Step One: Make Contacts

Bungie

You can’t just browse the jobs section of the classifieds to find companies looking to hire game testers for the latest games. You actually have to go straight to the companies that develop games and let them know who you are, what your gaming skills are and why you would be a great video game tester.

Become A Video Game Tester In 3 Easy Steps

Make sure to present yourself in a professional manner. At the same time, don’t be afraid to brag about how many games and consoles you own and how many hours a day you spend gaming. Experience counts!

Step Two: Take Your Job Seriously

As long as you actually own the console or PC you’d like to test games on, chances are you’ll eventually get your first assignment. Make sure to read the instructions carefully. Especially make certain you know exactly what kind of information and feedback the company is looking for from you. Keep this in mind as you play the game they provide you with.

Keep notes as you go along and write clearly. Don’t forget to check your spelling and grammar. Most importantly, make sure you get the data back to the company on time! Even though you’re having fun, don’t forget to stay on track.

Step Three: Be Proactive In Taking On New Projects

After completing your first assignment, you may be so excited when you receive that first paycheck that you spend all your time gloating about it. Don’t! Keep up the process of contacting companies and providing quality reviews and feedback. You will build up an impressive resume of game testing assignments that will help you get even more and better paying ones in the future.

Sounds like a great job, right? So, if you want to be able to tell you friends “I game for a living”, follow the steps above and you’ll soon be on your way to making a full time income from the comfort of your console.

Become A Video Game Tester In 3 Easy Steps

The 2010 excellence in writing given by Game Developers Choice Awards was bagged by Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Some of the previous award winners include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell. Many a times, despite the advanced graphics and other features, the way a video game is written can play a major role in the success or failure of the video game as it has the ability to make a player emotionally connected with the game. While many of these memorable dialogs like “Hey dudes, thanks for rescuing me! Let’s go for a burger…Ha! Ha! Ha!” from Bad Dudes and “That’s the second biggest monkey head I’ve ever seen!” from Monkey Island are funny, there are more heart wrenching emotional ones such as “War. War never changes” from Fallout and “Would you kindly?” from BioShock which could be intellectually stimulating.

Ubisoft

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Best Video Game Quotes

Released in later half of 2007 by the Valve Corporation, this is a single person, first-person shooter game. Though the game received mixed response, the quote “Prepare for unforeseen consequences” has remained a favorite quote for people who pay attention to the dialogs in a game. This quote shows the extent of G-Man’ capability of controlling the mind of other characters as he makes Alyx Vance to utter these words to her father Eli Vance without any understanding of what she is uttering. These words also aptly symbolize the uncertain nature of a human life wherein one has to be constantly prepared for unimagined circumstances. 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Released in later half of 2003 by Ubisoft, this is an action cum adventure game. The game has received positive response both from the critics and masses. This is probably one of those few games which have a series of memorable quotes with the top pick being “Most people think Time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction. They are wrong. Sit down and I will tell you a tale like none that you have ever heard.” This philosophical quote is by the prince and can be found as the first and last lines of the Trilogy.

Best Video Game Quotes

If you’re really serious about looking for that “acoustic” feel when playing your electronic drums you ought to know that you’re not the only one. There are several electronic drum sets out there designed just to look and feel like the real thing. Different brands and models have their variations but they typically include the usual toms, snare, cymbals, hi-hat, and kick trigger pads. Just look carefully through each one and then pick the one that suits your needs.

Electronic Arts

Maybe you’re a beginner wanting something you can easily learn and practice with, or a professional who wants something more convenient to carry around so you can make music anywhere. There is a portable electronic drum pad just for you. These are designed so that they already have their modules built into them. This makes them much easier to set up, but they are less customizable than the other kinds. The most common one is divided into eight pads, although it’s not hard to find models having 4, 12, or any number of pads. In terms of style, some of these models are evenly placed out into uniform rectangles, while others are circular, designed to be spread out across the body of the drummer in a user friendly way.

