The Career of a Video Game Tester?

Answer 1

During the development cycle of a video game, developers put it through a rigorous play testing in order to see if the programming code is working properly. Not only is play testing done to squash any bugs found, the game has to be played to see if the mechanics such as enemy AI is balanced and fair as well. Most developers are too busy to focus on squashing these bugs, so they rely on a Quality Assurance Team, or Game Testers to do it for them.

A Game Tester's Job

While the position of being a game tester sounds like a fun job, it can be a rigorous process that can end up feeling like work. The job of a tester is not to really beat a game, but to play through the game repeatedly during its development. This repeated play enables the tester to find bugs, glitches and ways to break the game so that the developers can fix it before it goes to retail.

Required Skills

A college degree isn't required to become a game tester, most companies will hire anyone just as long as they are willing to do the tough job. There are other skillsets though, which will come in handy for anyone searching for a job as a game tester.

Excellent communication skills and an attention to detail are highly looked upon. When a bug is found, it has to be thoroughly reported. Such as how the bug was found, what causes the bug, what the game should have done instead of what really happened, and even what could be wrong with the code causing the bug.

Computer skills are very important as well. Testers have to be knowledgeable in the installation of drivers, hardware and operating systems. Even if they are testing a console game, a report still has to be written on a computer.

The Salary of a Game Tester

The salary of a tester can range anywhere from $18,000 USD to $35,000 USD per year. As one gains more experience the salary can go up even higher, sometimes into the six figure range depending on the company.