Last week’s grueling teamwork challenge pushed the cast to their limits and this week, Episode 5 ramps up the pressure with an intense creativity challenge. With nearly half of the original cast eliminated, the seven remaining gamers are given the opportunity to create a video game concept and actually pitch it to a focus group of real PlayStation testers. Add to the mix the critical eye of this week’s guest panelist, Kotaku reviews editor Michael McWhertor, and you won’t want to miss what does down in Episode 5.

Download Episode 5 of “The Tester 2″ from the video side of PlayStation Store and later today on the games side after the update. Or, watch in PlayStation Home starting on Wednesday when the next ‘Game Over’ shirt is available in The Tester theater.

This Week’s Prize Package

To inspire your own gaming creativity, we’re giving away one of the most innovative products of the year, the PlayStation Move. Along with the PlayStation Move starter bundle, this week’s Episode 5 ‘Download & Win’ winner will also receive Kung Fu Rider, The Fight: Lights Out, and a “The Tester” Limited Edition PS3 system. Entering the ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes is as simple as downloading Episode 5 of “The Tester 2” from the PlayStation Store. See the official rules here.

More Extra Scenes

Here’s a look at a couple Episode 4’s extra scenes we thought you might enjoy.

Catch all the Season 2 ‘Extra Scenes’ in ‘The Clips’ section on the official “The Tester” website or on the PlayStation YouTube Channel under “The Tester” playlist.

Thanks again for watching. Enjoy Episode 5.

During the first three episodes of “The Tester 2,” the cast has been tested on their PlayStation knowledge, attention to detail, memorization and communication skills. This week, it’s time to see what they’re truly made of in the most physically demanding teamwork challenge of the season, inspired by Medal of Honor. We’ll see who can really dig into the trenches and continue to prove that they have what it takes to be the next PlayStation QA Tester.

Along with the Medal of Honor themed challenge comes the Tier 1 beard! Greg Goodrich, EA’s executive producer for Medal of Honor, joins both Adrianne Curry and Brent Gocke to determine who’s moving up the ranks and who’s turning in their badge.

Episode 4 of “The Tester 2” debuts today only on the PlayStation Network. Look to download from the PlayStation Store later today after the update and check it out in PlayStation Home starting Wednesday to receive a new ‘Game Over’ T-shirt.

This Week’s Prize Package

Continuing with our Medal of Honor theme, this week’s ‘Download & Win’ prize is a copy of the newly released Medal of Honor Limited Edition signed by Greg Goodrich and a ‘The Tester” Limited Edition PS3 system. Download Episode 4 from the PlayStation Store to be automatically entered to win. See the official rules here.

More Deleted Scenes

This season we increased the length of the episodes for “The Tester 2” to show you more behind the scenes with the cast. However, there is still more that wasn’t included in each episode. Check back on ‘The Clips’ section on the official “The Tester” website for previous Extra Scenes. Here is a sneak peek at some of the deleted scenes from Episode 3.

Catching up with Fantasy Girl

Fantasy Girl was one of the quieter cast members in the house. However, she definitely had a lot to say after her season ended, including an outburst that was not shown in Episode 3. Check out PlayStation LifeStyle’s weekly podcast to learn more about Fantasy Girl.

Enjoy Episode 4 and tell us what you think!

The pressure of the competition looms large in this week’s test of communication skills as the 9 remaining gamers grapple with a Fat Princess inspired challenge involving turrets, blindfolds, and a megaphone. With one of the most critical skills on the line this week, who’s got the chops not to get chopped?

SCEA Santa Monica Studio Senior Producer, Deborah Mars, joins the panel in Week 3 as the gamers are taken way out of their comfort zones to see who is the most well rounded communicator.

Be sure to download Episode 3 of “The Tester 2” available only on the PlayStation Network in the PlayStation Store. Starting Wednesday watch it with your friends in “The Tester 2” theater in PlayStation Home to receive this week’s ‘Game Over’ T-shirt.

This Week’s Prize Package

For Week 3 of our ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes, we are giving away a pair of Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphones and “The Tester” Limited Edition PS3 system. Download Episode 3 from PlayStation Store by November 22 to be automatically entered to win. See the official rules here.

And, congratulations to Keith M., from Long Island, NY who won the God of War III Ultimate Edition, and ‘The Tester’ Limited Edition PS3 system both autographed by Episode 1 guest panelist, Stig Asmussen.

More with Samurai

Looking to hear more from Samurai? Be sure to check in on PlayStation LifeStyle’s weekly podcast, where they talk to Samurai about his participation on the show and what game he’s currently trying to platinum.

Don’t miss Episode 3!

After last week’s PlayStation Network Season Premiere of the “The Tester 2,” we are quickly down to ten (10) gamers all competing for the job at PlayStation, the $5,000 signing bonus, a limited edition ‘The Tester’ PS3 system, and a 46” Sony 3D Bravia Television.

In Episode 2, President and Founder of Insomniac Games, Ted Price, joins the panel as the cast travels to historic Edwards Air Force Base to band together for their first team challenge of the season.

