A QA tester's job is to play video games that are nearing completion to identify bugs, glitches, or other issues that break the game. They test to ensure the game works as intended and provide feedback on gameplay and areas for improvement. QA testing involves repeatedly playing games, including unfinished versions, to identify all possible issues and ensure the game is free of flaws before public release. It is a repetitive job but critical to the quality of the final product. Strong knowledge of games and persistent passion for playing are important for QA testers.

1. QA
Tester
A
QA
(Quality
Assurance)
Tester’s
job
is
to
playthrough
the
game
when
it
is
either
finished,
or
nearing
a
finished
stage
to
check
for
bugs,
glitches
and
other
game-­‐breaking
problems.
They
test
the
game’s
performance
against
the
designer’s
intentions,
identifying
problems
and
suggesting
improvements.
They
test
for
bugs
in
the
software,
from
complete
crashes
to
minor
glitches
in
the
programme.
They
also
act
as
the
game’s
first
audience,
reporting
on
its
playability
and
identifying
any
aspects
that
could
be
improved.
While
this
sounds
like
a
fairly
relaxed
job,
it
does
involve
a
lot
of
discipline,
as
they
are
responsible
for
the
quality
of
the
final
product.
They
must
ensure
the
game
is
free
of
flaws,
graphics
&
audio
glitches,
and
potential
copyright
issues
before
the
game
is
released
to
the
public.
QA
Testers
must
know
which
issues
are
the
most
important
to
sort
out,
and
they
prioritize
all
the
issues
they
encounter
whilst
playing.
They
also
have
to
work
to
strict
deadlines.
Testing
involves
playing
a
game
over
and
over
again,
testing
different
levels
and
builds
(incomplete
‘development
versions’
of
a
game,
sometimes
with
various
features
missing).
The
work
can
be
repetitive
and
tedious,
but
Testers
have
to
test
long
after
the
novelty
and
fun
factor
may
have
worn
off.
However,
QA
Testers
must
also
accept
that
they
have
only
limited
influence
over
a
game’s
design,
they
also
need
to
anticipate
all
the
ways
the
game
may
be
played,
and
test
the
game
accordingly.
QA
Testers
must
have
a
good
knowledge
of
games
on
the
market
so
they
can
evaluate
a
game
against
its
competition
correctly,
they
must
also
be
able
not
only
to
identify
and
record
a
problem,
but
also
to
try
to
work
out
what
is
causing
it,
and
above
all,
they
must
have
a
persistent
passion
for
playing
video
games.
The
best
ways
to
become
a
QA
Tester
is
to
either
work
in
other
departments
first
such
as
Art
Design
or
Programming,
the
other
way
is
to
work
in
video
game
retail,
as
this
provides
useful
background
knowledge
and
an
awareness
of
audience
needs.

2. Case
Study:
Sally
Reynolds
Sally
Reynolds
left
school
at
17
without
any
qualifications
and
began
working
in
a
mobile
phone
shop,
she
was
passed
over
for
a
promotion
due
to
her
lack
of
A
Levels,
she
then
went
back
to
college,
then
went
to
University
after.
After
Uni,
she
had
various
jobs
including
a
retail
one,
but
was
un-­‐happy
in
all
of
these.
Eventually
she
came
across
Jagex.
"People
who
didn't
think
very
much
of
me
because
of
the
lack
of
qualifications...
I
can
absolutely
prove
them
wrong
now."
–
Sally
Reynolds.