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Is your example of a dream job being a video game tester? If you are the type who spends their free time conquering science fiction or fantasy worlds, combating aliens or demons, teaming up with allies to overcome an enemy, or getting a character to its maximum level, a career as a tester may be your perfect line of work. Each year the video game industry gains more and more revenue, profit, and market share, releasing games that are just as compelling and complex as fine cinema. Different entertainment companies have different video game tester requirements but the common link between all of them is that they only hire passionate gamers who have the interest and dedication needed to put out a great product. What Separates The Best From The Rest What makes one a dedicated gamer rather than a casual gamer? With three different video game consoles on the market at any given time in addition to releases for the PC, any qualifications for video game tester positions held by gaming companies begin with a background and experience playing major titles on the biggest platforms. Those who can seamlessly transition between the geometric buttons on the Playstation to waggling a Wii controller at the television and then picking up mice and keyboards are the types of applicants for testing positions that companies look for. In interviews a potential tester may be asked what types of video games they have played on systems dating back a decade or more — whether they had experience on the original Playstation, the Nintendo Gamecube, the Sega Saturn, or other consoles of yesteryear. Experience with different platforms is crucial for the gamer who may have to test a company’s product that is released on Xbox, Playstation, Wii, PS Vita, Nintendo DS, and PC. What To Game For When You Game How many times have you played a major release title and felt frustrated about the bugs or flaws in the game that kept you from completing missions or enjoying a smooth storyline? Video game tester jobs seek to eliminate such frustrations long before the game is released, shipped, and stacked on shelves. The number of bugs or glitches in any given game can be staggering, while their impact on the game can be critical. As one popular example shows, the so-called “javelin glitch” in mega-popular first person shooter Call of Duty allowed players to detonate a rocket launcher in a suicide attack that could kill several players for the cost of just one death. Every day, the requirements for video game tester groups in a game company will be to leave every corner well searched and no weapon unfired in order to check if all plays smoothly. They are assigned to a certain area of a game, such as a zone or a map, and complete a full report once it has been checked out against flaws. The Bottom Line Of The Bottom Line What It Takes To Game Like A Pro How can one prepare themselves for a potential career of video game testing and working in the industry? Like many other white-collar jobs, most video game tester education requirements demand at least a college education. Testers who have graduated from college must show that they have a high level of independent work capabilities, can write professionally at a high level, and are able to do research on their own to emphasize the severity of a glitch. It does not necessarily matter what field of college the potential tester studied, since any college education will provide the desired skills in reading, writing, and communication that is prized by the programmers who have to work with testers to root out bug. While a tester need not pursue classes related to video game development, such as computer coding or mass communications, they do not hurt, and show the initiative to not only succeed as a tester but perhaps be promoted to another field. Some companies who work on limited budgets, such as independent game designers like Unknown Worlds Entertainment, may be more willing to hire testers without a college education, and sometimes even testers as young as fourteen. Where To Go For A Testing Career How does one find out about the openings for testing positions? Teenager Testing Video Game Thinking About Video Game Tester Requirements?One thing that the gaming industry does better than nearly any other digital design service is self-promotion. Every company features electronic newsletters that they distribute to interested customers and corporate partners. They maintain a strong social networking media following, allowing anyone to check in with them on Facebook or Twitter pages. Finally, they make their job openings known to the entire world in order to get the best applicants. You can find video game tester job openings at several different locations, ranging from the standard employment boards at online job servers or at community career services, or you may directly check the website of the company itself. Large game developers like Blizzard or EA have active hiring posts throughout the year. As these corporations expand they are nearly always looking to add on staff despite economic ups and downs, meaning that any tester who is dedicated and qualified to meet select jobs requirements can find a spot doing what they love. What kind of salary could someone expect to make working as a tester? The lure of working on your dream job for the next big blockbuster game title is a compelling one, but not many people are willing to work for free in order to see the next shooter or strategy game or role-playing MMO perfected. The good news is that since the industry constantly needs new testers, they are willing to pay handsomely for those who meet their criteria. The average video game tester salary at the entry level is about thirty-five thousand dollars per year for a full-time gig, or the equivalent of about eighteen dollars per hour. For full time employees, game companies offer medical insurance and 401(k) options. Not all companies offer full time testing positions, however, and some choose to same money and headcount by hiring part-time employees who make only half as much and receive no benefits. The most qualified applicants, however, can demand full-time positions at very competitive salaries. The Potential For A Career What future can a person expect for playing video games for a living? No matter what company you work for and what game you are helping to perfect, the video game industry rewards quality and hard-working employees. The testers who constantly go above their stated duties and add more to the project than the rest are the ones most likely to be promoted to management or to the design team. While video game designer requirements are much more complex than video game tester job requirements, a company may be willing to pay an exceptional employee’s tuition to get the courses and skills needed for design. Game design companies that pride themselves on tight lips like Steam developer Valve promote from within whenever possible in order to retain quality employees and keep morale high. Some companies may offer perks like working from home, though the work from home requirements demand an employee get top-of-the-line gaming PCs and an HD television large enough to spot the smallest of bugs. Visit e Republik for more information on video game tester requirements.
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