Nearly two years ago, I decided to shake the snow globe that was my world for the sake of change. The last couple of months I’ve had my mind mangled by having too many choices available to me and I’ve been distracted for some time while I wondered whether or not there was a difference between basking in a comfort zone and being lazy. And like I said before, there was a reason for it all the tourment and the little snippets that leaked to the blog.

Two years after accepting an SDET job with MSDN, I’m making a change: I’ll be working as an SDET for Microsoft Game Studios.

Specifically, I’ll be working in Tools and Technologies (TnT) within Microsoft Game Studios (MGS). To me TnT is sorta like working on the MSDN equivalent for gamers both in Microsoft and for third party games developers, but with more deliverables – at least more than just content. TnT doesn’t make specific games per se – they make components that other games will use. I could give you specifics on features in games that you know about – and others that you don’t yet! – that are the fruits of TnT’s labor but I don’t know that I’m allowed to… *g* And what’s more, they’re executing tasks for the Xbox 360 and for PC Games.

In their own words: Game Essentials/Tools & Technology – The Game Essentials group sits at the center of it all. Providing writing and editing, operations, testing, user research, and tools and technology to all MGS studios (both internal and external), the group works across MGS and on every MGS game. Within Game Essentials, TNT is the team dedicated to delivering tools and technology to MGS game teams. The team is built on Microsoft’s commitment to helping game developers control costs and do their best work on Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. TNT builds and integrates technology in two categories: technology that is essential to every game and technology that helps game teams showcase new ideas.

Sound cool? They’re still hiring within MGS: MGS Jobs has more information about MGS and what they we do. And there’s no doubt that I’ll miss MSDN… I’ve had a hell of a run with them. In fact, I’ve wondered recently what life will be like without coming to the same building… I mean, this is the only group I’ve worked for at Microsoft so far – they are Microsoft to me. Especially since we’re in one of the first six buildings on campus.

I did the math for it the other day: I’ve worked on 37 versions of five different products and libraries and have written about 30K lines of code between test tasks and product releases. Not too shabby for 23 months of work… but as Visual Studio Team Foundation was making its way out the door and I noticed a gap between products, I thought, “hm, maybe it’s time for something new.” So there you go. And props to Tommy for guessing that there was a work change coming.

Anyway… the snow globe shakes itself again.