For the past month or so, Sony PlayStation has been holding a reality show called "The Tester" where gamers compete to become the next PlayStation Game Tester and get eliminated one by one each week, as new episodes were posted every Thursday on the PlayStation Store available for a Free Download. On April 8th, a Winner was Crowned - Our Personal Favorite of the Season - "Cyrus"! We know a lot of the readers of iTDA are gamers on multiple platforms, not just the iPhone, iPod Touch, & iPad: So we present you with The Tap Dat App™ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Will Powers, aka "Cyrus" from 'The Tester' to ask questions that readers from the site were wondering and a few personal questions of our own...KEY: The Bold Font represents what the TDA Team said, the Italic Font represents what Will said in reply:
How did you get the nickname Cyrus (or as seen on other places around the web, "UNCyrus")?
Cyrus has always been my gaming name, however when the PS3 and this current generation of consoles came out, I combined that with UNC (university of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) which is where I graduated from. That combined to make UNCyrus
Did you ever consider a career in gaming before you sent in your audition tape for 'The Tester'?
I have been trying to get into the gaming industry every since I graduated from college in December 2008. However it's hard to find an opportunity on the west coast, and with the economy the way it's been, there haven't been too many options.
In the months that have gone by since the show was actually recorded, have you given any thought to the possibility that the Game Testing job at PlayStation might not be everything it was cut out to be? After all, going to work is still...going to WORK and working for a company that makes fun & games doesn't guarantee that the work you're required to do will be all fun & games...Haha
Oh of course, I knew what a tester's job was when I applied for this competition. I know that it's not all 'fun and games' per say, however it really is a foot in the door into an industry that I have a lot of passion for.
For many people who have a career in the Gaming Industry, like with Dave Jaffe (Director of the hit game 'God of War'), Game Testing is simply the starting point, if this is the case with you as well, what would be the ultimate position or field in the gaming career that you would like to work as for Sony PlayStation eventually?
If you watch episode 8, then you get an idea of where I want to head in this industry. Right now I'm looking at a path into the localization department.
Obviously being a game enthusiast, we assume you knew about people like Kevin Butler (Vice President at PlayStation) before you were on the show, so do you feel nervous about being intimated or awkward around any well-known PlayStation employees once you start your job there?
No, that's actually going to be a perk. Because I feel like the people I'm going to be working with will already feel like they 'know' me. Now it'll just be my job to get to know them too.
Were you allowed to tell anyone (such as your immediate family or close friends) about winning the job at PlayStation before the Finale of 'The Tester' aired? Was it hard or frustrating at all to keep it a secret?
According to my NDA's I wasn't allowed to tell anyone, however that's absurd not being able to tell your own immediate family since the prize involved me moving across country. It was really hard for me to sit on this secret for 6 months.
HomlyRocket on the PlayStation Network asks, "Do you have any plans on what you are going to use the $5000 Signing Bonus on?"
Unfortunately that $5000 signing bonus has covered my moving expenses to relocated to San Diego, not much more.
Is there any one specific moment from the show that you really wish had been included in the final cuts of 'The Tester' episodes?
Hahaha, yes! During the outtakes you got a hint at it. But there was a dance-off / battle on the first day that we were on set. And I did the white-boy-tornado. If you don't know what it is... look it up.
We cover a lot of app related stuff on our website so we just have to ask: Do you own an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad? Regardless, do you have a certain view on current and future gaming for the iDevice platform? And with that being said, albinopanther on the PlayStation Network asks, "Do you play games on multiple systems or are you a strictly PS3-kind-of Guy?"
I have an iPod touch and a Droid phone. However I really don't use them for gaming that often. I'm more of a traditional gamer and hardly like to do it with portable devices. I play games on multiple platforms, however my console of choice is by far the PS3.
Last, but certainly not least, do you know of any possible explanation behind the furniture item available in the PlayStation Home Theater called "Tester: Sneakered Monkey" with the description "Guaranteed not to fling poo."? We have no idea how this item relates to 'The Tester' (unless it is some type of inside joke or something that got cut from the show) and it just seems so misplaced and bizarre haha.
Great question! The producers of the show gave our bio's and audition tapes to some product designers in the PS Home team and they came up with some objects that loosely related to the cast... IE the surgeon scrubs for Doc, etc.
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That's All For The Tap Dat App™ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with the Winner of 'The Tester', Will "Cyrus" Powers! We wish Will the Best of Luck at his New Job as Sony PlayStation's Next Game Tester, which he starts on April 19th!
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