| The video game industry has been a rapidly | | | | you want to work as one, you'll more than likely |
| growing industry for some time now, and it | | | | have to live near a development studio. If you |
| makes perfect sense for companies to pay | | | | don't, you can still participate in things such as |
| people to test their games. First off, let's | | | | beta tests from home. Beta tests are when |
| understand exactly what a video game tester | | | | companies allow players to play their games early |
| does. Being a video game tester, or working in | | | | so that they can fix glitches and receive |
| QA (quality assurance), does not mean you | | | | feedback. If you're serious about being a tester, |
| simply get to sit around all day playing games. | | | | you may have already participated in beta tests |
| Playing games can actually be hard work. You do | | | | or at least have heard of them. If you haven't, |
| get to "test-drive" a game early and give | | | | that's okay too. |
| feedback on it, but you must also look for glitches | | | | If you find the right job in QA, you could |
| and problems in the game. Testing video games is | | | | potentially move on to graphic design, level design, |
| certainly more fun than some jobs, but it is | | | | writing, programming, you name it. Of course, this |
| certainly not ALL fun in games. | | | | will take a bit of training but your coworkers may |
| So where do you start? You might think there | | | | be more than willing to help out. But how do you |
| would be tons of competition for a job like video | | | | find the right job? That's where it gets tough. |
| game tester. That is not necessarily the case. If | | | | |