The Electronic Drum Pad – A Guide to Different Kinds

If you’re looking for something even simpler, easier to use and more portable, there are still models that will suit your particular need. There are drum models with just a single drum pad, module, and synthesizer. Unbelievably, this is just one gadget combined. You can then adjust this simplified version to sound like toms, cymbals, snares, bass drums, and several other sounds.

This short overview will prepare you better in your quest of owning your own the best electronic drum set. Read it well and rock on, drummer!

The Electronic Drum Pad – A Guide to Different Kinds

It seems Kotaku, the self-proclaimed “Gamer’s Guide”, let loose on some info on Modern Warfare 3, the follow up to Infinity Ward’s smash hit, Modern Warfare 2. None of the information leaked has been confirmed, so these details are still sketchy, at best. Here’s a tweet from Robert Bowling (fourzerotwo and Creative Director of Infinity Ward):

Infinity Ward

“A lot of hype & a lot of leaked info on #MW3, some still accurate, some not. To avoid spoiling the experience, I’d wait for the real reveal.”

Modern Warfare 3: Leaked Info

The game’s supposed release date is November 8th, 2011. Whether that is true or not, we can expect it to most likely be around that area, given the release dates of previous games in the franchise.

The following contains information from the single player campaign. If you want to keep everything completely unspoiled, then skip over the the multiplayer section of the article.

The single player campaign is said to begin right where Modern Warfare 2 ended. Russia is launching a surprise attack on the United States and Soap, Price, and Nikolai are still on the run. We’ve been told that the single player campaign will put us in various roles in the form of “throwaway characters” as well as putting us into the shoes of previous characters from the series and new members of the roster.

We are told to expect fifteen missions with the plot answering questions about certain characters and introducing new ones who seem to have been created for possible roles in future titles.

Multiplayer is something the Call of Duty franchise is built upon. As such, many gamers buy these games for the thrill of taking each other online or teaming up in Spec-Ops, which is returning with a new addition to it. Spec-Ops is offering us the “Mission Mode” we came to know in Modern Warfare 2 alongside “Survival Mode”, a gametype that is becoming more popular among shooters. Survival Mode will have a team of players attempting to survive as long as possible against waves of enemies.

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According to information leaked, we can expect twenty standard multiplayer maps, five Survival maps, and seven Mission maps. Whether or not all of these come straight out of the box is yet to be known, but what can be given are map names.

Standard Multiplayer Maps:

Alpha

Alps

Bootleg

Bravo

Brooklyn

Carbon

Coast

Dome

Exchange

Hardhat

Interchange

Lambeth

Meteora

Mogadishu

Paris

Plaza 2

Radar

Seatown

Underground

Village

Mission Maps:

Civilian Rescue

Flood the Market

Invisible Threat

Little Bro’s

Out of Africa

No Fly Zone

Wing Man

Survival Maps:

Carbon

Dome

Radar

Seatown

Village

As a reminder, it is still unknown how much of this information is true.

Modern Warfare 3, developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software will (allegedly) be out November 8th, 2011.

Modern Warfare 3: Leaked Info

In addition to physical growth, toddler-hood is a period during which your child will experience great social, emotional and cognitive development. The speed of growth in these areas may depend on the toddler’s position within the family (only child, older/younger sibling etc) as well as their exposure to experiences and sensory stimulation such as a stressful environment, general involvement in life or travel.

Game Developers

Toddlers are concrete thinkers…

Toys For Toddlers – Games, Activities For Development

For toddlers to be able to understand and talk about things, they need to physically see, touch and handle them. Just watching it on TV is not enough.

“When children play they approach experiences with interest, ownership, empowerment and possibility. If we remove play from children’s lives we remove a possibility for learning”.

Carla Rinaldi.

