Have you heard of the new adage “All play while at work makes Jack a great guy” – Confused! This is so because you might not have yet heard of a freelance occupation that allows you to play online games or games on consoles to test them. Yes, the occupation is one of a Video Game Tester. Imagine being allowed to test new games, often the full versions, and be paid for it. The requirements of a video games tester job will be to have a lot of experience in the gaming field and will need to you to play new games, usually the beta version or the pre release games to check it for bugs or glitches. Interesting, is it not? Let us now learn about how to become a game tester. To become a game tester, one needs to have lot of gaming experience and also good communication skills. One thing that you need to remember is that becoming a video game tester is not an easy task. One way to go is to try and check through your contacts to see if there is anyone in gaming field into programming who can help you out. Otherwise, you will have to look out for opportunities on the internet. You can even post profiles on various sites where companies will look out for people to become video game tester. This profile should contain whatever relevant experience and aptitude you possess to qualify as a good video game tester and should be regularly updated to add in every new achievement. Alternatively, you can also get a membership to a site such as Gamer Testing Ground that has been making its presence felt ever since it was started in 2004. According to various Gamer testing ground reviews, this site has been providing efficient guidelines to its members through a methodical step-by-step guide to help them become thoroughly equipped to qualify as a video game tester and improve their chances of getting good opportunities to become a game tester. But, is the role of a video game tester a lucrative option? It is quite difficult for a person without much experience to earn a handsome sum but people with experience can earn a handful and convert this mode of work (or should we say play) to become a full fledged job. Although many people take up this as a part time option, some even end up working full time. A video game tester salary can range anywhere from $6/ hour to about $80/ hour. Now, let us look at the downside to being a video game tester. First and foremost, it is quite difficult for a novice with no experience to land up with jobs in this field. Many people therefore might opt to just take up whatever lands in their plate and then try to grow from there. But, once they get the necessary experience they can be selective about the kind of testing jobs they take up and choose only the ones they enjoy playing. Although it is quite common to think that people will enjoy playing new and unreleased games, it is actually quite difficult to do so as they not only have to play the game, they should be on the lookout for bugs and glitches in the game. For this reason, they might need to play a particular level over and over again which might not be very exciting. But, gaming is not for everyone and there is a special class of people who are total addicts and do not mind playing a game over and over again. Also, the role of a video game tester needs you to be very patient and pay thorough attention to detail. All in all, taking up video game tester jobs is an attractive option that one can look out for as a good freelance option and can even be turned into a full time job if you have the flair and the aptitude to go the entire way.
Posts Tagged ‘Real’
Video Game Tester Jobs – Are They For Real or is it a Figment of Fantasy
January 17th, 2010Are Video Game Addictions for Real?
December 15th, 2009At one time or another we have all said, “I am addicted to…” The difference between the person that says that and an addict is that that person is admitting that they know their behavior is excessive. The truth is they aren’t addicted, and they can go with out what ever the activity or substance is, but an addict can’t. When an addict doesn’t get the substance or activity that they are addicted to they are unable to function and/or have unfavorable behavior changes. This is true even when we are talking about video game addictions. When it comes to video games, many worry about the younger generations. Our children and the countless hours that they spend in front of the television with the technical umbilical cord feeding there need. Is your child addicted to video games? Is it even a real addiction? Here we will run down the signs to look for to see if your child is addicted. Unfortunately video game addiction is real. The main difference between the video game addiction and an addiction to a drug is that researchers have not been able to pinpoint the biological aspect of the video game addiction. What they do know is that when a person gambles their dopamine levels are elevated. Dopamine is naturally produced by the body, and the way it works on the body is that it is calming, it makes you feel better. Most researchers consider games to be in the same category as gambling. However they point out that there is more to the addiction then just the brain response, there is always a psychological response as well. As with alcohol addiction, a video game allows that player to escape from their real life and take on the life of what ever character they are playing. On top of the escape that the video game offers, it also provides the player with a sense of control. This control can be a key component as to why children are so easily addicted to video games, because it is something that they can control what happens in. We all remember what is was like to be a young teen, when all we wanted was to be able to control our own lives and make our own decisions, and while as adults we know that we weren’t capable of making the best decisions for ourselves then, at that age we thought we were. Video games give children the ability to make their own decisions. So what harm do the video games really do to our children? Consider the fact that if your child is playing video games for 4 and 5 hours a day, he is not socializing with other kids his age. He probable isn’t doing his homework and that also leaves no time for sports. These are elements of normal childhood development. With out them you increase the likelihood of ending up with a 22 year old male that is unable to communicate with others his age and has the intelligence of an 11 year old. Are they addicted? Here are a few questions to ask:1. Is the amount of time playing a game increasing?2. Do thoughts of video games fill their heads even during other activity?3. Are they playing video games to get away from something else in life that is going on?4. Are they lying to you or their friend about how much time they spend playing video games?5. Do they get irritable and grouchy when told it is time to stop playing or that they are not allowed anymore time?If you answered yes to these most of these questions it is advised that you seek professional advice. Video games themselves are not bad, many people can play video games without a problem, and understand that spending a lot of time playing video games is not an addiction. It is a
