


How to Play Games for Money
Is it possible to play games for money -- other than by playing poker? Yes, it is! Video game testers are in higher
demand now more than ever, thanks to the ever-expanding game list for all of the available consoles on the market.
Companies need to make sure that the games they have developed are in good, working order before the games
hit the shelves, which is why they need game testers. But how do you break into this industry?
College
There are a number of different ways that you can become a video game tester. The first is by going to college for
it, well not just be a beta game tester, but there are a number of different degrees you can pursue in order to enter
into the video game world. Computer and graphic programming is always a great place to start, as is any sort of
video production or animation degree. Often, however, people enter into the video game world first and pursue a
college degree afterwards because they want to work with the programmers and earn high salaries.
Those that have college degrees can make a lot of money testing video games because they can become
supervisors. They are often the ones responsible for hiring new testers and for making sure that any glitches found
get fixed by the programmers. Often the supervisors know a bit of programming themselves, in order to be able to
explain to the programmers what they believe is wrong with a particular game or scene.
No College
The other, more popular way to play games for money is to become a video game tester with no college degree. But
how is that possible, you may wonder? Video game companies realize that the people that actually play the games
they put on the shelves don’t generally have a college degree in computer programming. They know that, in order
to find someone who will play the game, give it an honest review, and look for glitches, they need to hire the same
type of people who actually play the games. These people often work from home and test games in their spare time.
Others become video game testers as a way to break more fully into the industry. It’s the old “get your foot in the
door” strategy. They believe that, if they become a video game tester for the company, they will be able to move
higher up the corporate ladder to eventually help design a game instead of testing it. Most often, they’re right. A lot
of video game testers spend a few years staring at a screen for eight to twelve hours a day, and then spend the
rest of their career learning more and more about the business.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a video game tester, you should look at all of your options. You can
pursue the college path, taking courses and graduating with a degree that would allow you to move up in the
business quickly, or you can pursue the non-college end and play games for money without the degree!