Are you a video game enthusiast who loves nothing more than finding and reporting errors in your favorite games? If so, you may be interested in becoming a video game tester! Game testers are responsible for locating and reporting any mistakes or glitches in video games, so they need to have sharp attention to detail and be good at playing video games.
Keep reading for more information on how to become a video game tester from the comfort of your own home! The great thing is there’s no experience needed to get started with this from home.
What is a game tester
A game tester is a person who, using the knowledge and skill they have acquired about video games in general, tests video games to ensure that there are no programming errors or glitches. Game testers find and report these mistakes so that they can be fixed before consumers purchase and play the finished product. As such, it’s very important for game testers to be able to find and report any issues that they come across during play.
What type of person makes a good game tester?
Game testers should posses several different qualities in order to be successful at their job. First, because the goal of testing video games is to remove errors before the final product is released, testers need excellent attention to detail. They must be able to notice the smallest details in the video games that they play and report them so that developers can fix them. Also, since game testers work from home and not at a studio office, good communication skills are important so that they can easily relay any problems or questions with their supervisors back to the people actually developing the video games. Game testers should also be good at playing video games, which is extremely helpful in finding errors within them.
Finally, it’s important for game testers to be able to work on their own without direct supervision since most companies hire people to work from the comfort of their homes instead of requiring that they come into an office every day. Good communication is valuable for testers tasked with finding flaws in a game script.
Requirements to become a game tester
There aren’t any educational prerequisites to becoming a game tester, but it’s helpful if you take computer programming courses in high school or college since that will help you understand what goes into making video games. Also, previous experience playing video games is extremely beneficial because it helps show companies that you are already knowledgeable about the subject matter and can find errors within the video games that need to be fixed.
How to become a game tester
If you’re interested in becoming a game tester, your first step should be to research different companies that employ people with this skill set. Most of these companies work on contract basis, which means they hire for specific projects and then let go once the project is complete. Some of the companies that regularly hire game testers are Electronic Arts, Activision-Blizzard, BIGO LIVE, and Riot Games.
Once you’ve done your research, look online for open positions with these companies and apply for them through their company websites or by emailing your resume to them directly. If you’re interested in potentially working at a particular company, make sure to mention that in your cover letter since it shows you’ve done some research about their business and are taking the time to apply for a job there.
Tips for becoming successful in this field
Since there aren’t any educational requirements to becoming a game tester, you should start playing video games regularly and keeping a journal of your experiences with each one. If you find a bug or glitch that could potentially hurt the player, circle it in your journal so that when you apply for game testing jobs, you can be sure to mention that you’ve already noticed issues in video games.
Also, make sure to keep your resume current and list any relevant experience that will demonstrate your ability to find errors within video games. Think about joining social networks like LinkedIn or Facebook since these are great ways for companies to contact you outside of emailing your resume directly.
As always passion is a much underestimated part of the equation. if you want to know how to become a video game tester then a good place to start is asking yourself if you are truly passionate about video games. Measuring player engagement can only be accurate by employing people who truly want to play games, and not just 9-5 slaves who don’t care about the quality of your games play through.
How much can you earn testing games?
Game testers can earn around $10 an hour or more through most companies. However, it’s important to know that you’re only paid by the hour since many game testers work on contract basis instead of being hired directly. Make sure not to quit your full-time job prior to applying for game testing positions since some companies require that their employees be employed.
Also, remember that this job is most likely contract-based, which means you won’t be guaranteed a steady income every month unless you’re working with a company that has enough projects for multiple testers to work on at the same time. Most game testing jobs only become available after a new video game releases and need to be filled as quickly as possible, so this isn’t a job you can count on as your main source of income.
However, with added experience and reputation you will eventually be able to raise your prices to meet your growing demand.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever wanted to be a part of the video game development industry, becoming a game tester is a great way to get your foot in the door and see if this is really something you want to do for work. Whether you prefer working from home or the idea of working directly with companies like Electronic Arts or Activision-Blizzard excites you, there are many opportunities available if becoming a game tester sounds like something you’d enjoy.