Video Games

Video game beta testing is one of the greatest careers in the world. Video game quality assurance testers get the opportunity to play new releases before they hit the shelves and review them for bugs and glitches in exchange for a pretty penny. At home video game testing certainly won’t get you millions of dollars, but who cares when you earn it by playing games?! But what exactly is video game beta testing and how do you manage to get a job as a video game quality assurance tester? This article will give you a rundown of both of these subjects so you can get started in your video game tester career.

First, what is a video game quality assurance tester, and what do they do exactly? Well it’s pretty straightfoward, a video game tester will test games before they are released so that the game company can determine whether or not there are glitches that will push back the release, and ultimately cost them money. Without testers, people would be playing glitch filled games every day of the week, and game companies would ultimately end up losing customers because their games would be considered glitchy all the time.

However, this isnt’ the only job of video game quality assurance testers. On the contrary, video game beta testing involves more than just the technical aspects of gaming, but also the subjective aspects. That is to say, testers will often be able to make small creative changes through their input. This isn’t anything you should get excited about if you’re thinking of a video game tester career, by the way, but it is something that happens.

Speaking of thinking about a game testing career, make sure you realize a few things before jumping in:

1. The pay ain’t great. Okay, so you do make – per hour starting out, and you can ultimately move up to upt o – per hour if you get a permanent position on a development team, but you should really love games because you’ll work for every last penny.

2. Video game tester applications don’t exist. That’s right, you need to really be serious about hounding game companies for information. You won’t get a job looking for a company that has “Now hiring” outside their windows with an apply inside poster. It just won’t happen.

3. Don’t be a video game play tester. That’s a video game quality assurance tester who plays around isntead of getting the job done. If you get into the field, don’t be one because you’ll alienate people who take the job seriously. Don’t get me wrong, if you work hard when it’s time to work, but joke a little while testing that’s fine, but don’t get too involved in playing and keep track of your job.

Well, that’s about all you need to know about all this video game testing stuff. Well, not all you need to know. For more information about finding and getting jobs as a video game quality assurance tester, visit this site where you can find resources that help people become a video game tester. Good luck, young Padawan!

There are some fundamental characteristics that are exhibited my most successful video game testers that help them do well in this job market. If you are looking for video game tester jobs it certainly helps to enjoy playing video games, and in most cases the time spent in gaming activities has improved your eye-hand coordination to the point that you have good gaming skills and an understanding of video game play beyond the average person.

Unfortunately most “wanna-be” video game testers fool themselves into believing that a love of video gaming and some talent is all that is required to be successful at video game tester jobs and get paid to play video games all day long. Should you be fortunate enough to be hired as a video game tester under this false sense of understanding, you will be in for a rude awakening, and in many cases not last long in any game testers jobs.  

It is vital that we make an important distinction between being paid to test video games and video game beta testing.  Game beta testing is done by volunteers, who usually test the full version of the game just before the release date looking for any last minute problems to report. No payment is generally involved for game beta testing other than getting to play a new game before the general public sees it. This article focuses on the actual job where people get paid to play video games in the role of testers.

Welcome to the “real world” of being a paid video games tester. Your job is very important despite the fact that you are often making only minimum wages as an entry level video games tester. The fate of the gaming development company is on your shoulders since you are the ones who must find any problems or “bugs” within the game so they can be fixed or eliminated before the game can be sold to the buying public. No game development company can afford to have a “lemon” or seriously flawed video game released to the public. It could cost them millions of dollars in research and development and destroy their reputation in the competitive video game marketplace for a long time.

Game testers jobs may require you to work on many repetitive tasks such as playing the same level of the game numerous times, switching the gaming device on and off over and over, checking and rechecking in-game messaging capabilities, and the list goes on. Close to the release date of the game, you may be requested to work extended hours to ensure any and all potential problems with the video game have been identified by your team of video game testers and still be fixed in time.

So what kind of job qualities do you need to be a successful paid video games tester? Given the kinds of work that you will be required to do, especially as an entry level video games tester, the following qualities will serve you well.

