How to Get a Job As a Computer Game Tester
I remember back in the mid 1980s, my neighbor had one of the first PCs. We played a very primitive “escape from nazi prison camp” game that I don’t remember the title of. Anyway, I was mesmerized by the game and wished I could spend hours everyday at the neighbor’s playing that game. Moving in with the neighbor was not an option, and, we did not have a PC at my house.My gaming days were on hold for several years, as I was busy going to college and then graduate school. But my love for computer gaming stayed alive in dollar arcades and at friends’ houses. I finally got my own “real” PC in 1994. I had a voracious appetite for PC games, especially RPGs. Baldur’s Gate was my all time favorite.The world of computer gaming remained a mystery to me, however, because I had no idea how the games were designed or how they actually worked. Over time, I learned a basic understanding of how computers work by regularly upgrading my PC so that it was compatible with the latest game releases. I often thought about how fun it would be to design and test computer games for software companies. Alas, my degree was in political science and not computer science. So, I continued happily playing my computer games and working as a political scientist.Today, anyone can become a computer game tester or work for game testing companies. That is not to say that one should not earn a college degree or technical certification. But, it is not absolutely necessary. PC, console, and internet gaming has exploded in the last few years into a multi-billion dollar industry. Companies are not willing to risk their brands without thorough testing of games prior to release. So, game testing companies are definitely looking for computer game testers. Game testing can be very methodical and at times, very boring. After all, this is a “real” job. So, check it out. What can it hurt?