If you asked a gamer what their dream job would be, most would respond that being a game tester would be near to the top of their lists.
Companies employ gamers to actually play their games during the various stages of development before a game is released. As I've learned, however, it's not all fun and games.
Let's say that you're a game tester for Anycompany USA. If you physically work at the company then your workspace would likely be a large room where many other testers are working on games as well. The environments in these places is supposedly pretty gamer friendly with comfortable chairs, computers or consoles of various specs, and snack machines within easy reach. Some companies will mail you the games so you might be able to play right from your home.
For your assignment, you have to play a game that you are actually interested in. You begin playing an early version of the game, so the graphics might be off and maybe the sound isn't quite done yet but the basic game-play is there. You take copious notes during your play session, listing all the "bugs" and errors that you notice. You have to explore every corner of the game world and do everything that you can to experience what the players will experience. That means that game-testing estimates run from 50-plus hours of gaming to some companies stating almost 80-plus hours are required.
Now, 50 to 800 hours might seem like a long time but you are at least getting paid for your time. The rate at which you get paid really depends on the company employing you. Some game testers feel like they are little more than slave labour while others make an adequate living. The average seems to be $10-$20 an hour, with some senior testers claiming almost $100 an hour.
If you love the game that you are reviewing, then the time and money involved might not matter. But here's the clincher: you review what you are told to review. So when that game that you love goes to market you move on to the next game, which you might hate. Suddenly your cool gamer-geek job might not seem so cool as you languish for hours playing some kids' game.
Game testing might not be for everyone but if you are interested then there is a huge amount of game tester blogs on the net that might give you a better understanding of what the job entails.
About Rob Michael: With the attention span of a squirrel on crack, Rob just isn't cut out for game tes... hey, a butterfly! Contact Rob at rmichael2@sympatico.ca if you want to comment on an article.
Recommend :
Latest News
Durham residents arrested in bank card skimming operationDURHAM -- Five Durham residents are facing more than 180 charges following an investigation into tampered banking machines. Durham Regional Police major fraud unit began ...
A reluctant rat: Agent wanted outWHITBY -- He was paid thousands to inform on drug dealing among his biker brothers, but a police agent has testified he was reluctant to implicate two Hells Angels in a murder...
An accident every two minutes on OPP-patrolled roadsDURHAM -- The timely return of wintry driving conditions had Ontario Provincial Police receiving, on average, an accident report every two minutes on the roads it patrols in ...
Key witness on hot seat at biker trialWHITBY -- The cross-examination of a key witness in the trial of two high-ranking bikers began Thursday with a full-out assault on the police agent's credibility. Defence ...
Nuclear waste building opening at PickeringDURHAM -- While a federal agency continues to work on finding a site to permanently store nuclear waste, Ontario Power Generation is moving forward with a storage solution at ...
Moving day for mental health bedsAJAX -- The mental health beds are officially on their way out of Ajax and into their now home in Scarborough. In March, the Rouge Valley Health System announced changes ...
Whitby woman one of four murdered in ScarboroughWHITBY -- Neighbours of James and Elizabeth Tompkins were, for the most part, reluctant to speak about the couple this morning. Mr. Tompkins was released by Toronto Police on ...
Killings were murder-suicide The deaths of four
people in a Scarborough home are now being treated as a murder-suicide,
police sources confirmed this morning...
Couple terrorized in home invasionOSHAWA -- Police are searching for three thugs who burst into a central Oshawa home and terrorized a couple in what's being described as a home invasion-style robbery. A ...
Clear garbage bags a goDURHAM -- Despite opposition from the mayor of Pickering, the Region is moving forward with a clear garbage bag pilot project in Pickering and Courtice. A route of about 750 ...