PowerUp Games - Video Game Testing

The Playing Field has Officially Been Leveled.

PowerUp Games has teamed up with the Game Institute to offer opportunities for gamers with all levels of interest! For some it's just a hobby. For others maybe it's a career; even a way of life. PowerUp brings gamers and publishers together in a collaborative on-line community with one common goal – making games better.

Get exclusive access to some of the latest games before they are released. Weigh in on new game concepts, marketing, playability and button play. And help improve publishers' content through feedback on art, concepts, content and marketing.

Each project is unique and calls for team members with a lot of different abilities. From the technical to the creative across all skill levels, there's a place for you.

Why should I take the course?

The purpose of this course is an attempt to circumvent the common industry paradox: "I need experience to break into the video game industry, but they won't hire me so that I can gain that experience."

Games testing has been the path many have taken to enter into the video games industry. Traditionally it is a position that allows companies the opportunity to hire entry level staff, without there being significant formal training requirements. However, with the downsizing currently occurring within the industry, and the significant advances in terms of complexity of both games development and design, trends certainly indicate that candidates for game testing positions will significantly benefit from at least some amount of formal training when applying.

Game testing is also helpful to establish relationships within the industry. Working directly with game professionals can get you that all important 'foot in the door'. A letter of appreciation from a development studio for instance will go a long way to help establish your career in video games.

Game testing can also provide experience and relationships that span a wide range of disciplines. For example, if your interests tend toward the artistic aspects of game development, or even marketing and business development, you will still benefit from an understanding of the game development cycle, interactions, teamwork, etc.

Upon completion of this course, you will have the necessary knowledge and practical testing experiences that should prove useful when applying for a game testing or other position. Further, when you finally succeed in obtaining that position, your prospects of retaining employment are strengthened.

What will I learn if I take this course?

You will learn the practical and real-world aspects of game testing. This course covers the stages of game development and the roles and responsibilities of the quality assurance (QA) team, the different types of bugs a game tester must understand and look for, how to write appropriate bug reports, the bug life cycle, the various different types of testing (e.g. usability, interface and beta testing) and much more.

Most importantly, you will have an opportunity to participate in real testing projects for the purposes of obtaining all-important industry experience.

  NB:

For more detailed information on the topics covered in this course, please review the Lesson Outline.
(To view this PDF, you will need to ensure that you have installed the free Acrobat Reader 7.0 or above.)

Who should take the course?

Anybody interested in being employed as a game tester will benefit from this course. There is also considerable value to be had for programmers, artists, even sales and marketing managers who want a better understanding of the game development process and at the same time require hands-on experience.

What are the prerequisites to understanding the course material?

There are no prerequisites to understanding the course material. This course is intended to be accessible to and understood by almost everyone with at least a passing familiarity with video games. We will not expect you to have prior knowledge or experience.

What materials are necessary to complete the course?

Word processing, spread sheet and screen capture software are required.