Perhaps, you’ve heard that the best way to getting started in the games biz is to become a game tester. Essentially, this is true especially for folks who don’t have programming degree, business degree and art degree among others, but can get the testing job with developers or game publishers. There generally is a common misconception that game testing is a ‘low level entry job’ and testers are often considered to be at the bottom of the totem pole. Nonetheless, game testers play a significant role and the test phase is vital in polishing a game into a fun experience for the end user.
Testing involves analyzing the in-development of games to locate any faults or bugs. Game testers thus conduct quality assurance to find defects and errors that could turn off or annoy the gaming community. Although the phrase “game testing” may conjure up a mental image of some folks having fun playing games all day, it is far from it and can be as tedious and frustrating like any other job. Game testing requires not only finding new ways to ‘beat the game’ but also an organized and disciplined approach to product testing
If you’ve ever wondered or opted to become a game tester and don’t have a clue of the first step, then this next section is of extreme importance to you. You must first recognize that certain qualities must be inherent in you. Game testers, for example, ought to be methodological in their approach, have lots of patience and a keen eye for details. They must also be computer literate and good communicators. Good communication is extremely important for the purposes of testing and reporting. You can be an awesome bug-finder but cannot properly communicate in English. And of course, it will be helpful to possess controller skills and the hand eye coordination needed in navigating through the various challenges that may arise.
Having put the above qualities into consideration, the next step to becoming a video game tester is to get out the hobby mindset. As a professional game tester, you’ll have to take the job seriously, complete assignments assigned to you, ensure that you meet the deadlines as set by the developer and most importantly, do the “actual work”. The sooner you recognize that video testing job, although insanely awesome, is similar to other paid jobs, the better off you will be.
The final step is to get out and find a suitable placement with the right game developer. For you to find a placement as a video game tester for any gaming company, you must have a good reason as to why they should hire you. This means portraying your colossal and indispensable gaming expertise. You should also recognize that they don’t need you nearly as much as you want them. Learning these important requirements is only part of the battle. Once you know these crucial steps, you’ll need to stop sitting around and actually work on them.