Get Paid to Play Games - Is Games Testing the Perfect Job?
Getting paid to play video games sounds like a dream job, but the reality of being a games tester means long hours and demanding deadlines. Find out what working as a games tester is really like, and how to break into the industry.
It sounds like an ideal job doesn't it - getting paid to play games all day? And certainly, testing games beats a lot of other ways of earning a living, but the reality is a lot less glamorous than the title sounds.
There's a lot more to being a games tester than simply playing your favorite games all day. So what is it really like to be a games tester?
The first thing to note is that you'll need to put some serious effort and long hours. Games testers usually start work on a project once it reaches about 75% completion, and that final 25% is what developers call "crunch time" where the whole team are frantically working around the clock to meet the launch date.
The other big negative is the type of work. There's a big difference between playing your favorite game for a few hours with your friends, and testing a game. Testing tends to be extremely repetitive, and often involved playing through the same level or section again, and again in an effort to find and eradicate every last bug. In addition to that, you'll often be given games to test which you wouldn't normally choose to play. You might love playing first person shooters, but could easily be given strategy games, sports games, or puzzle games to test.
Finally, after playing games that you might not enjoy, over and over for hours, you'll need to log all those bugs and communicate them to the developers. That usually means filling out questionaires and writing reports. What, you didn't think you were going to get paid just for playing the games did you?
Well if all that hasn't put you off, and you're still keen to land a job as a games tester, you need to get your "foot in the door". Even with all the down sides, games testing is still a highly sought after job and so you need a way to compete and give yourself the best chance of being accepted. The best way to do that is by building a solid resume, and contacting the right person at each games company. Simply writing to head office rarely works, and getting those "insider contacts" really can make all the difference.
Once you do get accepted though you'll be the envy of all your friends, getting paid to play games while they work in boring office jobs! Not only that, but games testing can also be a way of breaking into the games industry and becoming a designer, artist or developer. Just be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, and put in some serious effort to work your way up the ladder!
Learn how to get paid to play games by downloading the free report : How To Become A Game Tester.
There's a lot more to being a games tester than simply playing your favorite games all day. So what is it really like to be a games tester?
The first thing to note is that you'll need to put some serious effort and long hours. Games testers usually start work on a project once it reaches about 75% completion, and that final 25% is what developers call "crunch time" where the whole team are frantically working around the clock to meet the launch date.
The other big negative is the type of work. There's a big difference between playing your favorite game for a few hours with your friends, and testing a game. Testing tends to be extremely repetitive, and often involved playing through the same level or section again, and again in an effort to find and eradicate every last bug. In addition to that, you'll often be given games to test which you wouldn't normally choose to play. You might love playing first person shooters, but could easily be given strategy games, sports games, or puzzle games to test.
Finally, after playing games that you might not enjoy, over and over for hours, you'll need to log all those bugs and communicate them to the developers. That usually means filling out questionaires and writing reports. What, you didn't think you were going to get paid just for playing the games did you?
Well if all that hasn't put you off, and you're still keen to land a job as a games tester, you need to get your "foot in the door". Even with all the down sides, games testing is still a highly sought after job and so you need a way to compete and give yourself the best chance of being accepted. The best way to do that is by building a solid resume, and contacting the right person at each games company. Simply writing to head office rarely works, and getting those "insider contacts" really can make all the difference.
Once you do get accepted though you'll be the envy of all your friends, getting paid to play games while they work in boring office jobs! Not only that, but games testing can also be a way of breaking into the games industry and becoming a designer, artist or developer. Just be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, and put in some serious effort to work your way up the ladder!
Learn how to get paid to play games by downloading the free report : How To Become A Game Tester.
By Billy Deakin
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