Dear Gamer,

Do you know that game that you waited in the frigid cold of November outside of a GameStop until midnight to get? The next new Call of Duty knockoff? That new IP that everyone is hyped about? You have no idea the journey that you're about to get yourself into. But I do, and I think you'll enjoy it.

For the past 4 months, maybe even longer, I've had my hands elbows deep in this game. I worked with the developers to make sure there weren't any major bugs that would ruin your gameplay experience. I made sure that you wouldn't waste your hard earned $60, whether it be from trade-ins, allowance, or from a job or career. It's not a job that I was getting paid to do, nor was I getting any benefits in-game aside from a meaningless weapon skin or whatnot. I did this for you.

I watched this game grow up from a few untextured blocks into a fully functioning specimen of modern day graphics technology. It's almost like my baby, but not by birth. I am merely a daycare worker whom the gaming industry entrusts to take care of their baby, nothing more. Nevertheless, the game that you will come to love is not the same one I did. After many overhauls, upgrades, subsequent downgrades, and updates, the game I tested is not the one in your hand. It is something different. A horrendous mixture of final cuts, budget cuts, hardware limitations, this game went from lowly to great to lowly again. Unless the greed of the industry is no more, the best part of the game that l loved will be left far behind on the cutting room floor.

I would have told you sooner, but the company gagged me and told me I was not allowed to tell anyone that I had my hands on this game early. Perhaps it was for the best, as spoilers and leaks would have ruined the game for you and perhaps you wouldn't be reading this letter while standing in line to get it.

I think in the coming months I'll hear you scream "Nerf this! Buff that! Add this and that!", and I'll just sit back and laugh. There will be a forum war over this game, that thought has not left my mind and will stay there forevermore. I wish you could have seen the game through my eyes. Maybe you'd have more respect for the developers, their time, and their work. Perhaps you'd see just how far this game has come before you scream these terrible things. You'd appreciate the game how it was and not expect the developers to add in content that you want or you feel that you deserve.

So as you inch towards the front of the line, remember all of the work that went into this game. I'll be online, testing the next great game that you'll have in your hands sometime next November. Just be sure to remember the testers, and look forward to the game.

Perhaps our paths will cross, but I don't think they will.

Signed,

A Career Game Tester