Tester
This is a typical entry level job for people with no previous experience in the industry. Games testers will be expected to play test the game and try to find bugs which they will then report to the other departments.
The general process is to play builds of the game towards the end of production and write up any bugs you find in a database. The relevant development team member will then read the bug, hopefully fix it and assign it back to the tester so they can try to recreate it in the next build. If the bug is fixed they mark it as fixed and it is cleared from the database. This process continues until the game is ready to ship.
The QA or quality assurance departments at game developers and publishers vary wildly. Many testers think they will just be playing the game but this is not the case, an organised test department will have test plans which have to be fulfilled for every build of the game. Builds are commonly burned once a week and the test team will then spend the week testing all of the features that are supposed to be in the game and making sure they work as planned. The lead tester should sit with the design document and make test plans based on it, so for example one tester may be charged with ensuring that each and every weapon listed in the design document works as intended, does the correct amount of damage, plays the correct animation and special effects and can be found in the right place. This process should be repeated for every aspect of the game.
It is also generally the case that testers only get their hands on the game towards the end of production but it can be hugely useful to get them testing it as early as possible. Testers are often very good at spotting weaknesses in the game design as they spend so much time playing games they know how something should feel however they are rarely allowed the level of input that would allow them to make design suggestions. Don’t expect to be well received if you keep entering suggestions when the game is approaching the final deadline and the team are in crunch mode.
Testing can be a very boring job especially at a game developer where you will work on the same game for months. Test departments also generally expect testers to work long hours and overtime is more or less standard.
Although you don’t need any qualifications as such the skills that will help you to be a good tester are attention to detail, the ability to communicate what you did in order to find the bug and a dedication to keep concentrating and working to find bugs even when you are tired and bored to death.
Testers often move into other positions within the company so it is a good way into games development. There are also Lead Tester roles which involve managing a team of testers and overseeing the testing of a game or multiple teams and multiple games as is more commonly the case at publishers.
Getting a Tester Job
Keep an eye out at the websites of developers and publishers, testing roles frequently come up. Testers are generally hired on a temporary basis and often employed just for the last few months of a game development cycle. Publishers tend to have big testing departments and enough titles to keep testers employed year round, some of the larger developers will also do this so it is possible to find a permanent job.
Some companies will ask for all sorts of qualifications and expect testers to be educated to degree level but for the most part this is not the case. The tester should represent the end user so it makes sense to hire testers from all walks of life and backgrounds and this is often what companies do so generally anyone can apply for a tester job.
I have seen a number of websites offering freelance testing jobs and making wild claims about your potential earnings. They then charge people for access to their database of jobs. This is a scam, you should never have to pay to find a job and you can be sure that no testers earn the kind of amounts they are talking about. In my experience it is very rare indeed for testers to be employed as remote freelance workers, you will generally be expected to work onsite.
If you do want to improve your chances of securing a testing job then take part in some beta tests. Developers frequently run beta tests and invite members of the public to play a near final build of the game and report on bugs for them; this is an excellent way of gaining experience in the role, although it is usually unpaid work.
Useful Links for Testers
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