With precision and memorization skills tested this week, who’s going to stand out? Who will step it up as a leader? Who’s going to crumble under the physical demands of this week’s challenge? Get all the answers in Episode 2 of “The Tester 2” from PlayStation Store or watch with your friends in ‘The Tester’ theater in PlayStation Home where we’re also rewarding the first ‘Game Over’ shirts.

This Week’s Prize Package

And don’t forget to download each episode during the season for a weekly chance to win great prizes from our ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes. The sweepstakes continue this week with a Sony Cyber-Shot T99 digital camera, a ‘The Tester’ Limited Edition PS3 system, and signed copies of Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time and Resistance 2 from Ted Price. See the official rules here.

The First 11:00 Minutes of Season 2

If you haven’t seen Episode 1 yet, the first eleven (11:00) minutes of the Season Premiere are now playing on the PlayStation YouTube Channel and the official “The Tester” website. Be sure to download the complete episode from the PlayStation Network.

Extra Scenes!

For those of you who didn’t get enough of Episode 1, we’ve got some Extra Scenes from Episode 1 also now playing on The Tester website, PlayStation’s YouTube channel and in PlayStation Home in ‘The Tester’ theater.

Also, for those looking to get to know a little more about Boo and Max1m, be sure to check out the PlayStation LifeStyle podcast. The PlayStation LifeStyle crew takes a deeper dive into why Boo and Max1me tried out for “The Tester 2” and what happened behind the scenes.

Who’s your favorite? Vote now by heading over to ‘The Tester’ tab on the PlayStation Facebook page. We reset the “Likes” and you can now see who’s getting the most ‘votes’.

We hope you enjoy episode 2.

We introduced the new cast, including our first-ever nationwide online casting contest winner. The panelists are set. Will Powers is fired up. And the sneak peeks and ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes have been revealed. So what else is left? Yup, you guessed it – it’s time to watch “The Tester!”

Later today, Episode 1 of PlayStation Network’s original competitive reality series, “The Tester 2” will premiere on PlayStation Store and in PlayStation Home.

The first season brought in more than 2.5 million downloads and produced a ton of excitement from the show’s fans and we think that excitement will continue into season 2. We went bigger and bolder for the production of “The Tester 2” with more “behind-the-scenes” with the cast, tougher challenges featuring games such as Medal of Honor and Gran Turismo 5, longer episodes, and even more surprises down the road!

Adrianne Curry and Brent Gocke will sit alongside guest panelists, like Stig Asmussen and Ted Price, to decide the fate of these 12 hardcore gamers competing to win a job as an official PlayStation game tester for SCEA’s Quality Assurance department in San Diego, Calif.

Be sure to check back this afternoon for the first episode of Season 2 (available for free download in both high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) formats) on the PlayStation Store or visit PlayStation Home to watch with your friends later this evening in Theater 6.

And don’t forget to download each episode during the season for a weekly chance to win great prizes from our ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes. The sweepstakes kicks off today with a God of War III: Ultimate Edition and ‘The Tester’ limited edition PS3 system both autographed by guest panelist Stig Asmussen. See the official rules here.

You can also follow “The Tester” on Facebook with the show’s ‘tab’ on the PlayStation Facebook page. The Tester tab will allow fans to “Like” their favorite cast members and watch previews of each week’s new episode during the season.

We hope you enjoy season 2 and we look forward to your comments throughout the series run.

To get you ready for the Season Premiere next week on Tuesday, November 2, we’re releasing a special ‘Preview Show’ today that features more about the cast, a glimpse at what you’ll see this season and, most importantly, casting submission outtakes from folks that didn’t come close to making the cut. Our good friend and Season 1 panelist, Hal Sparks hosts this preview.

While Hal was unavailable for Season 2 because of his touring schedule, he was able to check out the hopefuls, provide his hilarious perspective, and introduce his replacement, Adrianne Curry… all in this short preview episode.

During the season, you’ll see cast members win challenges and also valuable PlayStation and Sony prizes like a PlayStation Move bundle or a Sony HD HandyCam. You, the audience and fans of “The Tester,” will also have the opportunity to win the prizes seen on the show with our ‘Download & Win’ sweepstakes.

From a God of War III: Ultimate Edition (signed by Creative Director, Stig Asmussen) featured in next week’s Season Premiere to a Sony HX8 46” 3D Bravia TV grand prize from the series finale, all you have to do is download the episode from PlayStation Store to be automatically entered into each week’s prize drawing. For details, visit the ‘Download & Win’ section at www.thetester.com.

With only one week until the Season Premiere of “The Tester”, we’re looking forward to your impression of the Preview Show and we can’t wait for everyone to see the premiere on Tuesday, November 2.

The countdown to the debut of “The Tester” Season 2 is now underway with just two weeks to go until the Season Premiere on Tuesday, November 2nd. The new season promises to be bigger and bolder with more behind-the-scenes with the cast, bigger challenges, and, as many of you requested, longer episodes. For a taste of what’s to come, here’s the first-ever glimpse at the new season!

This trailer, in all its HD glory, is also available from PlayStation Store later today along with “The Tester” theme featuring the cast and panelists. You’ll find both in the “Media” section under “The Tester” icon.

