Many avid gamers are wondering how to get into video game testing. The home video game market looks to be unstoppable. The current economic crises hasn't slowed down the gaming industry at all. People are buying video games more than ever. As the games become deeper and more advanced the need for additional employees to help put them together becomes necessary.

Many avid joystick jockeys are lining up to try to get their foot in the door to get a paying job in the video game industry. Video game testing seems to be the obvious choice for diehard gamers. The problem most people run into is that they have absolutley no idea where to begin the process of locating and applying for a game testing position. Let's look into this and examine why this occupation is exploding.

It seems that video game testing is a popular subject on the internet. There are multiple reasons why testing related sites are popping up all over the internet.

• Diehard gamers that have convinced themselves that they can do this have confused game playing with game testing. They are indeed two totally different things.
• Many game testing membership websites falsely glamorize game testing as easy job that you do at home while wearing only your boxes and wife beater.
  
• These same sites also make totally bogus claims about the hourly wages you can earn while being a tester. $60-$100 an hour are common on many of these sites.
  

I'm not saying that they are all scams but use your common sense before you hand over your money to these people.

How to get into videogame testing. Exactly how difficult is it to get into game testing? This totally depends on your current situation. The following are factors that can affect your chances.

• Your current address might pose a challenge. Depending on where you live you might have to move hundreds or even thousands of miles to land a testing job.
• Education- While many companies will hire testers without a college degree a formal education will make it that much easier to get your foot in the door. Many schools will offer internships for college students. A better starting salary is also a possibility for a college grad.
  
• Experience- We all know that you have a huge passion for gaming. Maybe you have done more than just play. Have you created any levels or maps using level editors? You need something to place on your resume and every little thing helps.
• Open Beta Testing projects- During the late stages of development many companies hire out droves of testers to play unreleased titles to work out any last minute bugs. This is generally done with PC games but has become more common on home systems. You don't get paid but it's something else you can place on your resume.
  

Ah, these sites all over the internet. All you have to do is hand over your hard earned cash and they will get you a game testing job that pays you big bucks! Like I said earlier use your common sense and don't believe everything you read. One thing no pay for info site can do is guarentee you a job. The frustrating thing is that you just want to know what to do and all you keep getting while searching is somebody wanting your money for the information.

If your serious about learning how to get into videogame testing then you need to check the big boy sites. EA, Blizzard and Nintendo are good places to start. Job sites like Monster.com also will have listings. If your scratching your head because you want an edge then you should consider Only 4 Gamers.

Yes, it's one of those sites that you have to fork over some money to use but if your clueless and just starting out they offer some great info. They offer hundreds of job listings for testers that are updated daily. They also offer training modules that show you everything from how to create a good cover letter and resume to going through the interview process. It's a huge time saver for the person who just wants to learn everything in one place.