Xbox Game Tester

3 Easy Steps to Become an

Xbox Game Tester

By Jon Valentine

To become an Xbox game tester, you have to willing to spend an entire day testing video game and giving feedback to the gaming companies so they can tweak and improve their games. Xbox360 is owned by Microsoft, to become an Xbox game tester you need to own a Xbox360 console. Game testing job is usually home-based work you do not need to travel to the company to test their game, the assignments are send by post mail. This article will define 3 easy steps on how to become an Xbox game tester.

The first step you need to do is to find a source with a database of at least 50 game companies. You also need a guide on the application process. Game companies will decide on your resume whether they want to hire you or not. But a college degree or programming skill is not requiring becoming an Xbox game tester. It depends on how you write your resume. If you can give them a good reason why you want to become their game tester and why they should hire you, you will have a greater chance of becoming a game tester.

Second step, enjoy playing video games is not sufficient enough to become an Xbox game tester. You need to be consistent and willing to spend an entire day to sit in front of your television to test game and another 6 hours to complete the review. It can be a real chore for you if you do not like video games. The job can be tedious for those who don't enjoy playing video game. For those who like it, you will find it fun and enjoy every moment testing games and earn up to $150 per hour.

Last step, you should be able to finish a game before deadline. Some game companies have a deadline for their game testers to submit their reviews within a specify date usually up to 15 days from the day they receive the game. A copied of the game and survey are usually sent by post mail so you don't have to collect them at their office. You can send back the review to them by post and keep the game.

Disciplinary and consistency are a must have characteristic as a game tester. Since Microsoft releases a lot of games every months, as an Xbox game tester should be able to accomplish and provide accurate feedback of the tested game to them on time.

Is Game Testing Site A Scam? I will show you how to get a game testing job that you always want and avoid being scammed. Do not join any game testing site until you have read this. Game Testing Guide

Let me show you how to successfully become a game tester.

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Top 5 Nintendo Games

Top Five Video Games For Nintendo

By Cheryl D. Shank

The Nintendo DS is the current handheld video console available from Nintendo. The Nintendo DS has two LCD screens one to display the game and the other screen is a touchscreen. The touchscreen accepts input from the stylus. which is used to draw or write messages. The controls are located on both sides of the touchscreen. This handheld gaming system has a vast variety of video games available. How to you know which ones to try. Take a look at my top five games.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - is the fourteenth game in The Legend of Zelda series. It is also the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the GameCube. The Phantom Hourglass takes place in a parallel world of The Wind Waker. In Phantom Hourglass Link has to save Tetra from Bellum. Link begins his quest to find the Phantom Hourglass which he can use to find the Spirits of Courage, Wisdom, and Power. Link learns he needs the Phantom Sword to defeat Bellum so he travels through several islands to find three pure metals. Link can then have the metals forged into the sword to defeat Bellum.

2. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl- are the fourth installments of the Pokémon series games. The games begin in Sinnoh, where different species of Pokémon live. The games add new features like the ability to use the Wi-Fi connection for Internet play. You can play both games separately, however, you will need to trade between the two games to complete both.

3. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow - is another game in the Castlevania series. It takes place in a castle that is divided into different areas. Each area has different monsters and terrain. The areas also differ in their theme music playing while in that area. The character has the ability to move in any of the available areas, however, some areas are restricted until the player has the necessary items in his inventory to be able to gain access to the area.

4. New Super Mario Bros - This game is similar to other Mario games. In New Super Mario Bros Mario has to fight his way past Bowser's men to rescue Princess Peach. Mario has access to the Super Mushroom, the Fire FLower and the Starman to help him to obtain his goal. New Super Mario Bros has Mario traveling to eight worlds each having ten levels to get to the Princess Peach.

5. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - is the prequal to Crystal Chronicales available on the GameCube. This DS game has not yet released, but should be a winner when it does. Not only can it be played as a one-player game, but also has a multi-player version that allows for four players at a time. Magicite performs spells such as Fire, Thunder, Blizzard, Cure, Clear and Raise. In story mode, all characters have a shared inventory for magicites.

With so many Nintendo DS games available your top five may look different then mine, but they are all enjoyable.

Cheryl Shank has a used book store online as well as blogs. Visit her at:

Top Video Games

The Gadget Chick

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4 Tasks of a Game Tester

The Main Tasks Of

A Video Game Tester

By Mandi Weems

When it comes to video or computer game testing, the game testers play a roll that is just as important as the developers and designers. Without anyone experienced to test the new games and find the bugs, games would hit the market and the gamers out there would be upset when certain weapons, tricks, cars, and so on, do not work properly. Without game testers to find the problems in video or computer games before they are released, the gaming industry would be at a serious loss. So, what is it exactly that video or computer game testers actually do? Well, they have a long list of tasks that they do for video and computer game companies, but here are the top 4 main tasks of a video or computer game tester:

1. You will actually play through the entire game and make sure that everything works properly. This means that they have to test out all the weapons, objects, cars, trucks, animals, backgrounds, etc, to make sure that everything works right and that there are no glitches. When you think about all the different components that go into video and computer games, there can be hundreds of thousands of different combinations that have to be tested by a game tester.