Are you

willing to do the same task over and over again looking for potential problems? a patient person who understands that some testing tasks may take a great deal of time and cannot be rushed through to get done as quickly as possible? very deliberate and meticulous in your approach to finding problems and solving problems? not easily bored as you may required to do video game testing tasks that are very dull and repetitive? a team player, as most often you will be part of a group of video game testers working on different parts of the same game, so you need to relate and get along well with others. capable of following explicit directions about a task and not prone to trying to “do your own thing”? tenacious in your approach to successful accomplishing your game testing tasks and not one who gives up easily if things are not going well? able to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing very detailed information concerning any “bugs” in the video game you discover so that they can be fixed? flexible with respect to being “on call” for possible shift work or having to put in extra hours if required by your development team leader? able to deal with job pressure and stress effectively, especially when given job deadlines to meet? capable of “keeping job secrets”, since as a paid video game tester you will be required to never discuss your testing work outside the testing site or face instant job termination and possible criminal charges if you do.

These job qualities are certainly not “written in stone” as the only ones that matter to be a successful video games tester, however they do provide a good starting point for your own self-analysis as to whether or not you could be successful in video game tester jobs.  Do have what it takes to be a video games tester?

Being a professional video game tester is a dream job. Most gamers would love the chance to be able to play great video games and get paid for it. Unfortunately though, most gamers think that paid video game testing is too far out of reach and will remain a dream forever. Well luckily, it’s not a “dream” and anybody can be a paid video game tester with the right amount of experience and guidance.

The following steps should help you get started with a career in professional video game testing.

Step 1: Don’t Wait For Jobs to Find You, Get Out There and Find Them.
Video game tester jobs are not going to fall from the sky, so you can’t expect to find them with a few glances at the Sunday newspaper. Therefore, instead of just sitting around and waiting, be proactive and actually chase those high paying testing jobs.

Make a beeline straight toward the game developers and present your case, no matter how poor or excellent it might be. Let them know who you are, what you do (game tester), and why you would make a great addition to their team/project.

It’s important to remember that developers aren’t going to hire you on the spot; so, don’t let rejection get you down. They have lots of video game testers applying for projects and jobs, which means they can literally be as picky as they want to be. With that being said, be as confident as you can and be sure to let them know of all your gaming accomplishments and deeds. They should know about what games you play frequently, what consoles you own, what communities you are apart of, and any websites/blogs you own or help operate. No matter what the gaming accomplishment, big or small, it will help with landing you a job.

Step 2: Don’t Think “Hobby with Pay”, Think “Career With Benefits!”
You have to keep in mind that developers pay video game testers as part of a job. They are not paying testers to merely enjoy video games at their own expense. Therefore, when you land a testing job, don’t simply play it to have fun; play it like you are earning a paycheck. Does that mean you can’t have any fun? No; it simply means you shouldn’t make “fun” your top priority while testing video games.

If you take each and every testing job seriously and give it your all, you should have a much more successful game testing career.

Step 3: Know What To Expect
The biggest part of being a professional video game tester is knowing the golden rule; which is “You are paid to test games, not to play them.” There may be a fine line between the two, but any real game tester will tell you that the difference is definitely there.

The subtle difference between testing and playing is, well, work. A game tester will have to do actual work, such as filing reports & filling out questionnaires; as opposed to a regular game player, who will just relax and play the game at a leisurely pace. Admittedly, the work isn’t back breaking, but it is work nonetheless.

The questionnaires are the easier part of game testing, as all the video game tester has to do is answer some general questions about the game and give his/her honest opinion. The reports, on the other hand, are a bit more difficult to do. These reports need to be filed on every bug/glitch that the tester comes across, and they have to be remarkably accurate. In each report, the video game tester has to describe what happened, where it happened, and how it happened. With this detailed information in hand, the developers & programmers will then fix the problem and find out why it happened in the first place. Every video game goes through this basic cycle, which is precisely why video game testers are so vital to the gaming industry.

As you can see, there really isn’t all that much work involved with video game testing, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a serious profession.

Step 4: Build up a Network of Reliable Contacts.
Networking is a crucial part of professional video game testing. Although it is quite possible to have a prosperous career without a reliable network, having one just makes things easier.

