What is Digg?Sponsored by Travelzoo
$52 and Up—Airlines Slash Fares On Peak Holiday Flights. view!
travelzoo.com - This year, waiting until the last minute is NOT the best strategy. See why.
60 Comments
- asif5th, on 10/12/2007, -0/+56This article is bias...it doesn't state that he only gets paid 20k a year and lives in his parents basement.
- SurrealDream, on 10/12/2007, -2/+38Yeah, It's always been my dream to ruin one of my favorite hobbies by turning it into WORK.
- thatsmyaibo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+32HAHAHAHA seriously, this description is overkill. I tested for THQ in Augoura Hills here in southern California when i was 18. First off, it isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's tedious work that requires you, not to PLAY the game, but find bugs and write up reports. Especially at THQ, many of the games are based on kid's movies. My brother worked from 10am to 10pm testing the Bratz game last summer. It is a job that requires a lot of overtime with a low hourly pay. You can live off the pay, but don't expect to buy a house anytime soon.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+21Game testers make about $10/hour and pretty much anyone can do it. Walk in and they'll give you a job.
Let's please explode the myth that this is a "dream job". It's not a TERRIBLE job, but its hardly a dream. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17No kidding. I like how they say in the article that "chicks dig guys who play games for a living". Yeah, not so much. His picture just screams DORK (nice stupid glasses, sh*t-eating grin, and little boy parted hair). No dig from this female.
Oh, btw, I was a game tester one summer playing Xbox games, and it was one of the most boring, repetitive chores of all time. You rarely get to play any fun games (Halo got snatched up right away and I was usually stuck playing Fusion Frenzy or some BS like that), and the games that are remotely fun, you get so tired of from playing them day in and day out that you never want to touch them again. Seriously, testing games is NOT glamorous, fun, well-paying, desirable, or anything of the sort. It was OK for a college summer job, but no way on EARTH would I ever want to do that crap again. If he wants to call that his career, that's fine... have fun being the butt of every joke.
Oh well, at least he's blissfully happy about his amazing job that he thinks everybody is envious of. Have fun tightening up those graphics. - JavertHolmes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14If it makes you feel any better, a lot of people make this mistake: photographers (being the slave to a magazine or magazines that wants you to shoot crap without using any creativity whatsoever), film editors (editing crappy shows for years at a time containing nothing they enjoy), directors (again, directing lifestyle shows when what you wanted to do was video art), camera operators (shooting B-roll all day instead of being on the set of action movies), fashion designers (spending time backstage panicking like hell and schmoozing with people they hate instead of being in their boutique designing)... hell, I can even see a pilot's dream of flying being destroyed by crappy shifts and repetitive flights.
Making large amounts of money and spending the majority of your day doing the things you enjoy are usually mutually exclusive, unfortunately.. at least in the creative realm it seems :( - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16For those who didn't understand -- "Grandma's Boy" is the name of a movie about a video game tester.
- radu79, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Yes, turning any hobby into work kind of ruins it.
The whole idea of a hobby is doing it when you want, how you want, to relax. If you have to do it for a living, you can't relax anymore by doing it, you get dealines, etc.
Given the fact that I work in the gaming industry (lead programmer/developer of a small, independent MMO), I can tell you that once you start getting players in the game the whole fun is ruined :) - ArmchairAthlete, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I feel sorry for anyone who thinks that's a "dream job".
- renik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Yeah, the guy looks pretty nerdy but you shouldn't diss the job that fast. That is if you care about games or want to work in the industry.
I actually worked exactly where he worked at THQ in Agoura Hills. It's not the most glorious job, but it's a lot better than many jobs out there for under 10 bucks and hour. You are working on games an CAN make a difference on the products you work on. It's more satisfying to see a game you worked on the shelf and say "I fixed a bug on that game that would have frustrated about 40,000 people or more depending on the bug" than deal with retail. It's easy to be a game tester, not easy to be a good one.
