Technical Testing Knowledge

Working with Developers

If you plan to work along side developers in a studio or have any access to alpha staged games then you might have to learn some technical aspects of creating a game. Since testing a game so close to development is critical you will need to understand technical mistakes in graphics, coding, and system information. It might take years before you understand the kind of technical info that game developers like EA want you to have. Although, you might not have the skills yet, you can still learn game development skills from a program like C++. Also, remember that there is other jobs to understand besides game programming. There is art design, sound effects, production, etc. Understanding each job can be a vital solution to translating a problem you find in a particular game.

Using Xbox 360 Game Testing as a Gateway

So maybe you like playing video games, but what really interests you is game development, production, graphics or some other job in the video game industry. Out of all these testing is the easiest job with the least amount of education required. What is great about being a tester is you will gain experience being in the game industry, and it is not a proven science, but these skills can help you get a job in other fields of game development. As you test more and more games from different genres you may start to develop ideas on how to make these games better. Regardless of bugs, you may thinks of changes the game could take making it a better experience. Having creative ambition is a great feature to have in the industry, and the job you pick after becoming a game testing will be up to you.

Working Independently

If you want to be an independent game tester and test Xbox 360 games at home you still are going to want to familiarize yourself with a lot of developer terminology to easily communicate through your reports. You don't need a college education to do basic testing but you might have to do some research. You will learn what you need to know here, before you sign up you can still do a little studying. Find testers blogs on the internet and email them questions in order to get a better grasp of the job. Also, you can read developers blogs, and listen to pod casts to keep up to date on the latest info and technology. You can even try to develop your own games to a better understanding of rules and why things go wrong in games. You can find simple and free game makers tons of places on the internet.

Relaying to Xbox 360 Developers

It can't be said how this is done because it varies from game developer to game developer. Email is obviously the easiest way to get started talking to Xbox 360 developers and finding out what assignment you have next. You will be told how to fill out your reports or contact the 360 game developers. Remember to learn the lingo and be concise and that is really all the advice you need. Don't feel like you can't talk to these people, they are gamers like you and me.