2. You also have to test the "limitations" of the game. This means that many of the players who eventually buy the game will try to do things that the game was not really designed to do (such as creating the largest army or getting to an extremely far away point on the map). So, the game tester has to anticipate these things and try out some of the crazy or odd things that other gamers might try to do to be sure that the game can handle the stress or not.

3. You have to make sure that the game can actually be beaten. This means that they have to try to beat the game itself in all the possible ways, since there are all different types of gamers who will try to beat the game in many different ways. Game testers have to anticipate this so there are no glitches or bugs when gamers try that particular path.

4. You will also be responsible for making sure that the game works correctly on the system that it was designed for. Such as in the case of computer games, a game tester has to make sure that the game will work with a large combination of different brands of hardware, video cards, memory, and so forth.

There are many different aspects of a game tester's job, but these are the four main areas that a game tester has to be great at. Without these four basic areas to a game tester's job, most of the video or computer games on the market would not work right.

If you are thinking about getting into the video or computer game testing market, then there are many other things that you need to learn about becoming a video game tester. Do not be fooled by some of the so-called "guides" that are online today that promise you can get a job making $100,000 a year in just a week after reading their guide. This does not happen. But, if you are willing to learn and try hard, then head over to http://www.becomeagametester.com/ and read the guide that will really help you become a legitimate game tester and make real money doing it.

MD Weems has been a professional writer for over a decade and is an avid MMO gamer. She also runs the MMORPG/MMO gaming web site, Zownder.com, and is the head of an elite MMO gaming team. She has several MMORPG gaming guides to her credit and is constantly writing articles and information about all types of MMORPG and MMO games.

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How Video Games are Made

The Process From Start to Finish

By Sean Saunders

It's time to answer that oh-so important question that's been burning in the back of your mind: "how are video games made?" Here is a very basic run down of how video games are made.

1. Core Team

A group of people whom come up with the general concept of the game. Numerous meetings will occur in which the group brainstorms about the game; figuring out not only how it will look, but also how it will work. The core team is in charge of the production schedule as well, which describes the tasks each person is assigned and when they most do them.

2. Game Breakdown

Every detail, task, job, and deadline about the video game is broken down into components and then added to a bulletin board. This board acts as the nerve center throughout the games production.

3. Artistic Concept

Artists sketch out the games characters & backgrounds with a very basic level of detail. These sketches are what the graphics artists use to create the characters and backgrounds in 3D on the computer.

4. Development Team

This team uses the latest in computer animation technology to bring life to all of the game's elements; adding colors, textures, shading, and even movement. This team uses the 3d characters and backgrounds created by the graphics team.

5. Programming & Engineering

This is the bread & butter of the game development stage; because without this part, there would be no game. Suffice it to say, the programmers & engineers make the game work. Their coding is what holds the game together and allows the player to actually play the game.

6. Testing

This is the final and most crucial part of the development process. This phase is to see if everything is working properly and as it should be. Testers will check for bugs and glitches and try to find potential problems.

The game testers won't merely be playing the game and seeing if problems will find them -- it's the other way around, as THEY will be the ones searching for the problems. The testers will do everything and anything possible in the game to ensure there is no abnormal situations or circumstances; walking through walls, disappearing, enemy AI problems, cinematic errors, you name it. If the testers miss ANYTHING, it could mean disastrous consequences -- in the form of profit loss -- for the company releasing the game.

So, are you interested in being part of the game creation process? Do you want to be able to tell all your friends how you helped develop the latest & greatest new video game? If so, then you need to visit http://gamer-testing-ground.com/ - a website that specializes in helping people start successful video game testing careers. Why video game testing? Because it's the best way to get started in the world of video game development!

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Top 3 Ways To Get Paid

Ways to Get Paid

to Play Video Games

By Tony Kitson

This is not a joke, it really is possible to make money playing video games, but where to start. Here are the top three ways that you can use to make money, and get paid to play video games.

1 Enter on-line gaming tournaments

There are many on-line tournaments, the way most work is quite simple. You challenge other gamers and if successful, you can win big prizes. Some professional tournaments pay out very large prizes. These can be as large as five or six figure payouts!