And yes, you can get your foot in the door in this industry. You learn how games get made. It can lead you to better things for the smart and creative people. I was able to play test AT developers and work WITH developers, ever hear of Pandemic? I was able to meet the people hiring and get informal interviews to get get a "real" job. And you meet coworkers that have talent (and also many douches) that you can network with later on to get ahead.
And when you're working OT you can make 1000 bucks a week, but with no life. You won't get rich but you can make a living at a detriment to your social life. This is NOT a dream job unless you're a total nerd where ALL you want to do is play games and have no social life.
The interview and this guy are pretty lame, however if you play your cards right, you can use this kind of job to move on to something bigger and better. - coditza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@radu79: I disagree with you. Turning a hobby into work isn't always a very good idea, but this depends on exactly the goals. For example, being a game tester can be fun and rewarding for an undergrad, but definitely isn't something you look forward to do for more than a couple of years. However, being a pro video gamer is. If you go for pro, then the actual goal of the whole thing is a reward. You might became the best for that game, not to mention the money you can get from that. Both jobs require the same amount of work (more or less), but definitely the second is more rewarding. Not to mention, you do the second because you actually like the game :P
Being a game tester is the same thing as being any other kind of tester. If you ask my coworkers from the QA team, they will tell you that's not exactly a dream/easy job to step in, a couple of days before the deadline and say that you just found yet another bug. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Q: What's worse than being a game tester?
A: Interviewing a game tester
Q: What's worse than interviewing a game tester
A: Getting ***** up the ass by Tedd Haggard - crumbelievable, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Testing games is fun, but emotionally fulfilling? Doubt it. How can it be when all you do is test other people's creation? I'd say anything that involves a little creativity is a lot more fulfilling than this.
- salivalnz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm a test analyst and if you intend to get into any kind of testing, don't test games.
It is NOT a case of sitting around and playing the game and hoping you find something wrong with it. If you were testing sound effects (of which there can be thousands per game), you'll be given a list of the effects you need to produce and the circumstances under which the sound is generated (eg send 500 infantry troops into battle with three types of monster tank and withdraw after seven soldiers are wounded). And you do that *all day*. Then if it bugs out, you've gotta figure out what you did wrong or what the computer did wrong, reproduce it, document it, etc.
I know for a fact that test analysts testing business software make a bucket load of money - particularly in Europe. Testing games is a low paying gig compared to the money you can make testing business software. It may not sound glamourous when you're talking to you friends, but when you're pulling chicks in your brand new BMW M5, it doesn't matter how glamourous it sounds. - ninephoenixes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6"His job is more fun and emotionally fulfilling than yours will probably ever be. He is a game tester for THQ, and has been for the past few months."
Negative. I've never met someone who was a game tester for a decent length of time and came out of it saying the job didn't suck ass. - Kinsbane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4It's actually a terrible job when you do it for THQ. A number of my friends did it and they were treated terribly. After the first few times, they no longer had incentive to really care much about the games they were testing. Long hours, no overtime pay, and pretty much no thanks except your name in the credits at the end.
- Pyloff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@Pika
Thanks for the commentary. I can't believe anyone would think this is a dream job. - InfinitySnatch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Emotionally fulfilling?
Does the Playstation he works on have the fabled sex hole? - UtOh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"His job is more fun and emotionally fulfilling than yours will probably ever be"
Seriously? Fulfilling? - skankyBacon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5You mean it's biased? Or are you actually saying that this article *is* the concept of bias?
- wssharp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5turning a passion into work, however, seems to make people really happy
- cycledesign, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You're right and QA (Quality Assurance) is a terrible job that basically anyone can get. I worked QA for THQ for a couple years in college and as long as you can write a basic sentence in English, the job is yours. The pay is terrible and I definitely did not look forward to going to work in the mornings as much as I would for any job.
The distinction that most people fail to note when considering testing video games is that when you work QA you don't "play" video games. You test them. You really don't have time to get into it and enjoy it. You have to test everything repetitively over and over again. You find the bugs and check to see if they were fixed. By the time you've beaten the same stupid boss a thousand times it's not fun anymore and the rest of the time you're writing reports.
