Everyday lots and lots of gamers are discovering the wonderful opportunity of being a professional video game tester. If you play video games often, are quite good at them, and have average writing/communication skills, then you should consider a career as a professional video game tester. In this article, I will tell you about some of the benefits that come with paid video game testing.
Let's start with the obvious benefits -- you get to do something you're already doing and you get paid for it. In complete honestly, testing a video game is not as enjoyable as just playing it. You have to have an eye for detail and extreme amounts of patience; otherwise, it would be virtually impossible to minutely explore all aspects of the video game. But then again, you are still getting paid to play video games; so it can't all be bad, right? As a matter of fact, you could probably bet money that video game testing is more than likely 90% better than any of the other jobs that are currently available to you.
Another great perk is that you will get to play advanced versions of unreleased video games. This basically means you get your hands on the latest hot new game before any other gamer or critic will. Also, your honest feedback can literally result in changes made to the game prior to it's release. Therefore, when the game is finally released, you can tell your friends and family that you were responsible for changing and improving certain aspects of the game. Won't they be impressed?
One of the best perks is, of course, the fact that you get the video games for free. Imagine how quickly you could build up your library with different video games; and you would have done it just by testing each of them. So, when the job is over & done with, you get to keep the game and play it whenever you like. Sounds like a pretty great bonus, right?
Another decent advantage to being a video game tester is that you get your hands on cheat codes, secrets of the levels, and other tricks that only game testers are privy to. This means that when the game is released to the public, you can totally dominate your friends in head-to-head competitions. They won't know what hit 'em.
Another point you should consider is that by becoming a video game tester, you develop a deeper appreciation for video games as a whole. You get to see the different aspects of the video game industry and how it operates as a whole; how a game is developed, how it's marketed, and how it is tweaked and improved upon in the various stages.
There you have it. 5 key benefits that accompany a career in professional video game testing. While there may be some work involved, the alternative would be to work as a slave for someone else for something you never liked doing in the first place. Don't try to fool yourself, a career as video game tester is what you have wanted all along!
Video Game Beta Testing
Acquiring video game testing experience before you submit your resume and begin interviewing for your first your first paying video game tester job will greatly improve your odds of getting hired, and open many more doors for you. You will find many more job opportunities if you are able to put some authentic video game testing experience on your resume, even if it wasn't paid experience. So then - how does one get experience testing games before getting hired as a video game tester? There are several ways:
• Beta Test for free. Microsoft, EA, Sony and Nintendo all run huge non-paid beta testing programs that will permit you to test their video games and file bugs. This won't be a paid position, but it will allow you to learn the process of playing, testing, finding bugs and filing them. This will be a huge plus on your resume, and will gain you experience and perspective on how to actually test video games.
• Online gaming beta testing. Before any new massive online gaming infrastructure goes live, the beta testing is extensive. There are large amounts of bugs to be found and filed, and represents a great opportunity for you. So sign up for all the online game beta testing programs you can find, and you will gain much in real-world testing and bug-filing experience.
• At-home practice: Simply sit down to your favorite video game and a book covering the Principles and Fundamentals of Software Testing. As you work your way through the book, apply what you read to the game you are testing. Practice creating spreadsheets of Test Scenarios and Test Cases based on the guidelines you can find in any good book on software testing. Create practice test plans for the game you are playing and analyzing. Practice writing bugs using a good bug filing template, which you can also find in good software testing books.
• Getting Experience with Game Development – There are many good resources to pick up a few fundamentals on game design. Learning a few things, even practicing creating a simple game or designing a level, will look great on your resume, and make you a much better video game tester
• Education – One doesn't require a college degree to become video game tester, but if you wish to advance in your new career path, taking some classes on programming, project management, game design, game art, and a number of other related subjects will assist you immensely – and show potential employers that you are serious about becoming a video game tester, and stand out from the crowd.
Being able to put these items onto your resume will be a great advantage for you when you interview. Very few entry-level game testers will have done more than one of these, so if you can put three or more on your resume, you will qualify for many more positions, and may even come in a step above entry level, with a better salary as well!
Both Sean Saunders & Jonathon Halston are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sean Saunders has sinced written about articles on various topics from SEO linking, Facelift Before and After and Wrinkles. Do You Think You Are Ready For a Career as a Video Game Tester? Are You Prepared To Make Up To $120 an Hour Testing Video Games? If You Are,
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