| National game Testers are those people who test | | | | students work as part time testers. Companies |
| a game before it is launched. They analyze the | | | | generally hire during late summer or early autumn. |
| games to look for any kind of software defects. | | | | These are the times when it is a kind of crunch |
| It is a part of the quality control process from | | | | period for games to be completed and shipped |
| the game manufacturing company's side. The | | | | before the holiday season begins. |
| games that are tested here include all kinds of | | | | Times are however changing and companies are |
| video games. It is a dream career option for | | | | hiring more and more professional testers. There |
| every gaming enthusiast. However, it is not just | | | | is a misconception that game testing is a kind of |
| about playing a game. It requires thorough | | | | stress test where the testers play a game and |
| technical knowledge on the part of the testers. | | | | report about all the bugs they come across while |
| The testers must be analytically competent, thick | | | | playing it. Actually, the job of testers is to find |
| skinned and be able to endure long durations of | | | | bugs not just by simply playing but by using many |
| working hours. | | | | complicated technologies. A tester plays many |
| The gaming industry puts this job under the | | | | portions of the same game repeatedly for long |
| 'Quality Assurance' category. But it is unlike the | | | | hours. Some also suffer from burnouts as a result |
| usual software quality assurance. Instead, it is | | | | of this. |
| much less technical. Most game testers are not | | | | Despite all the risks associated with this job and |
| very educated. They are just high school | | | | the work hours it requires, it does not pay much. |
| pass-outs with almost negligible professional | | | | In fact, the wages are generally paid on an hourly |
| technical degree or diploma. This is usually a full | | | | basis. Since the employees are generally hired on |
| time job but most companies do hire temporary | | | | temporary basis, they are not entitled for |
| employees. | | | | benefits or even holidays. Most testers treat this |
| In most companies, when these testers are | | | | job as a stop-gap arrangement after which they |
| working under the publishers, they are outsourced | | | | can get a better job in the gaming industry. |
| to the game developer's site and are not | | | | People who finally want to work in the gaming |
| deployed at the office of their employer. Many | | | | industry can use it as a stepping stone. |