Showing posts with label game testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game testing. Show all posts

January 04, 2008

Paid Video Game Testing- Why Should I Become a Video Game Tester?

It's a valid question...why should you, or anyone else for that matter, become a professional video game tester? To figure that out, we should probably go over the benefits of paid game testing. That way, you can decide if a career as a video game tester is something you really want to pursue.

The biggest thing that makes this profession so attractive is the fact that you're playing video games and making money. Whether you want to call it testing, evaluating, analyzing, or helping, you're still playing a video game when you get down to the facts.

If you were to ask any of your friends if they want to get paid to play video games, what would they say? You already know the answer, don't you? You know because you are saying the same thing right now, HELL YES! If you are a gamer at heart, the idea of playing video games for money probably makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. After all, you probably never would have guessed that you could test games from your home and then collect a nice fat paycheck at the end of the week. And when you think about it, that's what being a video game tester is all about, testing the newest and coolest video games from home and getting paid for it.

That actually brings up another good question. How much do game testers really get paid? Well, that's yet another great thing about video game testing...most video game testers are paid quite well. It's true. To be honest, when first starting out with paid game testing, things can be a bit rough; but that usually passes quickly with a bit of time and experience.

Okay, you're probably looking for an actual figure to work with, right? Alright then, heres something for you to mull over: As a professional video game tester, you can literally make up to $120 PER HOUR! I'm sure you've seen this claim on advertisements or websites before, and you were probably thinking that it was just hype or a scam; well, it's not. Admittedly, you won't make that much when you first start, but you can reach that level with more experience and better references. As a new game tester, expect to make anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 a year; depending on your dedication & work ethic of course. You will only get work so long as you are active and willing to test games constantly. That means if you stop applying for jobs and/or positions, the money will likely stop rolling in.

What other perks are there? Well, aside from the fact that you are testing games from home, you also usually get to keep the games you test. You heard correct, you actually get to keep the video games you test for game companies. And although they aren't technically finished, many of the games are in the final stages of development, which means that there will only be a few bugs to deal with and you're getting the game almost 100% complete. Okay, so it's not exactly perfect, but a free video game is still a free video game nonetheless. Not to mention, you get to play the newest & coolest video games before anyone else; that's got to count for something, right?

So, what's the verdict? Does this sound like a career that you could really enjoy and make money from? If it does, I suggest you get started ASAP. Game companies and developers are always on the lookout for bright, new testers, so just get yourself out there.

If you don't know where to start, you should check out GameTestingParadise.com. It has everything an aspiring game tester needs to get started with professional game testing. Honestly, no video game tester should be without the information they offer. Do yourself a favor and check it out. I guarantee you won't regret it!

November 22, 2007

Video Game Testing- Can You Make It as a Video Game Tester?

A lot of people fantasize about starting a video game tester career. They might have seen some over-hyped advertisement on the Internet saying they can make $300 an hour of playing video games in your underwear. But is this true? Why would companies pay people to play video games?

In this article, I will tell you exactly why game developers pay good money to video game testers, which should show you the true possibilities of a video game tester career.

First, let's consider the facts -- the gaming industry makes a lot of money every year, $50 billion to be exact. That's a lot of money at stake. Now that you know that, I want you to imagine what would happen if you released a video game that generated $2 million in income for your esteemed company. However, only a week after releasing the game, there was a serious flaw found in the game, which no one spotted before the game's release. As a result, many gamers were angered and wanted an immediate refund.

The outcome? You lose all kinds of sales and investors will not be as confident in your company as they once were; plus, many of the companies employees will begin losing their jobs at an alarming rate. That's not all; it gets worse. If you were the gamer, would you willingly buy from a company again, knowing that games they released in the past crashed and were unplayable? Or, are you more likely to tell your friends and family how horrible the game, and the company that made it, is?

Basically, the point is, one single glitch can end up costing a company millions & millions of dollars. If the company was depending on the success of the game, everything will be a downward spiral from then on, generally speaking of course. Budget cuts, investors pulling out, mass employee layoffs, and possibly an entire company shutdown if nothing changes. And to think, all of this from a single glitch in a single video game.

Luckily though, this can all be avoided by sending the game out to multiple video game testers; as this will ensure that there are virtually no bugs in the game before it is released to the public. Because of this fact, it is very possible to earn a high-paying career as a video game tester. Think about it, the above scenario would happen to every game company if there were no reliable video game testers.

Another reason that video game tester careers are available is because companies want accurate feedback on their games. Let's say you designed an online game that had all these great features and offered all sorts of advantages that your competitors didn't. The only problem, though, it's too complicated and confusing for the player to get into. You can fix this problem by sending it out to reputable video game testers, taking their feedback, and tweaking the interface until it is both easy to use and still holds all those great features.

The fact in the matter is that the basic programmer has so many things they have to keep track of that they can NOT catch all, or even half, of the glitches in the video game. Remember, they approach games from a programming standpoint, not from a gamers point of view.

With all these facts in mind, isn't it time you pursued a career as a video game tester? If you're a serious gamer, you should, at the very least, investigate video game testing jobs further. After all, you could be just what the gaming companies are looking for.

Do You Think You Can Make It As A Video Game Tester? If You Do, Click Here To Find Out