If you apply to work as a QA tester, think of it like any other low pay, manual job. You don't just hang out and play video games. - jonvincible, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Read the comments. I think a few fellow testers disagree with the things he states. Though Numba1testah seems to like his job...
- SurrealDream, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4JavertHolmes : Yeah I agree with you. I'm an amateur photographer, and there's comfort to be taken in not having any constraints or pressure when pursuing a creative goal.
Basically, what radu79 said.
wssharp : I agree, but there's some slight differences. I'm very happy with the education/career goals I've pursued. I'm working towards an Engineering degree, and I chose Engineering because I enjoyed studying it, and I have at least SOME natural aptitude for it. Having had hands on experience with what I hope to be my future position (currently in an internship program) I can imagine spending my working days in Engineering, because I have pursued it as a career goal. I can't say that when I come back home I'd look forward to drawing up drafts.
I would, however, look forward to playing a game or taking some photographs as a way to relax, while holding no (or little, lol) resentment for my job which I have to return to the next day.
I think that's the difference, in my eyes. - mindovermatter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3At my university (USC) we actually have a course described as "Video Game Quality Assurance" which is just a fancy way of saying "Game Testing." The person who teaches our class is a former professional beta tester who now works development jobs for Sony and Blizzard. He's told us that while game testing itself isn't very lucrative major companies look for people with backgrounds in "quality assurance" -- those with testing experience will find it easier to land their dream jobs in the field after a few years.
If you're really interested in video game development and design game testing is an excellent start (regardless of what the dude in this article says). - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3it's really not that fun, because like djmc said, its not just playing games, you're rarely ever playing the game, you're TESTING it, like the title implies.
do this, do this with that item, do it with the next item, do it with this item facing that way, you are just beta testing their game, not fragging away in a deathmatch - coditza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yeah, it fulfils your masochistic needs :P
- Djmc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2As I said, basically a foot in the door, show your face. If this guy enjoys it good luck to him, I was just saying it doesn't seem like much fun to me
- hppypnts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2He has most of the things right on, and some I guess depend on which company you are working for. What he does not mention is that testers get treated like second class citizens within the company. A decent job for the summer if you're in school, but I definitely wouldn't make it a career path. It was kind of disappointing, you bust your ass as much as the developers to get this game to shine and then at launch they don't even have the decency to give you VIP access to the launch party. General admission like any other schmuck that showed up.
- baaron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"the graphics need to be tweaked on level three".. "can you believe we get paid for this?"
- hppypnts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The only foot is the one kicking your ass out the door when the game ships.
- Sharkee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I was a tester for 6 months, I don't recommend it. You get treated like *****. Ironically, I found the job though Digg.
- TRiXWoN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Launch party... what is this you speak of... I thought testers were forbidden from attending or reading about such things.
- skankyBacon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"We need to tighten up the graphics on level 3."
- unamas, on 10/12/2007, -12/+14grandma's boy!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Dream job? To play THQ games? ROFL! They make sh*t games.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Clever! Since you 'get it', I'll tell you about my pretty awesome adventure as a Microsoft tester for a big title.
I was honored to be selected via some suggestion and fix of an issue I submitted randomly to Microsoft on a game. They replied back with an offer of beta-testing the next in the series! What serious gamer could refuse such an offer? The secret initiation: You get a .NET passport account, tell MSFT almost everything about you marketing and demographic wise (working telephone landline as well), and for some (not me) you had to sign an NDA. Being an honorable chap, I don't need a contract to keep me mum on a project I was eager to help on..whee! I was going to make level three's graphics so damned tight, they would have to grease the model's pants textures to get them dressed! You also gained access to the private MSFT newsgroups, which included binary access for downloads, very handy back then.
The development team would release builds of the product periodically, this went on for more than a year, couriers would come (about 5-6 builds), you would have to sign for the game discs and there would be a hand-out describing what needed particular attention. Even the disc label was an item for review, it was great to see the artwork evolve as passionate discussions raged in the groups over seemingly insignificant details, like disc graphics. The developers had a great system for reporting issues: Level 1: Dreaded CTDs; Level 2: Application hangs; Level 3: Missing elements (i.e. Isn't there a river supposed to be here?); Level 4: Everything else.
