Play games all day, get paid $25k per year
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Sep 15th 2006 at 12:28PM }
Jill Duffy's posted an annual update to CMP's Game Career Guide, making it amply clear that you do not want to enter the games industry through the QA route. The reported average salary of $24,797 paid to game testers won't go far in sunny, expensive California. But hey, with the hours you'll be working, you can skip paying rent and just sleep in the office.
That said, testing isn't a bad foundation for building a career in the industry. One Mary Margaret recruiter told CMP: "Testers get more exposure to both good and bad game design." Such valuable exposure can serve as a springboard into a design job.
Nice cover art, too. Not sure we're completely comfortable with the implication that everyone's in it for the money, though. Most folks working in games are incredibly talented and could earn larger salaries outside of games. They're in it because they love it, for the most part.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ross Miller @ Sep 15th 2006 11:22AM
Man, I can't believe they Photoshopped the baby's penis out of the picture ...
Jose @ Sep 15th 2006 12:38PM
Dude, what the fuck was that?
Any fucking way: I don't think it's about the money, otherwise why would they use a Nirvana cover? Yeah, they were totally sell out whores. (Pearl Jam still better)
LunarDuality @ Sep 15th 2006 12:45PM
What the hell is all that crap above me?
Anyway...back to the subject at hand -- I live in NYC for under that amount of money a year (a miracle I know) and wouldn't mind pulling long hours "breaking" a game. I just don't know if I really want to turn something I enjoy so much into a job.
James @ Sep 15th 2006 1:05PM
Omg wtf i almost died laughing at that
Jeff @ Sep 15th 2006 1:09PM
"I live in NYC for under that amount of money a year (a miracle I know)"
With a couple of roommates and an apartment in Jamaica, Queens, it can be done.
But that's not the way most people would want to be living through their adult years. This is a job for recent college grads (or younger) who don't mind starting at the very bottom with no real guarantee of job growth. It's got the pay to match. It's one step up from burger flipper at McDonald's, but at least you don't have to wear a hair net.
It *is* a good way to get started in the game industry if you have no relevant training, though. Believe it or not, most of those working in the industry do have college degrees in relevant fields - just not "game design". But marketing, computer science, AI, art/illustration, business, etc. are all fields where good training can be directly applied to games, so those are the types of people that get hired for the mid-level jobs. But QA testers can start out without any training at all and occasionally work their way up. It doesn't always happen, though, and you need to pay your dues for quite a while before you've even really got a chance.
Jonathan Harford @ Sep 15th 2006 1:26PM
Ross, that's exactly the first thing I thought, too.
Those that are confused/disturbed, please see the following:
http://images.google.com/images?q=nirvana%20nevermind&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi
Grindstone @ Sep 15th 2006 1:27PM
2. Dude, what the fuck was that?
Any fucking way: I don't think it's about the money, otherwise why would they use a Nirvana cover? Yeah, they were totally sell out whores. (Pearl Jam still better)
Posted at 12:37PM on Sep 15th 2006 by Jose 0 stars
Oh no you didn't. Pearl Jam hasn't produced anything worthwhile since Vitalogy -- not that Nirvana has either, but when comparing the two, PJ hardly holds a candle to Nirvana.
As for the topic at hand, I wouldn't want a job to play games, I play games to escape and vegetate. I wouldn't want to taint that by making it into work.
Andre @ Sep 15th 2006 1:29PM
I started in QA (and I'm glad I did that job because I have them on my side now) and I am now a Game Designer for a big compEAny. I have a minor in Cinema and a certificate in Advertising.
What I'm trying to say is that besides the obvious "I have a degree" way into any business, it's usually the people you know and how bad you want the job that will get you in. These things never come on a silver platter, you have to make them happen, get people interested/curious, convince them and hang on. I have not met a single Game Designer who got his job the same way another did or has the same background.
It's also not true that we are all in it for the money, most of us are paid les than we would in other industries, but I will gladly take lesser pay to do what I'm doing.
