If you are passionate about the world of video games, working as a game tester can become one of your dreams and goals. Basically, it is in charge of thoroughly testing any videogame before it goes on sale, looking for errors and bugs. So the first thing you should know is that you should not just try it out, but document everything and pay attention to the smallest details.
¿How to become a game testet or video game tester? At Euroinnova we want to teach you what you need to become this professional who focuses on finding bugs in the titles that are about to be released on the market. You will learn about the different types of game tester that exist, the requirements you must meet and the salary you would get in exchange for your activity.
Are you ready? Let's get started!
What does a game tester do?
The main functions of a game tester revolve around the search for bugs or errors in video games. What kind of errors? For example, errors in translations that may have been overlooked. The game tester finds them, documents them and reports them so that the relevant team can fix them.
Everything is examined in detail, taking into account the following criteria performance and playability. They complete and monitor every part of the game and make sure that everything works correctly. They do not do this task freely, but have minimal instructions detailing which parts of the game to focus on.
Another role of a game tester is to make suggestions to the creators of the video game to make it more attractive and interesting for the public. It is no longer only looking for bugs, but also provides feedback on the interest it can arouse in the general public. This information, before the launch of the video game, contains a high value.
Types of game testers
The video games industry is becoming more professional over the years, with the result that there are different game tester profiles. The aim is clear: each of them focuses on different aspects of the video game. Some enter at an early stage of the project and others at the final stage, close to what consumers will see. In conclusion, we can say that there are 3 types of testers.
Game functionality tester
The mission of this game tester is to find bugs in the game. start-up, stability, design or programming. Deeply analyse the game for bugs that prevent you from continuing with the part or other bugs in the response to commands.
Game tester linguistic or localisation tester
In this case, the game tester focuses on the translation and dubbing errors such as punctuation marks, spelling and grammar. Equally, as every culture is different, they make sure that everything makes sense and is not seriously disrespectful.
Beta tester
In the last phase, just before moving to the final production phase, a group of game testers completes a test to look for the last details to be debugged. In many cases, this beta is open to the general public to report bugs. In this way, the company saves costs and generates hype among the public.
What does it take to become a game tester?
For become a game tester A great love of video games is not enough for you as a professional. If you like playing games, that's fine, but you must meet a series of additional requirements. Take out a pen and write down everything you can improve, because the most complete profile will be preferred by certain companies and will allow you to get a higher salary.
Let's see what it takes to become a game tester:
- You must have pressure tolerance, You will need to work 12 to 14 hours a day. You will need to work between 12 and 14 hours a day.
- They will value your communication skills, as you need to be proactive, methodical and observant. Everything you can communicate to your team will be appreciated.
- Have a English proficiency is essential for communicating with your team and for detecting translation errors.
- Computer literacy, design and programming is a plus. Although there is no qualification to be accredited as a game tester, you can acquire certain knowledge that will boost your professional profile.
- You must have a good gaming setup. The latest generation of consoles, mobile devices and a powerful PC are indispensable to test the different video games quickly.
How much win a game tester?
The first thing to bear in mind is that a game tester usually works on a project basis, normally for 7 or 8 months. Thus, they work as freelance professionals for a certain period of time and then jump to another temporary contract, i.e. they do not close themselves to a company and that's it.
Even so, if you are hired by a company on a permanent contract, you should know that your salary will be in the range of 18,000 to 22,000 euros gross per year. It is not the best paid speciality in the world of videogames, but it is a good entry point through which to work your way up the ladder. If you prove your worth, you will enter your sector where it is easy to find opportunities for growth.
Skills needed to be a game tester
Finally, we wanted to close this article with a series of skills that you can start to develop right now. If your dream is to work in video games, it is important that you work on your professional profile today. All the progress you make will go a long way towards finding the ideal position in this industry.
The first thing you can work on right away is your knowledge of video games and how they are developed. At this point, you can educate yourself on the equipment needed for their creation, programming languages and market trends. It follows from this that you need to develop a very observant personality, putting emotions aside and focusing on the details.
Thinking from a analytical point of view and know how to solve problems as they arise. Equally, because of the speed that will be required of you, it is important that you develop a high ability to maintain concentration for a long time. Finally, it is important to know managing your time effectively to deliver projects on time and on budget.
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