And, next Tuesday, we’ll be releasing a Preview Show featuring hilarious casting submission outtakes and more about each cast member. Finally, you’ll also be able to follow “The Tester” on Facebook with the show’s new tab on the PlayStation Facebook page. The new tab will allow you to “Like” your favorite cast members and watch previews of each week’s new episode during the season.

We’re very excited about the upcoming Season 2 and hope you’ll join us on the PlayStation Network on Tuesday, November 2 when Meredith Molinari, Adrianne Curry, Brent Gocke and Guest Panelist, Stig Asmussen make the first decisions on who stays in the PlayStation loft…and who goes home first.

It’s been almost six months since the end of the inaugural season of “The Tester”. In April, we introduced you to our first winner, Will “Cyrus” Powers. As we prepare for the second season of “The Tester,” set to premiere on Tuesday, November 2, we thought it would be a good time to catch up with Will about his experience as a QA Tester for PlayStation, how it has affected his gaming habits and impacted his trophy collection. So what’s up with Will these days? Well, here’s what we learned…

Kevin Furuichi, executive producer for PlayStation Network: It has been six months since you started working at Sony. What has the experience been like?

Will Powers, winner of “The Tester”: The experience overall has been a blast. Testing may not be a super glamorous position, but its importance within the industry cannot be overstated. Being able to get my hands on games six months, sometimes even a year, before they are released is still just as exhilarating as it was the first time. But, the most rewarding part of the job? As simple as it sounds, just seeing my name in the credits of a game triggers a feeling of accomplishment that will never get old.

KF: What is working as a QA Tester like? In your opinion, what was the biggest takeaway of your work experience? How has the hard work paid off for you?

WP: Being a QA Tester is a great experience for anyone looking to get into the industry. That’s something that is invaluable about having a firsthand experience seeing how a game comes together from start to finish. Once you have experienced this, you have a greater appreciation for any game as a whole, and the amount of work that goes into it. I’d like to think that all of the hard work I’ve put into this has paid off. I approach situations with the mindset that every contact you make is an important one and I think people in the industry appreciate when people are genuine with them.

KF: Do you still keep in contact with a lot of the cast?

WP: I do keep in contact with a lot of the cast. A cool little trip I had the chance to take was attending E3, where I got the opportunity to hang with “Amped,” “Doc,” and “Nauseous” from the show. But on a regular basis, I often find myself playing co-op or competitive multiplayer with these people, because we’re all always online.

KF: How’s the trophy hunt going? At the end of Season 1, you were sitting at 39 platinum trophies. Any recent trophies that you are especially proud of?

WP: Ha! Funny that you might ask. Recently I surpassed the 3000 trophy point as well as attained my 45th platinum trophy. The Killzone 2 platinum was a particular beast. Between being in the top 1% of all of the online players, to beating the game on Elite difficulty, this is one of the prizes in my collection.

KF: How does being a QA Tester change your gaming habits? What game is currently in your PS3 or PSP?

WP: Great question! It most certainly does change your gaming habits. We joke about it being sort of a “curse” if you let it. I find myself accidentally “breaking” games when I go home. But in the end, I just have to focus on enjoying the games and PLAYING them normally instead of TESTING the games. Currently? I’m running through Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. Playing co-op with the PlayStation Move on that game is so much fun, I just can’t get enough of it. It truly has breathed new life into that game. As far as the PSPgo(es)… see what I did there? *laughs* I haven’t been able to put Valkyria Chronicles II down. This is actually my favorite franchise, and despite the naysayers about this franchise going portable, I think I’d go out on a limb and say that I like this second installment into the series even more than the original.

KF: Let’s talk about the upcoming new season. Tell us what you think of the cast for Season 2. Have you picked a favorite?

WP: It’s hard for me to objectively look at the cast of Season 2, since there will obviously be comparisons to last year’s cast (and I have a personal bias toward them). However, I’m looking forward to seeing what new things these 12 contestants are going to bring to the table. Because from everything I’ve heard, Season 2 is going to be bigger and better than Season 1 in every aspect. For those reasons, I’m not picking a favorite. However, that’s not to say that there won’t be a betting pool here at work as to who our next co-worker will be!

KF: You got a sneak peek at the Season 2 trailer, what are your expectations for the new season?

WP: They’re in for a lot of surprises this season, for sure! The challenges are harder, the panelists are tougher, and the stakes are higher this season. Let’s just hope all 12 contestants brought their A-games, otherwise they’re going to be sent packing, and quickly!

KF: If there is one thing that you would like to tell the winner of the second season, what would it be?

WP: Make the most of it! The job is a foot in the door into the industry, but it’s up to you what you do with it after that. So, take this great opportunity that you fought tooth and nail to win, and make something of it!

It’s been a pleasure getting to know Will this year. We wish him all the best as he continues to take full advantage of this opportunity at SCEA. As for the Season 2 trailer that he mentioned? We’re releasing it on next Tuesday, October 19 with the Preview Show on Tuesday, October 26 and then the Season Premiere on Tuesday, November 2.