Below is a list of games and toys that will enhance a toddler’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.

o Simple puzzles

o Link-up such as trains and trucks

o Stacking blocks and cups

o Put in and pull out such as shapes and buckets, pegs and bag

o Picture books with objects, animals, lift up and noises

o Knobs and buttons such as phones, cash register

o Play games that give them the opportunity to say ‘no’ (is dad under the bed?)

o Dress ups such as a box containing bags, hats, shoes and jackets

o Match up games; asking what thing is the same-colours and shapes

o Household activities with their own miniature tools such as sweeping, phone, bath doll, tool box

o Allow them time to play uninterrupted on their own

As I mentioned there is a lot of brain development that happens during these early years which comes about through the connection (synapses) between cells (neurons). These connections require appropriate sensory stimulation for their replication. A lack of brain usage or stimulation leads to fewer synaptic connections and neural pathways being developed.

The ability to learn in the future has a direct relationship to what you are preparing their brain for in these early years.

Toys For Toddlers – Games, Activities For Development

Such games like Left 4 Dead series which is a revolution for the Zombie gaming niche displays the demand for this type of game. We can also look at the Resident Evil series, this one is one of the most popular and well known of the bunch. It has both basic and advanced features along with a great story line which makes Resident Evil a perfect example of a Zombie Game that everyone can enjoy.

Game Developers

Video games in the horror genre have become well known and popular, so popular infect that gamers have created modifications for their favorite games. With these modifications you can customize your character, or use the special items in the game. We have seen the Zombie culture around for a very long time. Hollywood movies such as Dawn of the Dead and Zombieland have added to the popularity of the Zombie niche. Since their is such a great appeal to this market and the demand is so high, game developers will try to make a profit and release new types of horror games.

Zombie Game

The gaming environment will eventually grow into its own genre right up there next to Action, RPG and puzzle. A Zombie Game can simply be classified under the Action or Adventure title. We won’t know how advance these games will get as technology changes every day, but we do know it holds its weight in an ever growing niche. We can see it grow as gamers will want to satisfy their addictions and play Zombie Games.

Zombie Game

A word of caution. You need to take action. This is only information, but to make a career in gaming a reality you need to take the necessary steps. Be willing to work at it! With that in mind, let’s move in.

Game Developers

Beta Game Testers Needed….Fact Or Fiction?

Beta Game Testers Needed – Earn Up To 0 An Hour Playing Video Games From Your Room!

It’s not too good to be true. You can make a very honest living getting paid to play video games. Beta game testers are needed to insure quality game production. The cost of paying you a few thousand dollars to play their game v.s. the cost of a million dollar (or more) game recall should make it clear: you save the game developer millions of dollars on costly recalls of buggy games. Plus you preserve their reputations.

Why don’t the programmers find the bugs?

Programmers are paid – an hour to program the game not play it. Given the amount of variation in game play and the time required to test the game it would be impossible to expect the programmers to find all the bugs.

You are the white knight, coming in and saving the game from errors and glitches. It’s an important, but sometimes tedious, job.

Where do I find these jobs?

Simple. You keep a diligent eye on a bunch of game developer websites. Keep checking them until you see a posting for beta testers.

Here is a short list of some game developers:

-Microsoft

-Acclaim

-Sega

What are the requirements for getting hired as a beta tester?

Usually you need to be over 18. But other than that, no specific education is required. A strong passion for gaming is a plus.

What are some tips to getting hired for my first video game testing job?

1. Find out the name of the person in charge of hiring the game testers

2. Write or call them and let them know you are interested in becoming a tester for their company.

3. Start building a relationship with people in the gaming industry: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

4. Offer to work your first job for free. This will really help get your foot in the door. Besides, working your first job for free isn’t as bad as it sounds, you’re still playing video games!

Now you have a good understanding of becoming a video game tester and why beta game testers are needed. Now it’s up to you to get out there and start building your gaming resume.

Beta Game Testers Needed – Earn Up To 0 An Hour Playing Video Games From Your Room!

