How Do You Become a Video Game Tester?

[Marie Neill]

As long as games get more popular as time goes by, gaming companies
have to assure that the games they release are totally playable and
have no bugs or errors. Because software engineers can't notice every
glitch just by looking at the code, beta testers are essential. It is
their business to make sure that every character, map or weapon works
smoothly.
Given the fact that not many people are actually aware that such a job
exists, big companies in the gaming industry are having trouble
getting people to check their future releases. Some have never played
a game in their lives, some might just go through the entire game and
report no bug at all, even though bugs exist.
Speaking of what a video game testing job involves, most people
usually have preconceived conceptions about it. Firstly, game testers
do not make $200 an hour just for playing Grand Theft Auto all day or
whenever it suits them.
A novice video game tester's pay usually starts at $10-$15 an hour and
increases with the experience. That is why most advanced testers get
around $40-$50 an hour or, if they are truly committed and gained lots
of experience, even about $80 an hour.
In order to get paid, a beginner beta tester is required to make sure
that getting through the whole game is completely possible and report
each error encountered during playing. Besides, game testers need to
test every map, character or whatever and make sure they function
right.
This occupation might get truly tedious or even challenging, as
sometimes testers are required to test a whole video game in a matter
of weeks or sometimes even days. When these situations occur, getting
up at 1 PM may no longer be possible, but at least it provides the
experience needed to earn a higher pay check in the future.