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Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Video Games: Playstation
Electronic amusements are more than idle pastimes. They have become important social and even educational tools. Interactive games are picking up where social groups have left off, and PlayStation is one manufacturer that is leading the revolution.
Video games and interactive hardware can provide endless amusement for players of all ages. Virtually anyone who likes to play any type of game can happily settle in with an electronic option. There are strategy, quest and searching games; tag and board games, action and racing games, mysteries, expeditions and even aerobic instruction games. The market is flooded with interactive fun for every sort of gamer.
Electronic game software can entertain, and also educated. While all gaming programs are designed to provide fun, many people are able to develop certain skills and talents while playing. Interactive hardware can help you with reading, writing and arithmetic. Budding artists can hone their drawing skills, while aspiring racecar drivers learn to downshift and turn the wheel just a little before the road curves. Problem solving, dancing and other skills can be developed as players interact and learn from one another.
Game manufacturers have been using electronic components and features since the 1950s. From these humble beginnings, the electronic gaming industry has seen multi-billion dollars in growth. Electronic games adapted technological trends and evolved into highly qualified computer systems.
The United States were first to furnish players with video games. Limited knowledge and development costs kept the games rudimentary compared to today's standards, but fun nonetheless. First-generation gamers fondly remember the thrill of graduating from on screen "ping pong" games of dots and dashes, to playing a "space wars" game with sound and explosive effects. As we eagerly plugged these video game dinosaurs into our black and white television sets, we thought it could never get any better.
The phrase "video games" generally encompasses the genre of interactive, electronic amusement and sport. Early developers introduced arcade games to barrooms and pinball alleys. These first coin-operated machines used television screens for display, and were equipped with speakers for sound effects and music. Coin-operated arcades, and the video games within them, were huge sensations and before long, video game systems began to make their ways into our homes.
There came a point on the video game timeline that developers stopped to realize that computers were widely available and easier to use. At this point, the video game world turned to a new direction. These home computers would become channels for the modern video game industry. Developers began exploring running strategies, and designers worked hard to find ways to attract players to these newly reinvented video games.
As a result of these new technological breakthroughs, Sony introduced PlayStation in 1988. Largely a home electronics company, at that time Sony did not have a great deal of knowledge about video games. At that time, the gaming world had reached a new high. There was no better time for Sony to get a leg up on the competition with its multi-media machine called PlayStation. This innovative gaming system introduced what we now know as the CD-ROM. In the first year, Sony sold out seven million Playstation systems worldwide. Following the initial PlayStation success, Sony began using CD-Is in the early 1990s. These small disks provided gaming enthusiasts to play interactively over a computer system.
Personal gaming systems have quickly evolved into a huge industry. Nintendo, Gameboy and PlayStation are big names in video games. These manufacturers realize that game enthusiasts can be anyone from a toddler to a retiree, so they've developed games and software to appeal to the masses. More corporations are coming on board to develop their own arcade and video game products. The industry continues to grow, and developers keep on working to find new ways to amuse us.
How To Become A Video Game Tester In 4 Easy Steps
“Do all of these game testers have college degrees from established schools?” Nope. Most of them started game testing right out of high school, and they did so just by getting out there and taking it one step at a time. If you'd like to get started in video gaming testing, read and follow the simple steps below.
Step One: Know That Being a Video Game Tester is A Career, Not A Hobby
If you want to be a professional video game tester, you have to realize that it isn't a weekend hobby that you can do whenever your in the mood. You will be required to work and meet deadlines set by your employer. Although you may be working from home, you are still required to do your job in a professional manner. If you conduct yourself professionally and treat video game testing like an actual job instead of just a fantasy where you get to do what you please, you will be much more successful with your game testing career.
Step Two: If You Want To Be a Game Tester, You Have To Get Yourself Out There
The simple fact in the matter is that game companies do not actively list "video game tester job" openings in the paper. If they did, they would be swamped by would-be testers who don't know the first thing about testing. So, instead of merely glancing at the paper from time to time, actually head to the companies and developers and apply for a testing job.
When you apply for a job, don't be ashamed to brag about your expertise with video games. However, be sure that all bragging is done in a professional manner; otherwise, the interviewer might be turned off. In short, just do whatever you can to convince them that you would be a great addition to their video game tester "roster".
If there is one thing to remember in this industry, it's this; Experience is Everything!
Step Three: Video Game Tester Jobs Must Be Completed As Specified
Any instructions given to you by your employer, in this case a game developer, must be followed to the letter. Make sure you know precisely what information the developers want, as well as any feedback that they require.
Anything you write down or report on must be clearly legible and easily understood. The developers/programmers rely on your reports to find and fix bugs & glitches; so if your writing looks like chicken scratch and your grammar is similar to the grammar of a non-English speaking immigrant, you probably won't last long as a game tester.
Whatever the company asks of you, do it and don't ask too many questions. The more compliant you are and the more you work, the more video game tester jobs they will ultimately hand you. Also, it is imperative that you meet all specified deadlines; so, be sure to send your work in on time, every time.
Step 4: Don't Stop After One Video Game Tester Job, Keep Going!
Once you get and complete your first video game testing job, don't sit around and stare at your check thinking "Wow, I did it". Instead, get right back out there and apply for more testing jobs.
The company you did the job for, if satisfied with your reports, will probably offer you another testing job right after that one. If they don't, well, you could always use them as a reference for your next and future video game testing jobs.
Remember, you have already landed and completed your first game testing job; so, the hard part is pretty much over. Now, all you have to do is rinse and repeat and you will be on your way to a very successful video game tester career.