Derbeste @ Sep 15th 2006 1:37PM
"Oh no you didn't. Pearl Jam hasn't produced anything worthwhile since Vitalogy -- not that Nirvana has either, but when comparing the two, PJ hardly holds a candle to Nirvana"
My favorite part was when he said Nirvana sold out. Cuz Pearl Jam would NEVER do anything like that..............wait.
TRUTH @ Sep 15th 2006 1:38PM
Good thing they cleaned that crap up!
Jose @ Sep 15th 2006 1:58PM
Wait, how does a band which produces and distributes all it's albums independently, funds all of it's own tours (and the bands with whom they tour), and has consistently rejected MTV and radioplay unless it is on their own terms sell outs. I was just kidding about Nirvana selling out, but text is not the proper means of conveying sarcasm. Anyway, if you look at the influence on music today, underground or otherwise, for better or worse, Pearl Jam has had the most impact out of any band from our time (the 90s).
Erick @ Sep 17th 2006 10:47AM
And do you really think they're using the album art to convey chasing money, especially when stating some of the low pay. That golden controller is like the golden ticket, something exciting you want to grab out to. The use of the album's cover art I think was more to show 1) Reaching for a dream, working in the game industry, which is represented by the golden controller, not as a monetary representation. and 2) To bring up the NAME of the band, Nirvana, once again hinting that for some, working in the game industry is a dream like goal, or it brings a state of nirvana to work in the industry.
Funny to remove the baby's "unit" though...
Jellodyne @ Sep 15th 2006 4:45PM
The nirvana baby was reaching for money, but this baby is reaching for a controller instead. Wierd Al was reaching for a doughnut, but that's a whole 'nother story.
The Dude @ Sep 15th 2006 5:07PM
Nirvana FTW!
Derbeste @ Sep 15th 2006 5:35PM
"Anyway, if you look at the influence on music today, underground or otherwise, for better or worse, Pearl Jam has had the most impact out of any band from our time (the 90s)."
Bullshit.
Grunge rock was only a passing fad of the early 1990s.
IMO what truly has defined "our time" is the emergance of hip hop into the main stream. As such, I'd say artists like "Boys 2 Men", Dr. Dre, Lauren Hill, Mariah Carey, Eminem or even SPICE GIRLS (sad...but true :()had a FAR greater impact than anything grunge rock (This is if you're talking 90s. This millennium is a different story).
Even if you are to keep the discussion strictly to rock, I'd say Nirvana, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers had more of an impact. I mean...when was the last time you saw a church dedicated to Pearl Jam?
Derbeste @ Sep 15th 2006 5:37PM
OH.....and how could I forget R.E.M. IMO one of the greatest alternative bands of all time!
Kynmore @ Sep 15th 2006 8:33PM
Having myself worked in the trenches in the ass-tastic realm of QA, I can say I loved every minute of it. Except the commute. Even though it's my only resume worthy bit of game industry, I have two launched titles under my belt, where I was in from alpha to launch. It's good experience. And if you can pull it off, good work while trying to get a degree to go up that latter.
I don't see anything wrong starting there, in QA. It gets you in the door, and pits you in a place you can meet the peopel who's job you want. The industry swapped people around like a crakcked out Pokemon convention. So if you know who's who, and you have the skills to move up, you'll know before anyone outside your orginization will. If you're in a Giant mEgA corporation like I was.
Never look down on QA testers; they have your bals in their hand.
trimbandit @ Sep 16th 2006 8:31PM
I did qa at Sega(genesis!) and 3DO(remember them?).
The tester are by far the most disposable employees at any game company. At a lot of companies they are 90% contractors.
There is a lot of 'opportunity' for over time. This one guy at Sega worked a 100 hour week IIRC.
As a tester no one will give a crap about you. don't expect to naturally progress up the game design ladder.
However, it can be done. You just need to show a little ambition. Don't just hang with the other testers. Get to know the programmers and designers. Offer your services and make sure they know you want to be involved in the next project.
The problem with a lot of testers is they think it's just going to happen on it's own. You need to make it happen. A lot of testers, may have great talent/ideas, but they lack drive. DRTFA