A network of contacts can actually help your career in many different ways. The biggest thing it can do is give you heads up about new job openings and testing assignments that have been announced. Also, some of your contacts can even act as valuable references when applying for testing jobs. And, as if those two things weren’t enough, your network can give you the inside scoop about what’s going on behind closed doors.

Much like a video game tester job, a reliable network is not going to just jump out at you. Therefore, you will have to build it up all on your own. The best way to do that is by getting to know the industry and the people who work in it. Anyone that spends time around video games (professionally, of course) can be included in your network; game testers, developers, programmers, concept artists, art designers, graphics designers, technical support specialists, audio specialists, etc. Basically, if they know video games and work with video games, you want them in your network.

Step 5: Don’t Give Up. Keep Trying!
The unfortunate fact is that you are not going to land a video game tester job whenever you want one. As a matter of fact, it may be weeks or even months before you land your first testing job. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have what it takes; it just means you have to keep trying & giving it your best. Not many newcomers start off at the top of their game, which means you likely won’t either. Hence, just give it time. After a few months and a few jobs, you should be able to get your footing and begin advancing in your career as a professional video game tester.

Many people think that all a game tester does is play games and have loads of fun. It’s true that they do play games, but they rarely ever have LOADS of fun. Starting a career as a professional video game tester takes more than just the ability to play video games. A game tester has to have experience, work hard, and have a remarkable amount of patience. Game testers would love it if they were paid to only play games day in and day out; but unfortunately, that isn’t how it works. A video game tester gets paid to test games, not to play them.

Read These Very Useful & Extremely Powerful Video Game Tester Tips. They should help you land more jobs as a video game tester.

Tip #1: Looking through newspapers and classified ads in the hopes of finding job openings is a lost cause. It simply will not happen, period. Although game developers need testers on a regular basis, they are not advertising it. Why don’t they? Because the professional video game testers will find them, that’s why. Therefore, instead of waiting for them to find you, you have to go out and find them.

Game testing jobs are not going to fall into your lap, so don’t simply sit around as though they might. You have to get yourself out there and make your way directly to the companies and game developers. Make sure that they know who you are, what you do, and why you are so great at what you do.

It’s vital that you present a strong case for each developer and gaming company you apply to. You have to convince them that you are indeed video game tester material and absolutely nothing will get in your way of testing the hell out of a video game. The best way to do this is to let them know of every game accomplishment you’ve ever had, every console you own, every game you’ve played, any video game related websites you are a part of, any references you have, and anything else that could possibly impress them enough to give you a job.

You have to remember not to be embarrassed about your time with video games. Other people may have mocked you and said “you play games too much”, but they weren’t preparing for a career as a video game tester, were they? With that being said, don’t be ashamed of gloating about how much experience you really have with video games.

Tip #2: Begin working on your network of contacts. Your network can be made up of virtually anyone who knows anything about video games. Obviously, the more successful your contacts are, the better; but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the little guys. You never know who can pull what strings and be able help you the most.

Generally speaking, any person who hangs around video games is someone you want to add to your “network”; other testers, audio specialists, developers, customer support specialists, game artists, programmers, etc. These people can keep you up to date on job openings, new game developments, or they can just put in a good word for you come application time.

All in all, a reliable network is an indispensable tool for a video game tester; so be sure to devote a portion of your time to increasing the size of your network. You won’t regret it.

Tip #3: A career as a professional video game tester is no less serious than a career as a doctor. Although the careers are at the two opposite ends of the job spectrum, they are still careers in which a person is paid to complete tasks. A doctor’s job is to fix people and a video game tester’s job is to fix video games. Both get paid for what they do and how well they actually do it, period.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that video game testers have much more fun than other professions, but that doesn’t mean it is all fun and games. Believe it or not, there is actual work involved with being a game tester. Yes, contrary to what you might have heard, there is work involved with game testing.

What type of work? Well, nothing back breaking; mostly just filling out bug reports and questionnaires. Alright, so it’s not quite as involved as a doctor’s or a surgeon’s work. The point is that video game testers do more than just play games.

So, do you still want to be a professional video game tester? Duh! Of course you do. This is a dream job and you’d be a complete nut not to want a career in video game testing. With that being said, go back and read through the tips above one more time and then get ready to start your very own Video Game Tester Career!