I would like to give you an idea about what a Game tester’s day looks like. I'm currently working as a Senior Game Tester at Ubisoft Bucharest for about 6 years. So without having any previous experience in vlog/blogging I think that a small interview with myself would describe much better my work.
Is game testing a job or a career?
While the game testing career starts as a lower paying job,especially in Romania, there is a high potential for anyone to grow in the industry very quickly. Those who have an urge, commitment and wish to make a name for themselves in the gaming industry, game testing provides a big platform to grow. If one is focused long enough and keep learning and stay current , he/she can make a managerial role within a short span of 10 years (offcourse he/she needs some people skills for that)
How did I get started?
I always found myself playing a lot of video games going back as far as I can remember. From my college days, I was interested in computers plus my long-standing interest in video games lead me to conclude that I wanted to be a part of the gaming industry. The first game that i ever played was Contra on nintendo console, year 1998.
What am i doing all day?
On a regular day, my schedule is pretty tight. I had done to all sort of background stuff like anyone does at their job, like keeping track of what they do.
Imagine your favorite movie. Now take your favorite 30-second clip from that movie. Now watch that 30-second clip over and over again, 12 hours a day, every day for two months.
What skills do you think are most useful for a QA tester?
Attention to detail, and understanding the game. Learning the game properly and in detail will help us to understand patterns within the game, which will help to break the game and find more bugs.
What’s the pay like?
Unlike software engineers, game testing is not a highly paid job at entry. A game tester with 2 years of exposure would have more knowledge than a software tester who holds 5 years of experience. The learning curve is much steeper. All that will help one to grow quickly and get to bigger roles with better pay.
What’s the best part of being a QA tester?
The best part is that you get to learn so much. You see a game when it is just in the developmental stages. You get to track the whole game through its various phases. You get to lend a hand in shaping the game and making it better for everyone to enjoy. You get to see the game through to the end. And at the end of it all, you are happy because you know you helped make the game better and everyone is enjoying the game
Do you play the games you test in your downtime?
Yes, occasionally. One of the games I tested – Rainbow six, my colleagues and I ended up staying late for a few hours past the end of the day just to enjoy the game. Some more games in that list are Ghost Recon Wildlands online, Watch dogs 2 online, For Honor.
Also if you want to assure that this is original content just search my name on google :). Andrei-Aurelian Carindatoiu.
Thank you for reading it :)