Being a video game job tester is not all it's cracked up to be. If you are considering taking on videogame job testing as a potential side career or a part-time job in addition to your day job, please read ahead for some information that not everyone knows. Here is some background to get you started.
Video games are developed in stages for good reason. The stage you are primarily concerned with is beta testing, while there is a thing called alpha testing that is mostly for in company testing only so you would not be testing the game for that stage. Beta testing is where the game is mostly finished, maybe a few parts are left out such as graphics refinement, online compatibility, and a few extras that don't affect the core of the gameplay but only add additional content to the user.
When you start to consider either quitting your day job or taking this on full time you should back off for a minute and consider a few tips before you go full out on this and suddenly realize down the road this was not meant to be. Personally I say go for it but at least keep your day job until you're confident you can do this a lot.
1. While video game testing can be a full-time job, I strongly suggest you do it as a part-time or just fit it into your schedule for only a few hours a day. Unless you just got fired, in which case this isn't such a bad idea for a few weeks or months.
2. This is NOT just playing video games for fun. It feels like a real job, where you have to work hard and very carefully in order to get the most dollars per hour. Beta testing involves finding all the glitches you can, by trying every possible combination of tactics. You can't just play through a game once, you need to go through every option, reload and save multiple times, etc.
3. The pay can be pretty good if you consider the fact that you don't need a real resume or a formal educational background to get into the industry. However a resume does help and having a good work ethic will keep you in the job and keep you earning money and not slacking off. You should probably have a day job or something else to keep your focus on while you attempt this career path.
4. So the good parts are? Well let me tell you. Considering how you don't need any former job, the pay's pretty good. I mean, you are playing video games, which if you love them is great! And you also get to do it at home, and YOU decide your hours. Which can be a burden or a relief if you have something else you need to concentrate on, for instance going to college or starting a business.
Video games are developed in stages for good reason. The stage you are primarily concerned with is beta testing, while there is a thing called alpha testing that is mostly for in company testing only so you would not be testing the game for that stage. Beta testing is where the game is mostly finished, maybe a few parts are left out such as graphics refinement, online compatibility, and a few extras that don't affect the core of the gameplay but only add additional content to the user.
When you start to consider either quitting your day job or taking this on full time you should back off for a minute and consider a few tips before you go full out on this and suddenly realize down the road this was not meant to be. Personally I say go for it but at least keep your day job until you're confident you can do this a lot.
1. While video game testing can be a full-time job, I strongly suggest you do it as a part-time or just fit it into your schedule for only a few hours a day. Unless you just got fired, in which case this isn't such a bad idea for a few weeks or months.
2. This is NOT just playing video games for fun. It feels like a real job, where you have to work hard and very carefully in order to get the most dollars per hour. Beta testing involves finding all the glitches you can, by trying every possible combination of tactics. You can't just play through a game once, you need to go through every option, reload and save multiple times, etc.
3. The pay can be pretty good if you consider the fact that you don't need a real resume or a formal educational background to get into the industry. However a resume does help and having a good work ethic will keep you in the job and keep you earning money and not slacking off. You should probably have a day job or something else to keep your focus on while you attempt this career path.
4. So the good parts are? Well let me tell you. Considering how you don't need any former job, the pay's pretty good. I mean, you are playing video games, which if you love them is great! And you also get to do it at home, and YOU decide your hours. Which can be a burden or a relief if you have something else you need to concentrate on, for instance going to college or starting a business.
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To read more about video game job testing, check out how to become a game tester. Also, check out the test games pc offers.
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