Jobhop Jobhop's blog : Get A Job Playing Games All Day
Is it really possible to get a job playing games all day?
You hear about it in the movies, but have you ever met anyone who does it for a job? It seems like a university student’s dream!
The good news is there are jobs out there that require you to play games! Yipee!
Here are a few options after you graduate.
Develop Games
Developing video games is a great career to get into. You could start by make your own apps However, the best option to start with is to work for a company developing computer games to get the experience and build up your portfolio. There are many parts to developing a game, for example there are specialised “grunge designers” who will design the graphics for bins, rubbish and alleyways in the games we all play!
Test the Games After Creation
Like computer software, the games need to be tested, become a user tester. There are two stages of testing: Alpha and Beta. Alpha testing is crucial and happens before the games are made available to anyone in the public, usually completed by in-house staff members. An alpha tester will make sure there are no bugs to stop play time, and that commands the game to work as the developer expected it to.
Beta testing is completed after this, and done by those who have proven themselves to be great video gamers. You can take on a number of different games, and you need to make sure the cheats work, find out if there are inconsistencies and spot any problems that the alpha tester wasn’t actively looking out for. This can also help make sure the game looks aesthetically pleasing to the gamer. This part of testing can done by people at home, you will need to make sure you have the most up to date software and systems, if you want to be an at home beta tester.
Work in PR
Representatives for the companies go out and show the retail industry how the games work. They get to show off the different levels, the new improved versions for stores and individuals to buy. You could go to big conferences, store openings, special gamer events and get to play and sell the amazing new games all day long.
There are many chances of getting paid to play with games all day. It all depends on your interests, and your skill level.
Some typical job roles in the gaming industry
- Web developer
- web designer
- Systems developer
- Lead artist
- Test engineer
- Character artist
- Grunge designer
- Concept artist
- Sound designer
- Programmer
- Marketing manager/ assistant
- Communications manager
- Software tester
- Tech engineer
- Senior tech engineer
- Operations manager
- Digital designer
- Animator
- Content developer
JOIN Jobhop and spread the word.
Julie Bishop Jobhop.co.uk
In:
- Gaming