Introducing the bug busting hit squad

We get some decidely odd press releases sent to us, but one of the most bizarre of recent weeks is the announcement from quality assurance experts Babel Media that they are forming a "hit squad" to "take the pressure off software developers and publishers with tight delivery deadlines". Developers will no doubt be sorry to hear that the hit squad is actually a mobile QA unit made up of experienced beta testers, and not a group of shadowy assassins dedicated to knocking off annoying producers and "persuading" publishers that your games really don't need to be released before Christmas.

The unit is designed to help publishers rigorously test their games ready for release in the traditional retail rush to Christmas and Thanksgiving, during which time many a game comes adrift thanks to bugs and gameplay flaws that were missed by over-worked or merely incompetent in-house beta testers. Babel Media have apparently worked on titles ranging from "Grand Prix 3" to "Championship Manager 3", and "Final Fantasy VIII" to "Rollercoaster Tycoon" - certainly an impressive resume. For the full skinny, read the press release.