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March 31st, 2010 | Posted by admin

Yes, its 100% true, You can get paid to test video games. But, the questions is: do you need a degree? are there special qualifications? Or, do you need to meet any other certain guidelines in order to achieve this? In this article, I will answer all these questions and more so that you can get an idea of who has the best chances of becoming a video game tester.

First of all, you do not need a degree from college or any special training to become a video game tester. While you can likely benefit from having a degree, developing contacts and such, it is not required. And in the absence of a degree, large amounts of ambition and persistence must take its place. Either that or an insider who can show you the ropes.

The “insider approach” can either be done by befriending somebody in the gaming industry, preferably a well known tester, or by buying an in-depth book or guide on how to become a video game tester.

Basically, there are two easy-to-meet requirements that need to be met in order for video game developers and programmers to be interested in hiring you. The first: you must have a high level of skill & experience when it comes to playing video games and you have to have an excellent attention to detail. Remember, you’re job is to test games thoroughly; it’s not to try to beat them quickly. As a video game tester, you’ll be looking for glitches, problematic issues, and other factors that detract from the overall gameplay.  Read more...

March 28th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Setting guidelines for video games can be difficult. Most kids would play for hours – at least until the bathroom or the refrigerator calls them away. So how do you determine what is fair and safe for your child?

Time Limits

Your child may prefer to spend every waking moment plugged into a video game console, but healthy kids need a balanced schedule. Homework, chores, outdoor play, and family time need to take precedence over video games. Video games are a reward for completing tasks. Set a time limit for each day’s maximum gaming time.

A good guideline for children aged 5-10 is 30-60 minutes a day, with a few extra minutes allowed on weekends. Up to two hours per day is appropriate for teens and pre-teens, as long as homework and chores are completed.

An egg timer is a good tool for tracking game time. The timer begins once play starts. When the bell sounds, the child must save and exit the game immediately. Parents may be tempted to allow the child to finish the current game or level when the alarm sounds, but some children are crafty. They take advantage of this lenience to extend playing time.

Monitoring Video Game Content

A standardized rating system tags each video game to levels of appropriateness for different age ranges. This rating system is a general guideline only. Just because a game is rated “E” for everyone does not mean the game is free of offensive language, actions and themes.  Read more...

March 26th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Selling video games on eBay is one of the greatest way to make huge profits from your wholesale video games business. Many in the international market place called eBay, a gateway in making green bucks in no time. One of the first things you have to do before setting up your online store is to find suitable video game suppliers who can provide you with the products you need.

You should take into consideration the quality, price, and credibility of each video game you are about to sell online because these factors either affect your business rating or actually benefit you both in the short term and long term from the relationship from actual customers. The more popular and valuable you become, the more customers you will have.

We do know that customers are always looking for bargain prices online. Through eBay you can attract them with your huge discount deals and promotions. Some go from 10% up to 60% off the retail price of regular video games. Many of these power sellers are pioneers in the video games business and if you want to enter such market or simply outshine them, you have to keep updated with the ever changing rules of such market.  Read more...

March 24th, 2010 | Posted by admin

Many parents find it hard to determine which video games and consoles would be the right choice for their homes. They want to provide their youngsters with the latest multimedia platforms but want to make sure that the system is fully compatible with the type of games that should be played by children in the privacy of their own homes.

It is important for children to feel that they have the coolest video game systems among their peer group. While certain hours of the day are allotted to completing chores and doing a large amount of homework, these youngsters rely on video games to add spice to their otherwise hum drum day of scholastic pursuits.

With more than 9 multimedia platforms to choose from, parents prefer to invest in one game console, that they can invest their money wisely in providing their children with a large realm of entertainment opportunities. Video games are rated for their level of violence and are designated for different age levels as well.

There are Internet toy websites that provide parents with enough information to make their video games a wise purchase. These Internet toy stores provide information on the technical specifications, design specifications and multimedia functions that each game console system has and parents make their purchases based on this reliable information.  Read more...

March 22nd, 2010 | Posted by admin

Video games have become a billion dollar industry. They represent both a pastime and a hobby for both adults and children. Retailers have exploited the popularity of video games and now clubs, magazines, conventions and other social events are all offered with a video game theme. T-shirts, backpacks, lunchboxes, and sweatshirts all come printed with video game logos. These are mostly unnecessary, since video game players have uncanny, radar like ability to find each other at parties and turn the conversation into a discussion of video game techniques, graphics, and sound effects.

But it’s good to know origins just as a film devotee needs to understand what made Citizen Kane so special, avid video game players may want to know what games were popular in the past.

Many video game authorities (don’t you wonder what they’re like?) cite Spaceman as being the first video game. It appeared in 1964 and was developed by a lone student programmer. Spaceman was a comparatively simple game that pitted two players against each other and armed them with a pair of classic sci-fi rocket ships complete with tiny missiles. The computer mouse controls were limited to thrust, rotate right and rotate left. The game featured an unpredictable hyperspace panic button for emergency situations, but the use of this panic button could have all sorts of effects, some desirable and some not. All action took place on a single screen that featured a sun that exerted a powerful gravitation pull on the combatants. Most players steered clear of this but some intrepid players were able to use the sun’s attraction as an asset.  Read more...