This game now offers the most advanced multiplayer in the franchise to date, and has numerous brand-new features and improvements. Modern Warfare 3 will have an innovative pointstreak reward system, a new weapon-progression system, several fresh multiplayer game modes and 16 maps included when the game is released. Including two Co-Op game modes, 40 weapons at your disposal, plus an enhanced game engine which runs at over 60 frames-per-second, this game sets a new level for first-person shooters.

Infinity Ward

FEATURES:

An Introductory Guide to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Impressive Single Player – Fill the boots of several characters of different nationalities during the campaign mode, and battle the Russian Federation in varied destinations throughout the world, including England, France, Germany, Moscow, Dubai, Somalia and Sierra Leone.

Extensive Multi-Player Options – Offers the wide range of multiplayer options included in MW2, as well as a couple of completely new modes, Kill Confirmed and Team Defender. A new pointstreak reward system takes the place of the previous killstreak system, plus Modern Warfare 3 will include an innovative weapon-progression process. There are sixteen multiplayer maps at launch with more accessible at a later date as DLC.

New Co-Op Options – The new survival game mode puts two players up against wave after wave of progressively stronger enemies, in addition the Mission mode presents two gamers time-based in addition to objective-based quests to accomplish – you will find sixteen quests in total. Cooperative matches within Modern Warfare 3 may be enjoyed via local split-screen or online.

Breathtaking Visuals – The innovative game engine developed for MW3 will deliver ground-breaking visuals as well as character animation at a fantastic sixty fps.

Integration with Call of Duty: Elite – Modern Warfare 3 multi-player features an facility to link into Call of Duty: Elite, an exciting new Internet service to maintain a record of your multiplayer statistics and enables social-networking via Facebook.

Revamped Killstreak Reward System – Gamers will acquire ‘pointstreaks’ within multi-player which allow them to choose from 3 distinctive ‘strike packages’. The Assault strike package awards points to gamers for anything you kill and equipment destroyed, the second Support strike package awards points to gamers for meeting mission goals, and finally the Specialist package rewards players with perks rather than pointstreaks.

Innovative Weapon-Progression System – Each weapon accumulates its own experience points the longer you use it, that may be used to buy attachments in addition to ‘proficiency’ perks. Some example weapon attachments could include a laser sight as well as various scope options. Some ‘proficiency’ perks include Kick (reduced weapon recoil) and Focus (reduces flinch reflex when under fire).

The official launch date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is slated around 8th Nov, 2011, and will be sold on the following platforms: PC/Windows, PS3 as well as Xbox 360. The publisher for the game is Activision, and this video game was developed by Infinity Ward / Sledgehammer Games. Multi-player options are catered for in this game. The PEGI ranking specified for the video game will be PEGI 18, and will be thus appropriate for players 18 years as well as older.

An Introductory Guide to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

Both the 3DS and the DSi offer capabilities not present in the previous DS models. To name a few: browsing the Internet through the Opera browser, being able to buy and download special games (DSiWare/3DSWare) through the Nintendo eShop, the option of creating Miis, upgrading the firmware of the device and even reproduce certain kind of multimedia formats from an SD card. They also count with built-in VGA digital cameras which point to the user and to the front of the handheld, which is not a very useful feature in the DSi (the quality of the pictures it takes is very low), but is an essential feature on the 3DS. The user camera on the 3D handheld is what recognizes the position of one’s eyes and creates the 3D effects accordingly; also, the two cameras in the lid of the console are capable of taking pictures in 3D and can also integrate what they capture into “augmented reality” mini-games. Also, in addition to the features that came with the DSi, the Nintendo 3DS has full backward compatibility with DS games, an activity log, and even includes the service of Virtual Console, which allows you to buy “Nintendo Points”, and redeem them for Virtual versions of Game Boy Pocket titles, Sega Game Gear titles, among others.

Nintendo

As you can see, both the DSi and the 3DS offer a great array of attractive features; however, these are seldom used in general. If you really don’t care about browsing the web from your portable (that’s what your laptop is for!), downloading content, taking photos, etc., and all you want is just to play some games, then the direct successor of the original Nintendo DS, the DS Lite, could be an excellent alternative for you.

