Game Test Report

So, you think you want to be a video game tester? Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into?

Sure you can make a lot of money playing video games. The gaming industry continues to grow by the billions of dollars, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll be making a ton of money right away. You’ll start off around $10/hour (not bad for extra money or gas money!), but can work your way up to making around $80/hour. You’re going to have to work hard and prove yourself before the cash really starts rolling in. You can just be John Doe off the street and realistically make $80/hour, so don’t be naive.

Being a video game tester isn’t actually all fun and games. It can be super boring at times, so this job is really only a good idea for serious gamers. I mean, it’s one thing to play Grand Theft Auto IV and beat it in a couple of days. It’s totally another when the game company tells you what game to play, and sometimes you’ll just play the same level, over and over…and over. You’ll have to test every pixel of the game and find bugs. I tested Need For Speed and drove my car backwards for the entire course to find a bug (got a nice bonus though!). So once you’ve played the same level 50 times and found a repeatable bug, you then have to fill out a bug report and survey of the game. Yep, you have to write stuff and send it in.

Game testing can be pretty fun, and I have obtained some pretty sweet unreleased games, but the only reason to really become a game tester is if you eventually want bigger and better jobs in the video game industry. Being a video game tester is great experience, and you can establish relationships and reputation with game companies. Before you go to game design or programming school, it’s a good idea to try game testing and get a taste of what you’ll really be dealing with. Game industry experience is a huge thing to put on your resume, and you’ll wind up having the advantage.

So, you still want to be a video game tester? I have found a few sites online that are great resources for getting in the door. There are a lot of other sites out there, and I haven’t tried them all, but beware of scams and sites with useless information. You’ll end up wasting time and money.