perhaps?

Dee <3 He brings lots of energy into the office, we’ve had some great conversations too and he clearly has a lot of knowledge about the industry. The QA team have also been massively helpful in getting me up to speed and answering all my questions!

What do you want from your career? What goals are you looking forward to vaulting past?

That’s a big question after only being here a short while! I’d love to be able to use my skills from my previous work in administration, or use my knowledge of gaming to help design or guide future projects at the studio. For now I’m more than content just to learn from the people here and squash bugs!

What are your top tips for someone looking to get into games?

If you’re an artist or developer, send your CV/Portfolio to studios even if they aren’t advertising. See what jobs are currently in demand, and if possible learn skills that would allow you to meet that demand. Keep learning and working hard and don’t lose heart if you’re not successful straight away!

In your opinion, who is the cutest Glowmade pet?

But they’re all so cute! I can’t pick just one!

If you had to pick one game to play for the rest of your life, what would it be?

*panics* Rocket League or Halo 2.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Procrastination… or the High School Musical films.

(YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!)

There’s one biscuit left in the tin and it’s your favourite… what is it?

There are so many great biscuits, it’s hard to choose 🙁 Probably Border’s Butterscotch Crunch. Annnnd now I’m craving them…