Become A Video Game Tester

If you work as a freelance game tester, you already know that although each assignment can be very profitable, the trick is being able to keep a steady flow of new assignments coming in. To help make sure those game industry paychecks keep finding their way to your mailbox along with new titles to play and review, here are 3 tips all video game testers should put into action.

1. Always Follow Up

Once you’ve completed a game testing assignment from any company or publisher, you should always consider it just the beginning of your relationship with them. After your assignment has been sent in, make sure to contact the company and ask them if they received your material. Also, make sure to ask if there is anything you can do to improve your game assessments for them. If they have constructive criticism to offer, make sure to note it down and apply what you’ve learned with any future jobs.

On the other hand, if the company is pleased with the work you turned in, make sure they know you would be glad to test for them again. Following up on completed assignments and showing that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to be useful to the game publishers will help ensure they keep turning to you for more work.

2. Promote Yourself

There may be periods of times when there aren’t a lot of testing assignments available. That doesn’t mean you should stop testing and reviewing games. Instead, these slow periods are the perfect time to promote yourself on your own. Set up a website or blog and publish your own reviews and criticisms of new and upcoming game titles. Make sure to feature your name and the fact that you work as a paid game tester prominently on the site. Also include your contact information.

To promote your site, visit other gaming review sites and blogs and leave constructive and useful comments on the posts there. If available, be sure to leave a link back to your website. Also, include your website URL on your business card and along with all correspondence you have with game companies. Doing this well will help you come across as a very experienced and professional tester and increase your value and the demand for your services.

3. Attend Industry Functions

Although it is easier to stay in contact with game companies through snail mail and email, nothing will increase the demand for your game testing services like networking in person with others in the industry. Massive gatherings of video game company representatives and insiders such as the yearly E3 summit and Tokyo Game Show are the perfect places to introduce yourself to people who can provide you with more assignments. If these large shows are out of reach for you, there are usually smaller events held in major cities on a regular basis such as those put on by the Game Developers Conference.

Although the above tips are quick and easy to implement, most game testers won’t put the effort forward. If you are serious about this stream of freelance income, all you need to do is be one of the few to take action on the above tips to help ensure the assignments keep coming.

Bonus Tip: Keep your list of industry contacts up to date! If you want full access to current assignments available for video game testers, click here.