'The Tester' contestants should probably have read this account first

by Ben Gilbert on Feb 13th 2010 10:00PM

Ever since Sony first announced its game industry reality show for PSN named The Tester back in 2009, we've been a bit wary of the idea. Can you really blame us? The show pits various personalities against each other in a variety of challenges, all with the end goal of becoming an entry-level game tester -- a job often viewed in the game industry as less than pleasant. And ex-tester Matthew Burns seems to agree with us in his lengthy account of the life of a tester, detailing long hours of monotonous game playing paired with "an often grimly bureaucratic process," that can sometimes lead to subpar products.

While offering plenty of gripes with the job, we should point out that he prefaces his complaints with the open admission that "entry-level game testing would not be found near the top of a list of the world's most demanding livelihoods," also repeatedly noting its importance in the development of good games. That said, we can't help but wonder how Sony's reality show winner is going to feel when the reality of their "prize" sets in.

[Thanks Matthew!]

Source

Tags: contest, game-development, matthew-burns, playstation-network, psn, reality-tv, shadegrown-games, sony, the-tester

Reader Comments (96)

'Starslay3r' fails at the WCG show, and then goes to this one?

Speaking of, this show looks EXACTLY like the WCG reality show, but with a different end game.

That said, getting a fulltime position at a game publishing studio (beit as a producer, or leading projects) is actually a decent gig. It's funny that all the internet publishes are sob stories about how they had a bad experience at a job. I'd happily give them an article about how the job is actually fun if you join the right team.

Game testing is BORING and SHITTY. Just my .02

You can take your two cents and shove it. I would love to test games, especially for Digital Extremes or Bioware.

Digital Extremes is from London Ontario where I live now, it is where I hope to get a co-op assignment for my schooling.

Game testing may not be the best job, but it's a job. And while this show is hyping the mediocre, a job is a wonderful thing to have. A lot of people would happily go through all the crap these contestants will go through just to put food on their kids' tables.

I know, drama queen. but still, any job is a prize for a lot of good smart folks. I see people play Price if Right for a Ford Focus and a trip to Tijuana, or a new fridge. This is in line with that for millions of people.

I enjoyed my time as a game tester, except for it not covering my rent, and the fact that the developer ignored most of our testing and then acted all butt-hurt when he turned out to have made a shitty-to-mediocre game.

Sounds about right, and something I plan to not do.

Don't get me wrong; it was really one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever had, and I worked for the publisher, who treated us well, rather than the developer, who was a tool.

I meant with my "dev studio" my friends and I are planning on starting up one soon.

and by not do I mean not ignore the testers. They're hired to do their job for a reason.

There's an ego thing, I agree, but developers never like publisher feedback. It's like a director getting told to change his movie by the production company. There's just something wrong with that.
Sometimes it gets to the point where the dev won't do something on purpose just because it came from the publisher. Sometimes it's plainly because a certain recommended change is impossible (like requiring a delay of a milestone) for that certain stage of development.
Feature changes are the hardest things to push through since those are usually locked by alpha and for all intent and purpose the game is already defined and cannot be changed. It's a money issue, but it's what makes the world turn around :)

It's important to note that none of these people are doing this so they can become a game tester. The reality is that they're hoping the exposure they could receive could be a jumping off point for something else.

Why else would they do it? Becoming a game tester is as easy as filling out an application.

So, what do I put under the "name" field? Joshua or Aquacharger?

So people actually think these guys are real people competing for a game tester job? Seriously folks all these people want is exposure and i bet every single one of them is an aspiring actor just hoping to get enough exposure to get them actual acting gigs i mean take a look at most of the reality tv drivel thats on mtv and vh1 you don't think those people actually wanted to marry Flavor Flav, New York, or Brett Micheals...

FLAAAAAAAAAVVVVAAAAAAA FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAV!

I saw the preview of this show on PSN and it looks pretty entertaining to me. I like how game developers such as David Jaffe come on and criticize the contestants.

They should offer maybe $10,000 as a grand prize, on top of the job offer, though.

Also, about the "not the most demanding job in the world" bit, I was a game tester for two companies and while I agree with that notion, the pay seems far too low to me. I'm currently at a job which isn't any harder than game testing, and yet I get paid twice as much.

I wouldn't really care about the job if it was shitty, I could just quit. But you could make a good dime or so from being on this show to begin with. That would be cool.

They should've had a show called "the level designer." 'cause you know, it just rolls off the tongue elegantly.

I actually tried out for this show. Believe it or not, there are people like me who know how insanely hard it is to be a game tester and still want to do it. I'll put it this way, if I had a choice to flip burgers, clean toilets, take orders at a restaurant, or be a lowly game tester, I'll gladly choose the testing job every time. And unlike with other jobs, I would LOVE to climb the corporate ladder in the video game industry. Anywho, to each their own.

I want to say thank you to you because this is my main reason for being on the show. I'm in college and I work as a janitor to pay for it. I'm a little bit angry how people are trying to equate game testing to cleaning bathrooms for a living but I digress. I live in a small town where I do not have the chance to apply to work or obtain an internship from a video game development company. I know some people don't really care for the show and that's fine and dandy. But I'm hoping it will open doors for me and the rest of the cast. Peace to you man. Oh if you want to know who I am, I'm Fame Girl.

