Depending on the publisher, you may work 5 days a week or you could be contracted to set shifts, such as working 4 long days and then having 4 days off. Working for a developer can be quite different to this. Most developers work on a flexi-time system, allowing you to start and finish work at different times each day. This is a period of time before key milestones of the game-making process are completed. During this time a lot of pressure is placed on teams to take on very long hours with the incentive of cash bonuses if the work is finished on time.
When working long hours, game companies will try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. Many will have an on-site canteen to provide hot meals, and most have kitchens for making snacks and drinks throughout the day.
It is quite common for companies to order take-away food for staff during crunch times, to be eaten in the office as work continues. In both a publisher and a developer, testing usually takes place in an open-plan office environment. Every worker has their own equipment for testing and a computer for writing reports on. Office atmospheres are generally quite relaxed and it is not uncommon for slow periods of work to be filled by the playing of multiplayer games for fun, and to build staff morale.
Experience is not usually seen as the highest priority when applying for a job in games testing. As the job is so popular, however, having experience can be vital in helping you to stand out from the crowd. Some studios will offer work experience to local schools, but many choose not to do this to reduce the risk of information leaks. It is very rare to find a company who offers testing work experience to people of any age; one company who does do this, however, is Lionhead Studios. You can find more information about their work experience scheme in the Related Links section of this guide.
Outside testing itself there are not any specific previous jobs that employers look for in new candidates. Any previous work with computers can be beneficial as this will show you have some basic technical understanding. Jobs that show you have an interest in games, such as working in a videogame retail store, can also help to increase your chances.
There are literally hundreds of jobs that you can move to from being a games tester. The most common career progression is in test itself, moving up to a Lead Tester, Test Manager or Test Supervisor role. All of these jobs are concerned with quality assurance and bug checking but, the further you move up the ladder, the more the role becomes about planning and people management in these areas. Testing is known as being an entry-level job as it also opens up paths into other areas of games production.
Testing can help to provide you with vital experience for jobs as a Designer or Producer, and can help you to gain access to jobs in Art and Coding, although these roles will also require the correct skills and education. Stuart has been employed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe since He began working there straight after finishing his degree, and after 6 months was offered a permanent contract. He currently tests first party software, looking for functionality and quality assurance bugs.
Here are his thoughts on the job…. One of the best things about the job for me is just being a part of the industry, as gaming has always been one of my favourite hobbies. Getting to see new games before they are shown to the public can be quite exciting, and talking to people who are filled with enthusiasm and ideas for the games they are making is fascinating. Seeing how a game develops from its initial stages to its final release is also really interesting as each game can be different and unpredictable.
On a typical day I will be working on the same title for over seven and a half hours, playing either certain sections of a game or performing an entire playthrough. We might be asked as a team to enter every bug that we find or only the serious crashes and hangs; this all depends on the titles stage of development. Although this might not sound like work, it is actually one of the best ways to find natural bugs. Game testing is not as easy as it sounds; there are many downsides to being a tester that have to be considered seriously.
Working on the same game for several months to a year, for example, can get very monotonous. Finding self motivation and focus during these times is crucial, and an important skill. Another thing to remember is that testing a game is very different to playing one.
If you come into the job thinking you are going to be playing and having fun with the games then you will be very disappointed. If I had to give one tip to anyone looking for a job in games testing it would be to apply to as many games companies as they can. Personally I am looking to progress into a focus-test driven design role but there are plenty of other areas that can open up to you. Networking is the key to taking advantage of these opportunities, so making as many friends as possible is very important.
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