Your Questions About Video Game Testers
Susan asks…
How much do video game testers get paid yearly? How much by the hour? Any thing else I should know?
I heard they get paid 15,000 and I also heard 100,000 so which is it? And what else should I know about video game testers? (job requirements, years in college, etc.)
admin answers:
A game tester gets paid minimum wage to just over minimum wage.
In Seattle that is $10/hr or $22,000 a year with no over time. California is a little more.
Usually, you have some overtime during the year for another $4000-5000 a year at least.
If you stay in the industry, usually by 3-4 years you are at the $16-$18/hr range and are at a point to lead a small group of testers. This is about $40,000 a year.
You don’t need any Post High School Education to become a game tester.
With that said, it is good to have good communication skills, good team skills, to know about technology and how games are put together. Foreign language, etc are all good education to have on your resume and you could use in a game testing position.
So in High School, Take these types of courses. While in High School, consider http://PowerUpGames.com, It has a certification course for Game Testing at a lot cheaper price than a single college course.
Try Game testing to see if you like the Video Game industry. A couple month contract will let you know. If you like it, you may want to go onto a 2 year degree or a 4 year degree depending on where you want to be in the industry in 5 years or 10 years. You can always use Game Testing as a summer job to help financially get you through college. I recommend a Game Testing position before or in your first year of getting a game testing degree.
The reason people get more education is that it is becoming competitive to get a game testing position. The better your resume and cover letter and references and portfolio…. The better your chances.
Just like someone in Down Town New York Has to move to become a farmer or rancher, you may have to move to become a Game Tester. The way to find out is, search Google and find the 2 or 3 sites that list game developers and publishers by Location. Search your location and apply to Everyone for a position.
Becoming a game tester is do-able but sometimes you need someone to show you the way.
Of the people offering help, this will help you avoid SCAMS…
Never pay for a subscription to find a game testing job. They are usually scams. To see if they are…
Email them and see how long takes them to respond to a specific question.
Make sure you get 2-3 phone numbers of people who have been with them for 6 months or more
and call them to see if they think it was worth it. Ask these people 2-3 specific questions about what they got for the money, how helpful was the staff, what jobs they applied for, connection the company had with the industry, etc…
To help get the job, become familiar with what game testing is, terminology, etc and build out a good cover letter and resume.
To improve your chances to get the job, get some good experience and be able to talk about what you did in with the knowledge and terminology you have learned about Game Testing.
Become familiar with the basics of game testing so after you land a position, you can keep it.
(there are some companies that will hire 10 game testers knowing that after 2-3 days, they will know the best of the group and will lay off the rest. It is cheaper than doing a deep interview process)
If you want help completing the above steps, please investigate our Training at http://PowerUpGames.com
There is no such thing as a career as a stay at home game tester. You can get an occasional Gig that pays or gives you prize for participation but they take work to find and have to contact a lot of game companies to see if they have such work and would be interested in having you help with it.
I have helped over 1000 people get into the industry through becoming a video game tester.
I developed training and education for people to become video game testers.
It has been made into online self paced training on the PowerUp Games Website. Http://www.PowerUpGames.com
Linda asks…
What was the Australian tv show from the 90s called about kids who worked as video game testers?
I used to watch this show when I was young, but I don’t remember what it was called. It was about a bunch of kids that worked as video game testers and had adventures. They also had this friend who was an artificial intelligence head who they talked to. Anyone remember this?
admin answers:
Catalyst but not entirely sure
Betty asks…
Should kids 10 and up be allowed to become video game testers?
Video game testing as far as I know isn’t dangerous. Lots of people including me would like to become video game tester. Plus I think kids 10 and up should be allowed to get jobs. Because it will give us experience, which we could use later in life. I think we should be allowed, because once we’re 10 or older we should be treated like we’re older and be able to get jobs and not just have lemonade stands.
admin answers:
There are kids that test toys for the toy companies, so why not?
Richard asks…
Where can i find Video Game Testers job positions for Xbox or Playstation?
I am interested in becoming a video game tester and maker as it is my major in school and i want to know if anyone can point me in the right direction as to any available present opportunities or how do i get started looking and inquiring about the jobs?
admin answers:
I think Bungie.net has a few spots open, might want to check with them.
Michael asks…
do at home video game testers really exist or is that just the greatest scam ever?
I’ve recently done a lot of research online . I want be a game tester but live no where near any developer. and the only thing i get when i google at home game testing jobs are these like three or four websites selling wat look to be scam who ever heard of paying for a job. but any way if anyone tell me if they are or know a video game tester that test from home.
admin answers:
I’m almost 100% sure there are genuine game tester jobs, but they are incredibly dull. I’m an avid game fan, but I wouldn’t be a tester if I could help it.
You tend to just get a small section to play over and over and over and over so that if you do it in a slightly different way that causes a bug/crash etc, they can pick up on it.
From what I’ve heard the most successful testers are ones that play games at high end skill levels and enter tournaments etc, so that the company that developed the game notices them.
For example, blizzard recruit a lot of the top gamers from starcraft and warcraft and stuff to just play games against each other (on their new starcraft 2 alpha/beta, for example) to test balance, strategies, get their opinions, etc. Balance testing is a big thing.
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