Video Game Testing - Can I Become A Paid Video Game Tester?
May 28th, 2008
Sean Saunders asked:
Yes, its 100% true, You can get paid to test video games. But, the questions is: do you need a degree? are there special qualifications? Or, do you need to meet any other certain guidelines in order to achieve this? In this article, I will answer all these questions and more so that you can get an idea of who has the best chances of becoming a video game tester.
First of all, you do not need a degree from college or any special training to become a video game tester. While you can likely benefit from having a degree, developing contacts and such, it is not required. And in the absence of a degree, large amounts of ambition and persistence must take its place. Either that or an insider who can show you the ropes.
The “insider approach” can either be done by befriending somebody in the gaming industry, preferably a well known tester, or by buying an in-depth book or guide on how to become a video game tester.
Basically, there are two easy-to-meet requirements that need to be met in order for video game developers and programmers to be interested in hiring you. The first: you must have a high level of skill & experience when it comes to playing video games and you have to have an excellent attention to detail. Remember, you’re job is to test games thoroughly; it’s not to try to beat them quickly. As a video game tester, you’ll be looking for glitches, problematic issues, and other factors that detract from the overall gameplay.
The second requirement step is being able to document glitches and bugs properly. You have to make it very simple for the developer/programmer to understand what is happening during the glitch. This way, when it comes time to fix the problem, they won’t have trouble locating it.
If you have a good attention for detail, and can document bugs/glitches properly and clearly, then you’re exactly what many companies are looking for in a video game tester.
If you’re unsure about your abilities, I urge you to test your abilities by playing more video games. However, don’t just play it for fun. I want you to play it like a video game tester would. Expand the horizon of your vision so that you notice all of the elements on the screen as you play the game. This may feel somewhat different than you normally play, but it is necessary to get the practice you need.
Once you have relaxed and have become “one” with the screen, be aware of all the things that are going on on-screen. See how things relate to each other and how one thing can cause another thing to happen. If you spot something peculiar, write it down and document it asap. Write down what happened to cause that abnormality and explain what you deem as problematic.
If you have no problem with these requirements, then you should definitely consider becoming a paid video game tester.
Yes, its 100% true, You can get paid to test video games. But, the questions is: do you need a degree? are there special qualifications? Or, do you need to meet any other certain guidelines in order to achieve this? In this article, I will answer all these questions and more so that you can get an idea of who has the best chances of becoming a video game tester.
First of all, you do not need a degree from college or any special training to become a video game tester. While you can likely benefit from having a degree, developing contacts and such, it is not required. And in the absence of a degree, large amounts of ambition and persistence must take its place. Either that or an insider who can show you the ropes.
The “insider approach” can either be done by befriending somebody in the gaming industry, preferably a well known tester, or by buying an in-depth book or guide on how to become a video game tester.
Basically, there are two easy-to-meet requirements that need to be met in order for video game developers and programmers to be interested in hiring you. The first: you must have a high level of skill & experience when it comes to playing video games and you have to have an excellent attention to detail. Remember, you’re job is to test games thoroughly; it’s not to try to beat them quickly. As a video game tester, you’ll be looking for glitches, problematic issues, and other factors that detract from the overall gameplay.
The second requirement step is being able to document glitches and bugs properly. You have to make it very simple for the developer/programmer to understand what is happening during the glitch. This way, when it comes time to fix the problem, they won’t have trouble locating it.
If you have a good attention for detail, and can document bugs/glitches properly and clearly, then you’re exactly what many companies are looking for in a video game tester.
If you’re unsure about your abilities, I urge you to test your abilities by playing more video games. However, don’t just play it for fun. I want you to play it like a video game tester would. Expand the horizon of your vision so that you notice all of the elements on the screen as you play the game. This may feel somewhat different than you normally play, but it is necessary to get the practice you need.
Once you have relaxed and have become “one” with the screen, be aware of all the things that are going on on-screen. See how things relate to each other and how one thing can cause another thing to happen. If you spot something peculiar, write it down and document it asap. Write down what happened to cause that abnormality and explain what you deem as problematic.
If you have no problem with these requirements, then you should definitely consider becoming a paid video game tester.
