Hey! Ben Here… how’s it going?
I’ve been getting a lot of email recently asking me how I got started in the gaming industry.
Well… to be honest, when I started out it took me quite some time before I landed my first gig. You see, at the time I had no idea about how to find genuine video game tester jobs, so I wasted many months writing application letters to just about every gaming company I knew about, thinking that if I sent enough, one of them might give me a chance – WRONG!
What I didn’t realize is that most of those letters probably went straight in the waste paper basket long before they ever reached anybody with enough authority to make a decision to hire me!
Anyway, unfazed by the lack of response I started to do some more in-depth research online… and after shelling out a couple of hundred bucks on various websites offering nothing but BS and empty promises, I found a site called Only4Gamers.
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Now at this point I was sceptical and pretty fvcking Pi$$ed at having my money taken and my precious time wasted!!! BUT… something inside me just said “go on, Ben… just give it one more chance”.
I had a think, and figured, I’ve got this far, what have I got to lose? So I went ahead, paid the money and got access to the membership area…
AND BOY WAS I GLAD I DID!
It all seems so easy now, but if I’d called it quits at that point I would almost certainly not be enjoying the kind of lifestyle that I have today.
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So What do you actually get inside Only4Gamers membership area, Ben?
Well, what you get is detailed step by step instructions and updated information about exactly how to approach gaming companies who are really looking for enthusiastic gamers like you. Trust me… without this kind of knowledge you’re COMPLETELY SCREWED! You also get a massive list of game companies who are currently looking for testers to work in their games in the development stages (this is where I got my first big chance).
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Do I have to have good qualifications?
Hell nooo! Take me… I’m as thick as two short planks… lol. But you will however need to demonstrate a *genuine* passion for this type of work and some time management skills wouldn’t go amiss. Do this and there’s literally nothing to stop you reaping the rewards you truly deserve.
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And how much does it cost?
Last time I checked the cost was a single payment of $39 for lifetime membership. And when you think about it… that’s your ticket to freedom for the price of a few beers – not bad really.
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What type of games will I get to play?
This really depends on which game developers you approach and what your previous experience is. Most of the guys who work for the same developer as me test almost exclusively first person shooters and a couple of other guys I was chatting to the other day will only play driving type games. But it can also depend on what opportunities are available at the time… What I can say though, is that there are positions available for all major platforms (well… maybe not the mac fanboys) and these obviously include PC PS3, XBOX 360, Wii etc.
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How much will I get paid?
Again, this depends on which gaming developer you get accepted by, but as a general idea, my starting pay worked out at about $17 per hour. However this has now increased to $25 an hour now that I’ve shown that I am reliable. Not a bad pay packet for a 22 year old! The one thing that I do like though, is that I work from home in my own time. This pretty much means that I am my own boss and I can work as little or as much as I want… just as long as I get the job done by the deadline.
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How long does it take to find work?
It took me about 2 weeks, but it’s quite possible to jump in be up and running in a matter of days if you contact quite a few developers, with your pay check arriving soon afterwards. But this all depends on how many other people got there before you and how many positions are currently available.
By the way, if you’re serious about going in to this line of work, I’d sign up as soon as poss, because judging by the amount of mail I’ve been getting lately, there will most likely be a growing number of gamers all chasing the best positions… It’s first come first served I’m afraid, so you need to take action and get in there right away if don’t want to end up working for a developer that totally sucks…lol.
I can’t tell you what it feels like to actually have a cool, challenging, fun, well paid job that I ACTUALLY ENJOY! The sense of control over my life and freedom that working from home is able to give me is quite unlike anything else out there. I was finally able to quit my crappy job at the burger joint and do something I really believed in!
I can still remember the day when I heard the mail box creak open and shut, and upon opening the mysterious envelope on the floor, finding my FIRST PAY CHECK … damn, my buddies were soooo jealous!!! 
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Anyway, that’s how I got started in my game testing career.
One last thing… always remember… we live in exciting times and the only real losers in life are those who won’t even try…
Best of luck to you my friend.
Ben
