Play Video Games and Get Paid – How To Be a Games Tester

If you enjoy playing video games and would like to have a job as a games tester, this article will show you how to get started quickly. The video games industry is slated to worth US$44 billion dollar in year 2011. Every month, there are new games appearing on the shelves and if you enjoy playing them, why don’t you get paid for it?

Game developers are willing to pay good dollar in employing beta testers because buyers, like you and me, do not like our gaming experience marred by glitches and having to download patches too often. Thus before a video game can go into production, it has to undergo several testing phases to find and resolve as many bugs as possible. It is usually means the make or break for the game as their marketing efforts will be compromised by reports of buyer complaints.

Video game testing is a very competitive market. Timing and getting your application to the right people is one thing, being able to fulfill their criteria of a successful beta tester is another. You should have an eye for detail, able to document glitches and bugs accurately, have the patience to play part of the game over and over again, submitting your reports regularly and on time. But how do you get your foot in the door?

If you truly enjoy playing video games, it is always good to demonstrate your understanding of the game by showing your skills. For example, multi-player online games will usually have a leader board that tracks your scores. You don’t have to be the best, but enough to be deemed as more than just a competent gamer.

Participating in game developers’ forums will give you the opportunity to interact with them. Usually, the developer will be looking at feedback from these forums for glitches or improvement ideas. If you are able to report some bugs and establish a rapport with them, your chances of being invited to beta test their games are greatly enhanced. There are also open beta programs which the public can apply for. Get yourself involved; be proactive in helping the developers and you will be rewarded if you are persistent enough.

You can also write reviews of the games. By writing reviews, the game developers an insight to how much you appreciate the games. If your reviews are popular enough, they may send you new games for reviews even when you are not on the beta testing team.

Finding out the process of applying for paid beta tester position is not easy. A lot of research has to be to find information on the application window, resources and the right people to sign up with. And asking a fellow beta tester outright may not get you the answer because it’ll mean one more competitor to landing his next assignment. However, if you want to cut down your work, there are membership sites out there that will share this information with you for a monthly fee.

The benefits of being a beta tester includes flexible work time, playing the game way before everyone else get a chance to, you have access to cheat codes and level secrets, check out where the golden eggs are and, the best thing is, getting paid for playing it. Plus, you are gaining real world experience of working with very creative people pushing technology to entertain the masses. So put yourself in the front of the line by improving your gaming skills, participate in game developer forums and sign up for open beta tests where available, show your eye for detail and understanding of games by writing reviews, as well as, start researching on the application process by visiting game developers’ websites or subscribing to paid membership sites that have done most of the leg work for you. Being a beta tester is hard work and may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you are a true blue gamer, take action now that the video games industry is starting to boom, creating better gaming experiences for yourself and gamers all over the World. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a job as a video games beta tester and be paid for it?