Most people know that video games go through a series of tests before its official launch.
What happens after its release? Are there tests the game goes through?
Even after a game is launched, to make for a more immersive game, it is continuously updated, leading to the necessity for more follow-up game testing.
Game Testing: Who Does It and What Kind of Profession Is It?
The “It” Factor: If I love to game and my gaming knowledge is extensive in various genres, do I have what it takes to be a video game tester?
If you are interested in a career in game testing, we at Latis Global, the experts in game functionality and language testing, have provided you with all the information needed when deciding whether this job is right for you. Continue reading to find out more.
The Inside Scoop on Becoming a Video Game Tester
What Does a Video Game Tester Actually Do?
As a video game tester, you will go through the game with a fine-tooth comb to see if there are any glitches, UI errors, and other issues that come up as you play. Often known as beta testers, or simply as game testers, your task is to identify and locate any technical problems that gamers may face before the official release.
Keep in mind a game tester must balance playing the game while simultaneously checking for any issues that arise. As a professional tester goes through every level and menu of the game, the goal is to find all the flaws that exists as they play. Be sure to leave no stone unturned, and don’t forget to check all the possible transformations that happen in the game, if needed.
A game tester should be able to identify all issues, be they big or small. This means finding all possible ways an issue might occur. For example, perhaps the tester has no means to exit a location, or the objects and graphics do not function properly for certain characters. In general, some glitches and bugs are to be expected in games, but thanks to game testers, most games are released without any major hiccups.
Being a game tester means playing all possible scenarios that occurs in the game and reporting those issues back to the client. By going through the entire game, you as the tester are identifying flaws in the programming the developers did not anticipate before its official release.
Video Game Testing: Potential Career Prospects and Benefits
In the eyes of the public, video games seem to be released shortly after production is completed. That is generally further from the truth. From the end of the production phase to the official announcement, and release of the game, the testing period between that time could be lengthy. The time it takes to test the game may be long and require a lot of focus, but if you love gaming, the joys of playing a highly anticipated game before anyone else greatly outweighs any drawbacks.
2) Career Prospects as a Professional Game Tester
Being a game tester will greatly increase your future job opportunities. Your experience in game testing can be a great entry point to a wonderful career as a quality assurance engineer. Transitioning to a project manager or a game quality assurance specialist are also possible pathways.
Career advancement in game testing greatly depends on the how skillful a game tester is at spotting all the issues. Video game testers with a background in software engineering, game design & development, and computer engineering will have more opportunities to advance in this field since they can better explain the crux of the issues to the game programmers and designers.
Job Requirements as a Video Game Tester
1) Have Excellent Report (Document) Writing Skills
Having basic gaming knowledge would be highly beneficial as a game tester.
Your gameplay experience is the number one factor taken into consideration. Having broad knowledge of popular game genres, understanding what constitutes a good game, and identifying the nature of gameplay are the minimum requirements needed if you want to become a game tester.
Being able to communicate, as well as write reports, are essential to this job. Precise, simple, and effective writing all come in handy when reporting bugs and providing information, so that future replication of your actions is possible. Clarity in writing and communication are needed so that developers can resolve the matter without any confusion.
2) Have Broad Gaming Knowledge and Possess the Ability to Troubleshoot
Every game tester should be able to troubleshoot basic problems in the game. Solving specific game setbacks may not be in the job description, but remember, each step causing an error in the game will have to be reproduced dozens of times. Finding a bug in the code is usually the easy part. Reproducing that step to show that such a bug exists could be challenging.
Possessing broad knowledge of various games and genres is a great asset to have. If a game tester only has exclusive knowledge of FTP genre games, for example, the tester’s job prospects could be limited.
Having extensive knowledge of different game genres including RPGs, puzzles, FTPs, Rhythm Action, Sports, and Racing, as well as various platforms ranging from console to mobile, would open up more opportunities in this field.
What Future Video Game Testers Should Know…
Critical thinking, good communication skills, excellent technical writing skills, and gameplay experience are all pertinent to finding success in this field. As games become more complex, QA positions will become increasingly in demand. With that in mind, it is important to develop skillsets which can advance your career as a game tester.
These are essential gaming skills, and testers should be able to recognize the smallest issues ordinary gamers would not recognize to improve the quality of the game.
One final thought: this can be tedious work. Game testers play games many times over. Be sure to play through every task in the game, interact with every character, and repeat every step to make sure the game is flawless for the public.