2 Get a job testing video games

A bit harder to achieve this one, and it has to be said to get a testing job straight away is difficult, as there is allot of competition for each advertised vacancy. The best advice I can give if you are looking for full time employment as a game-tester, is to start at the bottom. Why not apply for an entry level post with a video game company, once your in the company it is often easier to work your way up to your dream job of video game tester.

3 Write Your Own Game Reviews

Whilst you're spending all your time playing the games , why not write about them? Its easier to write about things that interest you, and a well written video game review can be turned into a source of income. Start a free blog and write reviews for it. If you grow your readership, write decent reviews, and supplement your blog with news stories and video game tips, you can position ads from Google or commission junction and make money from your efforts.

From here its a an easy step to becoming a freelance writer. Writing articles for websites on computer gaming, and even offline magazines, is a great way to get paid to play video games.

The key to most of the methods to get paid to play video games is, Practice, Practice, Practice. The more you develop your gaming skills, the better chance of landing that dream job, getting paid to play video games.

As you can see there are many ways you can make money, and get paid to play video games. If you would like some more free information, on where you can find game testing jobs, and other ways you can profit from your computer gaming skills. Why not sign up for my free newsletter at http://paidtoplayvideogames.info/, you can also find many more tips to get paid playing your favorite computer games from http://www.squidoo.com/paid_to_play_video_games.

Happy Gaming.

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Requirements Of A Video Game Tester

What Are the Standard Video Game

Tester Requirements?

By Sean Saunders

If you're a gamer and wish to become a paid game tester, then you're in luck, as the video game tester requirements are quite lax these days; hence, nearly anyone can get a job testing video games for pay.

Here are the most basic video game tester requirements....

Must be at least 18 years old. This requirement can be bent depending on the gaming company hiring you. Although they are typically few and far between, there are in fact companies out there hiring gamers whom are below the age of 18.

Must be an avid gamer with plenty of experience. In this day and age, who isn't a gamer? A couple of weeks with Halo, Final Fantasy, Oblivion, and/or any other highly popular games and any person can call themselves an "avid" gamer.

Must be upgraded to next-gen. If you're not playing next-gen video games nor own a next-gen system (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii), then you're WAY behind when it comes to video game testing jobs. Since many developers have "at-home" testing opportunities, it is vital that you get up to speed and into the next-gen race. (If you don't have a next-gen system, you need a high-end computer)

Must have high-end computer. If you're more of PC gamer, then having a powerful computer is of crucial importance. A powerful PC means you will be able to put any of the developer's games to the test without worrying about your own hardware problems. (If you don't have a high-end computer, you need a next-gen system)

Must have a video game tester resume. It doesn't matter how long you've been testing (or trying to test) games, you simply must have a professional looking resume. Professional game testing is a job, so you can't expect to get by with just a smile and a "can I test games for you?" mentality. Remember, your resume doesn't have to be breath taking -- it just has to be professional and well put together.

The above video game tester requirements are really all you need to get started. In fact, some of those requirements might be null & void when it comes to certain developers. That being said, don't be afraid to submit your application/resume just because you don't meet a certain requirement -- you never know what exceptions a gaming company is willing to make!

For more detailed information about video game testing and what it takes to be a top-notch video game tester, try visiting http://www.gametestingparadise.com/ - one of the most popular & informative game testing websites on the web.

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Best Video Game Jobs

Which Video Games Jobs

Are Right For Me?

By Louise Kasemeier

Working in video games is a dream job for many because it gives you an opportunity to work on something that you love and to make good money doing it. Sounds great huh? Well, rest assured that you aren't the only one who thinks so. Video games jobs are hard to get. This is a very competitive market so be prepared to do your homework.

The video games industry is huge. It is now growing faster than music and movies and last year was worth an estimated 21 billion USD in the US alone. So there are lots of different video games jobs and opportunities; some you might not even have thought of.

Developer Jobs

Your first step is to decide what type of video games jobs interest you. The high profile careers are obviously directly involved with the development of the games. These jobs include programmers, artists and animators, designers and producers. All these jobs are highly sought after and require a high level of skill and talent in that area. All of them will require a college degree in a related discipline. And while you are getting your education completed, you should also take time to get involved in games directly, if you can.

Many games are released with level designers that allow you to develop your own levels or else the games are 'moddable' meaning you can script modifications to the game. Some developers may even want you to submit levels created with their designer with your job application You can also get yourself a copy of Microsoft's XNA Game Development Studio and create your own Xbox games. You can then publish games that you develop to Xbox Live. There is also an increasing demand for creative writers in the games industry. These writers write scripts and plots for story-driven and quest-based games. Blizzard and Bioware are just two top companies who hire dedicated writers.

