Become A Video Game Tester In Austin, TX
If you’re living in Austin, TX and you love video games, read on! Did you know you can actually become a video game tester? That’s right…actually getting paid by different companies to try out their game system. You can even make a career out of it if you’re good enough. Sound like something you’d be interested in? Let’s explore what video game testing entails, the odds and ends of how much you can make, and an actual company in Austin who sometimes puts out ads for new testers. Video game testers are an important part of the gaming industry. Once a program is designed and developed, somebody has to work out the bugs and suggest enhancements. Someone has to say, “This game sucks!” or “This game is incredible!” That’s where you come in. The job of a video tester is to try the software, write down any glitches, ideas for improvement, or opinions about the game as a whole, then report back to the company. Sounds easy, huh? But here’s a tip that trips up so many hopefuls… Take the job seriously! Yes, you’re racing a flaming car over a cliff—which is totally awesome! But you’re also helping the company make the game a success. Many testers are so focused on getting paid to play games, they forget to actually look at the game from a “how can this game be made better” perspective. Remember, if you do well, it could lead to other jobs in the future. Companies want someone who’s looking out for their company’s interests first, not their own. Also, be thorough. Don’t just put that some of the graphics didn’t look good. The animator must have specifics in order to make productive changes. Don’t just say the game was buggy on level 10. Let the programmer know exactly what you were doing and what the game did. There are literally millions of lines of code that can go into a graphics-intense game. The more specific you are, the easier it is for the game designers to narrow down the problem and fix it before the public sees it. Now that you know how it works, where do you go to find work? Well, there’s a company called iGameTester that offers to help people find jobs in the video game testing business. It costs $34.99 to sign up and gain access to their resources. They also offer a money-back guarantee for the first 30 days. Most companies pay anywhere from $10 to $100 per hour, depending on knowledge and past experience. Another route is to find a company on your own in the Austin area. One company who is often looking for fresh testers is Volt. The game testing they offer is on site. (Some companies also let you work from home, but this particular company does not.) Volt is heavily based in multi-media online games (better known as MMO games). They require you to have experience with MMO products and report all bugs to a database and a quality assurance analyst. They also prefer people with experience with TCGs (trading card games; Magic, the Gathering, etc.), strong communication skills, and at least 40 hours a week availability.
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