Every studio’s quality problems are different, so every engagement starts with a conversation and scales to what you need.
What you can expect
Conversation and discovery
A free first call. Once we’ve agreed on scope, I interview leads across production, engineering, design, and QA to see how quality actually works in your studio, including the tools and automation already in place.
Where I’ve done this: At 6FT, working across several international studios on Dreadnought and RiME, which meant managing upward and getting stakeholders aligned on best practices.
Risk assessment
A review of your test process, tools, partners, and release history, scaled to the access you’re comfortable sharing. With full access, it ranks the specific features and systems where failures would hurt players or the business most. With limited access, it focuses on process-level risks and where they’re likely to show up. Either way, it flags where automation or AI-assisted testing could catch problems earlier.
Where I’ve done this: At Boundless Entertainment, where success was measured by feature risk reduction and confidence in content releases.
A plan and the right team
A written plan for studio leadership covering what to fix first, the team you need, and how internal staff, outside partners, and automation, including AI agents, fit together. It includes a milestone map built with your producers, showing when each QA change happens and how it lines up with your production schedule.
Where I’ve done this: At NaturalMotion, coordinating sister studios and vendors in a follow-the-sun model across time zones, and at Boundless, building internal and external test teams.
Putting it in place
Hands-on help or coaching for your leads while the changes take hold, including setting up automation and AI-assisted tools so they support your testers, not replace their judgment.
Where I’ve done this: At Blizzard, building an automation team and shifting QA coverage left so testing started earlier in development, and at Zynga, moving FarmVille 2 development to India and expanding ad test automation.
Leaving it sustainable
Processes, measures, automated checks, and leads that keep working after I step back, or a path to ongoing leadership if your studio needs it.
Where I’ve done this: At CaptureAge, working with World’s Edge (Microsoft) on what became the best-received DLCs in Age of Empires franchise history, and leaving sustainable quality processes in place.
Ways to work together
- Assessment. A fixed-scope review of your quality process with a written plan.
- Advisory. Regular sessions with your QA and production leads while your team does the work.
- Project. Hands-on help with a specific change, such as standing up a live support team, restructuring QA, onboarding a test vendor, or bringing AI agents into your test workflow.
- Interim or fractional leadership. Leading QA part time or full time while you hire.
When a studio needs more
Some problems need a leader in the building, not an advisor. If an engagement shows that your studio needs ongoing QA leadership, I’m open to joining full time. By then you’ll know how I work, and I’ll know your team.
Pricing
Each engagement is scoped and priced after the first conversation.