Btw the reason why I named myself Fame Girl is because I like Lady Gaga.

Good luck Fame Girl, I'll be rooting for you!

hmmm game testing huh? you get to play to unfinished shitty version of the game first right? seems like a brilliant job

whoever thought up this over used and redundant idea should be slapped

I watched the trailer for this last night and it just ticked me off. It's everything that's wrong with TV and exactly why I despise "reality," tv. The entire concept of this program is a joke and fake. They make it seem like becoming a video game tester is a life or death thing when the reality is Game companies are usually DESPERATE for Video Game Testers. Why? Because they treat them like SLAVES. You work 10 or 13 hour days earning minimum wage.

Yes it's a great foot in the door opportunity, but not something to go through "hell" to get. And all of the situations in the trailer are so freaking contrived. I mean yeah, playing paintball, and dumb made up sports really has a lot to do with being a game tester.

I assume this is sponsored by Cheetos and Mountain Dew.

The food of GAMERS!

Yep, :)

If you are going to have dumb "challenges" and "contests" at least make them all related to, I don't know... Being a gamer! Y'know Madden competitions, G.O.W. speed tests, puzzle solving, etc. What the heck does playing paint ball or running around a field have to do with ANYTHING?

they are just tricking them into getting a little bit of exercise. it's really just a fat camp in disguise

It's a job. You show up. Do something that is not impossible and they pay you. You then get to pay rent, food, and laundry. There is also a ladder you can climb, though it is, GASP, difficult.

I'm sure this shows experience of 'testing' will have as much in common with the real-life job of game testing as living in the Big Brother house has to do with living in a real house.

As someone who is in the software industry and having read Part One of Matthew Burns four part piece, I don't know what he is describing is any different than the software industry in general.

I am sure that many managers in the video game and even software industry believe that they will just fix it later if there are enough complaints.

I believe that the standard for quality for most software be it for video games, cell phones, OS, or whatever software is -- good enough.

Part of the issue is that consumers have come to "accept" bugs as being Ok.

Well if things have changed then they may have a pretty good job there. If the winner is given a permanent position as compared to a temp contract, you get every copy of every game (1st and 3rd party as well) that comes out on the PS3. Not a bad deal. Yeah testing sucks at times but it beats a whole hell of a lot of other types of employment out there.

Despite all the bad rep the job gets, it still seems better than a job at Walmart to me. However, I'm definitely biased on that account.

Wow they sent me the email months ago to "apply" to be a tester I had no idea it was going to be a show!

Star must be desperate for fame first Ultime Gamer and now this?

Hope she will be the 1st one to be evicted

GAME OVER!

I liked being a game tester, for EA no less. Sure, the pay was horrid, and often your hours would be extended at the last moment as you're on your way out the door for the day. And honestly, there's not a whole lot of stress free game playing there unless it's done on break time. However, I met some like minded folks, was given input on ideas for Madden (which went unheeded for Madden '06 unfortunately) and there was a really cool vibe there aside from the "it's the numbers, killa" being put upon us daily trying to whip us into a competition to find more and more bugs. It's tedious, low paying and misunderstood, yet I really dug my time there and would probably recommend it, especially if you're a young buck.

ROFl, competing for a near minimum wage job. This doesn't open any doors for them. A jumping point to what? Another reality show? Nothing on this show will get them hired by a company that will be in business for more than a few months.

Guys, you do know these aren't just people picked at random right? They each have had a piece of being on television prior to this. In fact some of them make a living off of doing shows like this (such as STAR).

That said, look for the obvious winner to not win due to some fallout, while the one that everybody loves and adores makes it to the end. That said, the top Gamer, won't win more than likely. Think 'Ultimate Gamer', and you'll get an idea what they will do with this and how it will be staged together. :)

But yes, pretty much all of them will get offers again, even though it filmed back in Sept/Oct.

-Spike

I really would like to know where you have seen me on tv before. After all that's what you said. This is news to me since I've never been on anything before in my life.

These people look old... how do they not have real jobs yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsi4sWlJmoQ

I had the best audition video. We all know who the real Goof is.

Having the name Luge after what happened to that Georgian guy at the Olympics would be awkward.

I'd hit LUGE. She gave me a bone.

GAME TESTING sucks. Especially for the Nintendo DS. I did it for a few hours and wanted to punch myself in the face. The guys/gals that do it and do it well should get paid more and have better working conditions. It really is one of the cores to having a great game.

http://www.beggametester.com/
Game tester

Game testers must have lots of patience, be methodical in their approach and

have a keen eye for details. They must be good communicators and have some

understanding of computer hardware and software. The rise in the amount of game

testers that are needed is directly tied to the recent growth in the gaming

industry.

Previous 50 Comments

'The Tester' contestants should probably have read this account first

Reader Comments (96)

Posted: Feb 13th 2010 11:45PM jynxycat said

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