With lots games development going on in thousands of companies all over the world, there are always companies that are in need of testers. Testers are always in demand by software developers so that they always have people available to give feedback and to provide a critical service in the pre-release stage. Without testers many of the world's most popular RPGs, Shoot 'em ups and MMORPGs or any game would fail terribly because of too many glitches. The games would just be unplayable and all the money invested in their development would have been wasted.

This is why there are lots of video game companies looking for testers and the recruitment drive never stops for a number of reasons. Take Blizzard games as an example of a company that is forever producing expansion packs for World of Warcraft and its twelve million plus subscribers. They always need testers  with varying levels of skill and knowledge and as long as you are good at communicating you stand a chance of securing a position testing games.

In most cases you would be expected to work in house with developers because of the secrecy involved in the industry. There are some instances where you can take part in the beta test stage before games get released and that may not always require you to be located near the software house. To find software houses that are looking for testers then attending game festivals such as the Montreal International Game Summit or the EuroGamer expo in London or BlizzCon in California. These are just examples of places where employers are actively recruiting games players for work in the industry.

You can of course apply online to these companies but they have to deal daily with a mountain of applications and there is nothing better than face to face contact with a recruitment team. Don't worry if you can't make it to one of the major shows, there are lots of other ways to find employment as a games tester. The most common way is to find work through an agency that specializes in I.T. personnel.

Video Game Companies

If you would prefer to contact all the companies directly yourself whether they are agencies or not then it helps to know some of the ones that are most receptive to applications and may have more than one location or hire remotely. Here are just a few that you should try first:

  • Big Fish Games
  • Blizzard Entertainment (Activision)
  • Volt Information Sciences
  • Appleone
  • Arenanet
  • Onlive
  • Foundation 9 Entertainment
  • Aerotek Professional Staffing
  • Wired Talent
  • Electronic Arts

There are of course many more companies out there that are always looking for video game testers but the ones that are listed above are good places to start off. Details of how to apply differ from company to company and before you contact them it would be wise to do some research on their products and of course the testing and reporting process.