The Shocking Truth About Video Game Testing Jobs

Picture this: you and some buddies kicking backOnce the bug has been corrected, regression
and spending the day playing the latest videotesting kicks in - you go back and test again and
games - before they are even released to theagain to ensure that the problem is indeed fixed.
public! Sound good? Now imagine you're gettingYou also have to re-test the video game to
paid too; you're one of the lucky people doingensure that the changes made to the original bug
video game testing jobs from home!did not in turn create any new problems. This is
On the surface of course, working from homewhere the process gets especially boring and
testing the latest video games probably seemsrepetitive. Remember, you're not doing this to win
like the ultimate career opportunity for youngthe game!
gamers. Having access to the hottest upcomingYou should also be aware that video game testing
titles, the programmers and artists and being abegins around the time the game is approximately
part of the team bringing game to market is75% complete. Most often this means that there
exciting and rewarding. But this type ofwill be gaps in game sequences, codes that don't
opportunity requires far more than good handwork, audio tracks may not be available and so
eye coordination!on. So as part of your work to test the game,
Testing is part of an overall quality assuranceyou've got to keep a clear division between what
process that requires an eye for detail, excellentis incomplete and what is really a bug. On the
communication skills and an enormous amount ofupside though, if you are one of those people
patience. Playing a video game over and over orwho tends to easily notice the bugs in games,
repeating a series of actions to reach a specificyou'll be happy to know that some employers
point in a game 30 or 40 times is tedious and caneven offer bonuses for the number of bugs a
cause burnout very quickly. It's literally not all funtester finds.
and games!Really the truth is that every job has its downside
When you're actually sitting there playing a videoand, despite all of the not-so-fun parts of testing
game, testing specific features and functions, youvideo games, the testers do have very cool jobs.
also have to follow a process for communicatingAfter all, they do get to work from the comfort
bugs or other errors. For example, when youof their home, which often means setting their
identify a problem with the game, you first checkown hours. Playing video games for different
a log to determine whether or not it's alreadyplatforms or game consoles exposes them to the
been reported. If not, you need to carefullylatest gaming technology well ahead of their
document the error, often writing several pagesfriends. If you're an enthusiastic gamer, finding
of a description of what occurred and of coursegood video game testing jobs from home could
instructions for replicating it.become a fantasy career for you!