
by Br3nda
Article by Shobhit Goyal
The video game industry has witnessed an upsurge like never before over the past few years. The recent recession of 2008-2009 saw the $ 50 billion gaming industry remain completely unaffected.
Every cell phone company in the world is making an attempt to incorporate fresh and original gaming in its products. Similarly, laptops and home computers are being manufactured to support various gaming features. Not to mention, high-tech gaming consoles are increasingly becoming a rage. Playing games has become no less than an obsession for many people.
To err is human; it is natural that certain slip-ups or miscalculations will be made by the game developers. When you play a newly launched game or one that has had an important update, more often than not, you will come across a few hiccups or malfunctions. One unpleasant criticism (in print, blogs, forums, etc.) about the glitch will result in huge losses to the game product companies.
A decade ago, when the gaming arena was still very new and the scope of play was restricted, it was either just the developer, or one or two testers, that were responsible for all the testing. However, as gaming become more and more intricate and multifaceted, a substantial group of QA resources, called Quality Assurance engineers, became crucial. The responsibilities of the game testers are no less than those of the game developers or designers. Were it not for the testers to find errors, the gaming releasing into the market may disappoint the gamers if they fail to run properly, plummeting the sales of the industry.
There are many preconceived notions about the job of a game tester, like:-
“Testing video gaming can be very exciting!” True: Although the testing appearance drops short of many people’s initial expectations, the job can be a lot of fun. Testers work long tedious hours, but it is in a relaxed environment with people who have similar interests. For those who revel in reconnaissance and dismantling things to find out their workings, are able to cope up with extensive working hours and enjoy an informal atmosphere, the job of a game tester can be very rewarding as an entry-level career.
“Gaming testers play video gaming the entire day!” False: If you seriously want to build a career in the gaming industry, then have a clear vision about this job; game testing job is not just about playing. The focus of this job is to test a game comprehensively in both technical and graphical ways to provide better experience to the customer. Everyone thinks that a game testing job is exciting, but game testers have to constantly replay same level of the same game frequently to verify a bug or certain issues. Therefore, it could prove to be rather monotonous to play a game in such conditions.
“Video Game Tester profile does not require any skill!” False: Gaming testing profile also needs a particular set of skills such as good concentration, analytical mind, good report writing skill, communication skill, passion for gaming etc.
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