17 interview questions to be ready for [🎮 Games User Research]
Plus Bungie's Kirk Rodgers on his hiring secrets
Hello friends.
A slight change in format this month. I’ve previously been combining Games UX career guidance and playtesting methods into the same newsletter. I’m going to start splitting these topics out, so look out for another newsletter from me later this month where we dive deeper into playtesting.
Our focus for this week’s newsletter is getting you ready to ace an interview in games user research, and some of the questions you should be prepared to answer.
Also we have:
Details of an upcoming Black Friday Deal for the Playtest Kit
A landmark milestone for How To Be A Games User Researcher
Bungie’s Kirk Rodgers shares his approach for hiring researchers, and tips for applying for research roles.
Some great Games UX Research jobs.
Let’s go!
17 Games UX Research Job Interview Questions To Prepare For
Preparing for interviews is an emotional rollercoaster.
First there is the elation of finally hearing back from a games studio, and getting the interview.
Then the dread sets in – what are they going to ask, what do I need to do to prepare, and how can I make sure I don’t miss this chance to work at the company of my dreams?
In this post we’ll look at what you might be asked in job interviews, and the themes interviewers will explore.
Preparing for these will help you to ace the interview.
Playtest Kit over Black Friday
For studios who want to get started with playtesting, the Playtest Kit offers everything you need to get started - every template and process required to :
Find playtesters
Set up the tech needed to run any type of study
Write surveys
Design + coordinate playtests
Run moderated and unmoderated research
Interview players
Analyse your data to draw reliable gameplay conclusions.
If you’re thinking of buying the 5* rated Playtest Kit soon… hold off! Over Black Friday, I’ll be running a discount + bundle, precisely to get studios running better playtests immediately. Keep an eye out for more in the next few weeks!
Kirk Rodgers – Research Director at Bungie - on how to get hired
Kirk Rodgers is an experienced research leader, who has worked on titles such as the Halo series, Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
As an experienced hiring manager, he has a lot of great insight into what teams are looking for when hiring researchers. He was kind enough to give up his time to talk about his approach to assessing candidates.
We covered the skills that he looks for in candidates, how those skills are assessed and the need for patience when trying to get your first games user research role.
A milestone for How To Be A Games User Researcher
Last month we hit 1,000 sales of the book - which I’m incredibly proud of.
Since launch I’ve been blown away by the reception to the book, and have loved to hear stories from people who successfully used the book to get their own first job in games.
I’m also super proud of the reviews - with it hitting 4.9 out of 5 on amazon, and an amazing 47 reviews (I read every one, do keep sharing them!)
Thank you everyone who has picked up the book, and everyone who has left a review - they genuinely do help!
Games UX Research Jobs
Research Internship working on Destiny with Bungie (hey, why not read Kirk’s interview above for inspiration!)
User Researcher at thatgamecompany (a bit more senior than those other roles)
Find the latest jobs on the gamesuserresearch.com website
That’s it for this week - look out for another games research update later this month where we will look at the best remote platforms to use for playtests. I’ve had lots of really productive chats with the playtesting companies this month, and looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned.
As always, do share this with friends and colleagues, or drop me an email if you have any questions!
Thanks
Steve 🦆