Nintendo DS Lite: Advantages Of Getting One Over The Nintendo 3DS

Aside from the stereoscopic 3D gameplay, the DS Lite actually has a number of advantages over the 3DS: First, it has a much longer battery life, which lasts from 8 to 10 hours of continuous gameplay. It is region free, which means that you can buy an American console and play Japanese or European games in it without trouble. Also, it comes with the Game Boy Advance (GBA) slot; if you happen to own any GBA cartdridges you can play them on your DS Lite (only in single player mode), or use it in conjunction with specific DS titles in order to unlock special bonuses. Also, certain DS games come with accessories that make use of the GBA slot (like Guitar Hero: On Tour); these titles can’t be played from the DSi onwards. Finally, the DS Lite is slightly lighter than the 3DS.

The Nintendo 3DS might be packed with features; however, if you are more of a casual gamer and use your handheld for its main purpose only, which is to play games (not Internet, Miis, eShop, etc), I would recommend you get the Nintendo DS Lite instead, at least until the second model of the 3DS is released. Not only it costs less, but the original library of DS games is HUGE, along with the large collection of GBA titles (which nowdays are pretty cheap) you can get for it. And if you ever want to know how playing in true 3D is like… you can always visit your nearest game shop and test the 3DS out!

As the original DS motto goes: “touching is good”… even if it is not in stereoscopic 3D. Happy gaming!

Nintendo DS Lite: Advantages Of Getting One Over The Nintendo 3DS

First off, they all work in a similar manner. To get around the need to attach the machines to a computer, and have the designs stored in software – the designs for the Cricut machines are all loaded onto cartridges. Now each cartridge has a specific theme – if you want Disney characters, there’s a cartridge for that; if you’re into sports designs, there’s a theme for that; if you like doing calligraphy, there’s a theme for that. In fact, there are literally hundreds to choose from. When you buy a Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter, you will get a couple of cartridges as standard. You can also buy packages where a couple of extra cartridges are included, at a reduced price. Thereafter, you need to buy additional cartridges as and when you need them. They can get quite pricey, so it’s best not to buy them too often, and build up your collection over time. They do make for great gifts – they’ll give your partner of loved ones a never-ending supply of Christmas and birthday options!

Electronic Arts

With your cartridge installed and your design selected, there are two other things you need to decide. Firstly, what are you going to cut? With any of the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter machines, you can cut paper, card, vellum or vinyl on the replaceable cutting mat. Secondly, what size character or shape are you going to cut? Depending on which cutter model you have, you can cut shapes varying from a quarter of an inch high up to twenty three and a half inches (in the Cricut Expression model). Program in your options, hit a button, and marvel at the results. Highly professional designs produced with consummate ease.

Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter – A Huge Leap Forward For Handicrafting

There are three craft work models to choose from. The entry-level model is the original Cricut Electronic Personal Cutter – which offers great portability, measuring only 17-4/5 by 9-2/3 by 12-8/9 inches and weighing only 7 pounds. It will cut shapes from 1 inch to 5.5 inches tall.

At the other end of the scale is the Cricut Expression Personal Electronic Cutter. Still portable, this model is slightly larger at 25-4/5 by 9-1/25 by 12 inches and weighing 21 pounds. The Expression offers a greater variety of cutting options with 6 modes and 4 functions, and is able to cut shapes from only ¼ inch up to an amazing 23-1/2 inches tall.

Finally the Cricut Create Personal Electronic Cutter is somewhere in the middle. Sold as offering the portability of the original cutter (measuring 17-1/2 by 9-1/2 by 12-1/5 inches and weighing 16 pounds) with the versatility of the Expression cutter (it can cut shapes from ¼ inch up to 11-1/2 inches tall) – this model offers the best of both worlds.

Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter – A Huge Leap Forward For Handicrafting