How To Become a Video Game Tester at Home

The video game business has become a billion dollar industry and continues to grow at an ever increasing rate. Through this explosive growth and the advances in technology has arisen new and exciting job opportunities for video game testers.

Within North America there are literally dozens of game development design studios all aggressively perusing there share of this enormous gaming market.

To assure their success many new game developers will seek the aid of professional video game testers prior to a major market launch. This will provide critical impute towards improvements and debugging any glitches. This is also an effective cost savings measure most companies must employ as it's critical to any successful game launch to be a flawless as possible in today's competitive marketplace.

Some design studios bring in game testers to conduct analysis in a controlled environment while others will seek home based game testers as we are discussing here.

How to become a Video Game Tester at Home

The demand for these types of jobs has been steadily increasing year after year and can be difficult to acquire. I will be sharing my tips on how you can become a game tester at home starting today.

There are basically two types of video game testers ones that are actually paid to perform the service and those who are not. Becoming a Beta tester is usually free and available over the internet to those who are interested. This beta testing is usually made available only after the paid testers have completed their task. This acts as one final step of performance assurance on a larger scale. Design studios are very aware of the social media age we live in. Just how quickly negative news travels along with its potential affect on the profitability of a game launch or a company's reputation is reason enough to conduct proper testing.

Many professional video game testers will have a post secondary education and be employed full time within the industry earning a predetermined salary. However there is a rapidly growing market for video game testers at home. This covers a much wider spectrum and can include people from all over North America. These testers are paid hourly and will report back on questions such as preferred gaming modes, graphics, menus, functionality, ease of navigation and more.

Many studios will require a resume that should contain your work experience and education. Do not forget to include any games you're presently playing or have played extensively in the past. Doing some research on the studio you're applying to and evaluating some of the previous games they've put out along with your thoughts for improvement will also help. This can make you to stand out in the crowd and spark their interest in you as a potential game tester.

Search forums for available video game testing in Beta. Although it's free and you don't get paid it does convey your passion for gamming and your desire to do this professionally when included with your application or resume.

Remember don't try and overplay your hand here by trying to impress them. They are looking for real and honest opinions from everyday people not someone just telling them what they want to hear or how great you think there other games are.

Another way you can be unique is by starting a blog about you're Beta testing and write your reviews and experiences about the games you've tested. Research the games you test and provide comments from other gamers as this will help indicate your abilities to evaluate future games.

There are several companies online that can help guide you in locating video game testing jobs. They provide additional tips and strategies to get you accepted quickly and the cost is relatively low considering the quality of jobs they provide and the time they will save you.

Some additional benefits to using a guide is that they will often have access to gaming studio compensation plans that will indicate the per hour rate for individual games. This can make the process of how to become a video game tester at home that much easier. Remember it's not as easy as sending an email and simply asking, you will stand a much better chance if you follow the application of each studio properly and use some of the pointers you learned here.

See the lastest Video Game Tester Jobs [http://www.workathomejobsandcareers.com] and discover more about how to become a video game tester at home [http://www.workathomejobsandcareers.com].

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How To Get a Job As A Video Game Tester

In all of my years of professional experience, probably the one job I get asked most about is my time as a Video Game Tester for SEGA of America. I spent several years with SEGA, and people, especially children, are always fascinated by the opportunity to make good money by doing what they love, namely playing games! Here is some advice for those looking to obtain one of these highly-desired positions.
For those looking to get a foot in the door of the Video Game Industry in any capacity, there is no more tried and truer method than the Video Game Tester position. This job brings you into the fold of the development world where you can see how the games are made, make vital contacts, and get critical game company experience on your resume. I cannot tell you how many people I have worked with who used this entry-level opening to springboard into positions in programming, game production, design, marketing, etc. Plus, there are worse ways to make anywhere from $10-15 dollars an hour (starting pay) than playing games for a living!
First of all, you need to be in a geographically feasible location to get one of these positions. Quite simply, there are not a lot of major cities in the United States that have a hotbed of gaming development. Fortunately, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area where we have numerous development firms and testing opportunities with major players such as SEGA, Electronic Arts, Sony of America, Namco, and more. Seattle, Washington is another prime location as companies such as Microsoft call it home. So if you truly want to get a shot, you'll have to consider relocation.
One of the most compelling arguments against making such a move is that the great majority of companies hire Tester candidates as temporary employees. If you live in a city with a game company that employs testers, you will want to contact the HR Manager to see what firm they use for their temporary staffing needs. They can generally direct you to the people who screen the initial crop of candidates, then present them directly to the company. Due to the seasonal aspect of the industry, there can be times of great need where firms will hire boatloads of people, and slower times, when they have to let a number of people go, when there is not enough work to keep folks busy. As any experienced game contractor knows, your position is never guaranteed. Perm spots are hard to attain, but it can happen. The key is being able to demonstrate your value to the company, and sadly enough, playing the social game can also be a critical factor. As a temporary employee, the uncertain stability of your job is probably the most frustrating aspect of the position. Still in most cases, companies seem to be astute at identifying the must-have talent and keeping them in the fold.
Once you have connected with a recruiting firm and been submitted directly to the gaming company, its time to prepare for the interview. One of the most important things that Test Managers look for in a new hire are effective written communication skills. As the job revolves around finding and documenting bugs, or errors, in the game, the ability to concisely relay that information to the programmers so that can fix them is vital. So expect going in that you will be taking some kind of writing test. An eye for detail is also important. If you are the type of person that notices little things, or things that seem out of place, it definitely helps. Also, remember that while most game companies are very casual in nature, it is important to dress professionally and convey your sincere desire to have an opportunity. As you can imagine, there is a multitude of people who would like to have this type of position, so anything you can do to stand out from the pack helps. One of the nice things about interviewing for game companies is that you generally receive very quick turnaround on feedback, and in some instances can be hired almost immediately.
Working in the Video Game Industry is definitely a unique and enjoyable experience. There are many perks you will not find in normal companies. Do keep in mind though, that while the job is all games, it is not always fun. Like any position, there are monotonous aspects to it. For example, be prepared to test the same game over and over, for up to a few months at a time. That can be challenging. Also, expect going in that you may be assigned mind-numbing tasks from day-to-day such as checking that all weapons or items work as they are supposed, all walls in each level are solid, or even just proofreading game text. Finally, be prepared to work long hours as needed. When crunch time hits, and a game needs to ship, overtime can be required to get the game out the door. Still, overall, there are few positions where you can have as much fun on a day-to-day basis.
For more information about AAU basketball and sport-specific training visit Star Potential Sports Training.
Anthony Lynch is the founder and creator of Star Potential Sports Training ( http://www.starpotentialsports.com/ ). He is also the head coach of the Tri-City Thunder Basketball Program, based in Fremont, CA.

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