For die-hard gamers, playing video games is no mere hobby. It is a way of life. Every available moment is devoted to gaming, and many of these people could crack the final level in their sleep. Whether due to the habit-forming nature of the games themselves or simply to the thrill of winning, there is nothing that a true gamer would not do to get his hands on the newest, most innovative games.
Get Paid to Play
The idea of getting paid just to play video games seems, quite frankly, too good to be true. And on some levels it is. While game testing is certainly a very real opportunity, no one is going to pay you to simply play the game. If, however, you are willing to play games with the intent of discovering problems, you may have found your dream job. Game companies are willing to pay surprising amounts of money to testers who successfully point out legitimate flaws with their developing products.
Crack the Code
Whether it’s accidentally running through a wall or improperly calculating the player’s points, the alpha and beta versions of video games are full of bugs. The primary role of a video game tester is thus to discover every possible glitch that the game may have. This involves a systematic approach to the task of effectively trying to “break” the game. The more glitches a game tester is capable of finding, the more successful his career will be.
Make Good Money
Ok, so you’re intrigued. Game testing seems like it might actually be the kind of job that you could enjoy. But what’s the bottom line? Is there really money to be made in testing progressive versions of video games? Simply, yes. Amazingly, the average yearly income of a game tester is $39,000. That’s more than the average EMT, paramedic, or administrative assistant, all of which average $33,000 annually. And the more experience you garner in the field, the more you can expect to be paid. In addition to significant yearly income, some employers will offer bonuses to motivate employees to discover more bugs. So at the end of the day, you can make surprisingly good money testing video games.
Discover Your Dream Job
Most video game lovers could think of nothing better than getting paid to play. After all, making a job out of a hobby means that you enjoy what you do, and few people these days have that luxury. If you have the patience to follow designated procedures for discovering glitches in the game code, you will love game testing. Where else would you get the opportunity to take a game apart, analyze its components, and put them back together to create a better gaming experience?
Do you love to play video games? Game testing may be the opportunity that you have been waiting for to make money doing something that you enjoy. For more information about the process of becoming a tester check out the other pages on this practical website.