Your specific job was to follow the developers memorandum, concentrating on the areas of concern they mentioned, and report back every anomaly you could, using the rating system above. It's a funny feeling having Dr.Watson trap an error, and then send off the data to the great big Microsoft, but you know which desk and which person it's actually going to get read by...very creepy but fun too.
What's a tale without scandal? Well, as much as I respected my fellow testers, and trusted them as much as Microsoft did, one of the disc images was leaked on the net and naturally we heard about it quickly....there was the usual reaction; women fainting, index cards flying everywhere, lots of bluster and disavowing of such a despicable act...when, the developers informed us that each set of discs had a unique image on it and the leaker was already identified and banned and a naughty legal threat made in his native language (this was international). I was impressed with the level of security, and gladdened for it. I think it was and is the only time I approve of Microsoft's DRM.
Whatever your opinion of B. Gates, keep it separate from the talented and gamer-first dedication of their Game Studios, btw, the only compensation I received from them was the game discs, that plus the unique experience equaled a fair trade for my time and efforts. - justinlarsen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Stop posting your personal web address at the bottom of all your comments. Its annoying.
- RexyRex, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Renik, Agoura Hills is dangerously close to me. Where is THQ?
- unununium, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Everyone knows the edge cases are the best part of the game anyway
- bigdsinferno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1if they were smart, they'd do like bungie is doing with Halo 3 (i.e. making people not only beg to test for free, but actually be willing to pay to do it).
- wideawakewesley, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2If you want more money, QA business software, it's far more interesting and far more rewarding (depending on the software).
- sano1997, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I tested games while in college (particularly a Medal of Honor expansion pack).
The job rocked. We played multiplayer deathmatches for hours and hours.
That said, game testing is only cool as a high school/college part-time job. Also, you better be testing a game that is somewhat fun to play, or else it would totally blow nuts. - andrewrchambers, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ugh, I've met so many games testers who despise their jobs... play level, play again slightly differently, play again... and again for weeks. the same level. ugh. i get frustrated if i have to replay a level just once or twice in reasonably quick succession.
i could never be a games tester - mahdaeng, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1here's an idea: if you like games so much, why not go to school, learn how to program, and then write your own games and have some other little dork qa them for you?
there's a lot more satisfaction to be had from your own creations - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1THQ isn't completely awful: Company of Heroes is pretty interesting and enjoyable at first.
- Wytefang, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Wow, whoever wrote this article has no clue, apparently, about what constitutes a 'dream job' or about gaming. Time to revoke the gaming journalist license over there at Destructoid. Q&A is just about the worst gaming job you can have.
- iZen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I know people who have been game testers and I know people who work on the games themselves. There is no dreamworld in game testing. All you do is test the same game for months doing the same stuff in the game over and over again. You then file reports on the bug or bugs that you find and continue. If you want to become a game tester it will ruin your gaming experience for the rest of your life. You will also make minimum wage or just over and sometime will never speak with any of the artists. Majority of the studios are different some keep their testers in the loop and some do not. On a guess is that THQ does not keep their testers close to their artists and crew because they are such a large publishing company and same with EA. I know Rockstar would be a good place to get a game testing job at because they are big and they keep all their testing close at hand. If you are looking for a testing job look for smaller studios especially if your trying to get a job at the company as an artists creating 3d models or concept art. You'll have a better chance of showing the people your portfolio because at larger companies like EA they say they are going to look at it and throw it in a box under a desk or just say that they cannot look at it right now. This article is completely stupid and does not portray this job correctly. You have to be a person who is willing to work for nothing and sit around playing the same game over and over again, filing your reports.
- Krones, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My job is way better, I write obscene checks and waste massive amounts of money. (Not really, but still I'd rather have that job than working in QA at THQ!)
- mahdaeng, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1tracking a bug for six hours is a problem? welcome to the world of software development, my friend.
-
Show 51 - 60 of 60 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is