Support Jobs

Games developers have many other types of positions though. Some video games companies are huge (think EA or Sony) and require large numbers of support staff from customer support to HR to marketing to web design and network support. For these video games jobs you usually need the same skills and experience as you would for the same job at any other company but knowledge of and love of gaming is usually viewed favorably. Some specialist postions require gaming experience. Games Master is an in-game customer support position for an MMO such as World of Warcraft. You need MMO experience and customer support experience for these. Contrary to popular belief, most paid GMs work from the company offices, not from their homes. Some games offer volunteer GM programs for dedicated players. These can be a good first step and give you some valuable experience.

Game Tester Jobs

Games testing is another popular job. Get paid to play games all day! Bear in mind though, that you cannot just test games by playing them the way that you do when you play for fun. You have to play the same games over and over again in the way the developers tell you too, which can mean playing the same section of the game many times over. These jobs are not always that well paid and most of them are based at a company's offices, not from your home. The good news is that this is a way into the industry for people without much experience or a college degree and could leader to bigger things. It can be a good way to break into video games jobs.

There are also jobs related to video games that are not working directly for a games developer. For example, you could work in a gaming retail store or write for an online or traditional gaming magazine.

Video Games Related Home Businesses

And finally, you can set up your own video gaming business. Now you probably can't set up your own development company unless you are already very wealthy. But you can set up a small business that can make you some extra money. People are making money from their video gaming blogs and sites, from gaming guides and from the MMO 'secondary market'. This is the sale of in-game items and gold for real life money. Some MMO publishers have a mechanism to allow this in their games, other disallow it in their terms of service (although that doesn't stop it from happening). These are great ideas for students, stay at home parents or people who have a full time job in a different industry but want to make a buck or two from their hobby.

Visit The Video Games Jobs Blog to get more tips on landing your dream job in the video games industry!

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Become A Video Game Tester

3 Quick Tips To Land Your First

Video Game Tester Job

By Sean Saunders

Some people believe that the life of a game tester is all fun and games. Although the games part is mostly true, it is rarely ever "all fun". Being a professional video game tester takes patience, experience, and a good deal of hard work. It would be nice if we game testers got paid to play games all day long, but that simply isn't the case. We get paid to test games, not play them.

Here are 3 Simple Tips To Help You Land More Video Game Tester Jobs

1. Don't look through newspapers and classified ads and expect to find a huge need for video game testers; it won't happen. Game developers constantly need video game testers, but they aren't putting out ads to show it. They know that the testers are going to come to them, so they just sit back and wait for the applications. What does this mean for you? It means you have to go to the source.

Don't sit around and wait for a game tester job to hit your lap. Go out there and start making contacts. Head straight to the gaming companies and developers and tell them who you are, what you do, and how great you are at doing what you do.

Create a strong case for each company you apply to. Don't feel embarrassed about how much time you spend with video games. If you log 30+ hours with games per week, be proud of that fact and let them know it. Wear that accomplishment like a pin on your chest and make sure that the company knows how experienced you really are. If you own every gaming console known to man and have a collection of games that would make any average gamer crap himself, let them know it. Whatever your experience with video games, don't be afraid to brag about it and boost yourself up. Remember, you have to create the impression that you are video game tester material and no one, not even the companies themselves, can say otherwise.

2. Start networking with other testers, programmers, developers, customer support specialists, game artists, etc. The more people you know in the game industry, the more strings you can pull and the more references you will have. An excellent network of people & friends in your industry is 10 times better than any spit polished resume.

The network of people you are in contact with could let you in on jobs that are opening up, deals that are going down, or even new developers that are requesting insane amounts of testers for an upcoming video game. Plus, the best part about networking is that most of your contacts can put in a good word for you and catapult your chances of being hired miles ahead of the competition.

3. Take video game testing seriously. Yes, it is a dream job and you can take pleasure in the fact that none of your friends have a job like yours; but that doesn't mean you can slack off and do whatever you want. You have to remember that a video game tester job is exactly that, a job. You are being paid to do a job, period. Sure, it's more fun than other jobs, but there is still work involved.

Yes, actual work. Contrary to what you may have heard, you won't be sitting on your butt all day, hitting buttons on your controller, and getting paid for it. You will be filling out reports, answering questionnaires, and recreating glitches that you have come across. As the job title dictates, you will be a "video game tester" and not just a "video game player".

So, are you still interested in being a video game tester? Of course you are. Who wouldn't be? No matter what work might be involved, you are still getting payed to play, "ahem" test, the newest and most advanced video games there are. It's a dream job for any and every gamer.

Do You Think You Are Ready For a Career as a Video Game Tester? Are You Prepared To Make Up To $120 an Hour Testing Video Games? If You Are, Click Here To Find Out How To Get Started With Your Very Own Game Testing Career

To Get More Information on Video Game Testing & a Free "Quick Start" Game Tester E-book, Visit This Website... http://www.gametestingparadise.com/

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