What You Need To Know About Becoming A Video Game Tester

[Madeline Chandler]

While it might be very easy to imagine getting payed big bucks to play
video games, did you ever imagine that it was anything more than just
a wistful fantasy? Your dreams might be closer than you think as game
developers expand and refine their merchandise for a wider audience;
becoming a game tester is an occupation that can give you looks at the
newest releases months before they hit the shelves, insight and
contacts in a rapidly developing industry and some cash, all at once.
There's more to becoming a game tester than you might think. Of
course, a certain amount of skill regarding basic game play is
necessary; so are good documentation abilities! The job is to spot
errors, and while some are fairly straightforward ("hey, if you go too
far to the left here, parts of the scenery disappears!") others are
more complex, requiring several paragraphs of explanation. As a
tester, you will usually receive the game when it is anywhere from 50
to 75 percent done, and one thing that the programmers and your
employers will expect is a a steady stream of feedback.
Game testing can be a lot of fun, but keep in mind that it can also be
very demanding. You'll be working under tough deadlines, just like the
rest of the company, and you'll be expected to provide feedback to
make sure that the game itself runs smoothly. Spoken and written
communication skills cannot be emphasized enough in this kind of work.
Of course, the easiest way to get involved in game testing is to know
someone in the industry. While it's not all about who you know, it
certainly doesn't hurt. The nice thing is that it's not that hard to
get to know people. Check the forums of your favorite game designers,
be polite and jump on any hint of an offer of game testing, because,
face it, that's exactly what a hundred other people will be doing as
soon as they see that offer.
Game testing can be a full time job, and in many cases can be a very
lucrative option. This could be a good way to get your foot in the
door in the industry if you don't have a background in business,
design or programming, and even if it ends up not being your final
destination, you will definitely have played a lot of video games!