Video Game Tester – Coolest Job Ever – Yeah!

Imagine being paid to play video games all day!  Yes it's true, Game Tester is a real job.  And, since you've probably done your share of gaming you might make an excellent candidate.  So why doesn't everyone choose this as a career? 

Perhaps you think you already know the answer and that is that game testers don't generally get paid very much and to some extent that is true, but a little bit of research throws up some other reasons.  First, game testers are not trying to get a high-score - they are trying to find problems and bugs in the game, so testers have to play the same level over and over and over again, trying everything imaginable to try and break the game.  Then, when they find a 'bug' they enter information about the problem on a database so that the developers can fix it.  Then they go back and test the same problem again to make sure it is fixed. 

Still interested?  Although it doesn't sound quite so glamorous once you know what's involved, this is an industry that is really hot, so let's not throw the idea out the window completely.  On-line games are moving from being just games into virtual reality, where real people all over the planet interact with the 'game' and with each other.  What makes this so interesting is that the players also develop the game as they go.  For instance, in games like Second Life you can buy a plot of undeveloped virtual land, make improvements and sell it in a virtual auction to other players who put money into your virtual bank account.  But here's the interesting part - you can sell real services in Second Life for real money too!  Some large organisations in the US have held conferences in Second Life, organised by virtual conference organisers who charge real money for doing it!

Of course relatively few people make a living out of playing games like Second Life but there are apparently a few US$ millionaires out there.   So a career in video games is not that far-fetched.