Games That I Can Make Money
How would you like to get paid to test video games?
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- Other money-making alternatives include shopping, taking surveys, referring friends, searching the web, and much more. You can redeem Swagbucks in the form of Amazon gift cards, coupon codes and several other amazing prizes, or you can also ask them to convert the game credits into cash, which can be transferred to your PayPal account.
- The amount of money you can make as a game tester really varies. You can get paid hourly or an annual salary. Either way, the pay rate varies based on a few factors like the game company hiring you, your experience, geographical location and so on.
If you like and play a lot of video games, this is right up your alley.
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According to THEESA (The Entertainment Software Association) 75% of Americans have at least one gamer in their household!
And we spend quite a bit of money on games.
$23.5 billion to be exact!
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But there are ways to make this a little less expensive habit.
You can even get paid to play games!
There is also another way to make money (and get premium games for free)…
Paid video game testing!
Why would gaming companies pay me to test games?
There are thousands of video games available in today’s market.
And every day, hundreds more are introduced.
Some flop, some succeed, and a few become big hits like Guitar Hero, Halo, Final Fantasy, Wii Fit, Grand Theft Auto, SSX, and Metroid.
Now, designing and production of video games is a long process.
It takes a lot of time, effort and money.
So the software companies behind these games need to eliminate any issues before they release the game to the public.
Imagine how pissed you’d be if you paid $50 for a game only to have to deal with bugs and errors.
To avoid losing loyal customers (and revenue,) video games companies, like any other smart software company, conduct tests before they actually release the product to the market.
This isn’t limited to just gaming companies, most companies do this. For example, Facebook pays you up to $500 for any bugs you find on their platform.
By having beta testers test the products, companies can find and fix potential bugs and errors before it gets too out of hand.
Games That I Can Make Money Glitch
This is almost like market research and those paid surveys where you get paid to share your opinion about products before they are released to the market.
Of course, you won’t find many video game testers who would do this for free.
To entice gamers to participate, they reward them with money, prizes and free video games, online games and more.
Interested?
Let’s get you familiar with how it all works and how you can become a paid video game tester.
What exactly do you do as a game tester?
As a tester, you have one job and one job only…
Play games and report any bugs, errors, or glitches you come across.
That’s what it comes down to.
Of course, there are a few specific things that they want you to look out for.
Some of the features that testers need to inspect are:
- compatibility
- compliance
- functionality
- localization and beta
- regression load
- locating faults that may cause crashing of console, freezing of games, erasing of programs or distort visuals.
It’s really a fun job.
Sure, you may not always get a testing job for a game you like. but sometimes you may get lucky and get assigned to test play one of your favorite games.
Either way, you play the game!
It’s a simple process that can be broken down into 4 steps.
Here’s how it works:
- Play the game, looking for bugs and errors.
- When you find a bug, you’ll have to reproduce (“repro“) it.
- Type a bug report via the provided form (usually part of a bug-tracking software.)
- Submit your report to the developers of the game so they can fix it.
In some cases, the game developers may contact you for more details.
Game tester salary: How much money can you make?
The amount of money you can make as a game tester really varies.
You can get paid hourly or an annual salary.
Either way, the pay rate varies based on a few factors like the game company hiring you, your experience, geographical location and so on.
You can expect anywhere from $10 per hour to $100 per hour.
According to Gamasutra Salary Survey, the average annual salary of a tester is about $54,833.
Now here is the interesting part…
According to the same survey, for those with over 6 years of experience, the salary went up to $62,885 a year.
So, just like in most other industries, entry-level workers are paid less than those with more experience.
Sidebar: If you own a lot of games and want to make some fast cash, check out our post on best places to sell video games for cash.
How do you become a video game tester?
Normally, you can find video game tester jobs on third-party platforms that specialize in connecting testers with software companies.
That said, manufacturers of video games – Namco, EA Sports, Sega, PlayStation, Capcom, Sony, Konami, Apple,… – also offer video game testing jobs from time to time.
Most don’t have a dedicated panel where you can sign up year-round, but there are a few that do.
It’s important to note that in most aces you won’t be hired as an employee. Game testing jobs are offered on a contract basis. Meaning, you’ll be working as an interdependent contractor.
Ready to get started?
Here are a few companies offering video game testing jobs:
1. iGameLab
iGameLa is a part of PanelPolls, a market research company.
By joining the panel, you can become a beta tester and get paid to play
- Online games
- Mobile games/apps
- Virtual worlds
- Websites
According to the site, active testers earn $10.00-$15.00 for every month of participation.
- Where to apply:https://community.panelpolls.com/iGamelab.php
2. Nintendo
Working with Nintendo is a gamer’s dream.
We all know Nintendo, one of the biggest names in the gaming industry.
Many of us grew up playing Nintendo games such as Super Mario and Contra.
Nintendo hires testers through two different contractors/temp agencies – Parker Staffing Services and Allegis Group.
Unfortunately, they do not offer off-site beta testing or remote video game testing jobs.
All their current positions are located in Redmond, Washington.
Update: They seem to longer have the game tester position open as of 10/19/2020 but they may bring it back again. So bookmark the page linked below and check back for future openings.
- Where to apply: https://careers.nintendo.com/
3. VMC – Global Beta Test Network
Want to be the first to play big games?
This is the platform for you!
The Global Beta Test Network is a community of hundreds of gamers from all over the world that help gaming companies test their games through the process known as “Stress Testing.”
Through VMC, you get to play and test AAA multiplayer console games.
To qualify, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Sign a non-disclosure agreement
- Be able to focus and follow instruction
- Behave professionally at all times.
These are paid jobs, although they don’t mention how much exactly you get paid (I’m guessing it’s because the pay varies based on the test.)
Compensation is an hourly rate based on where you live.
You receive your payment via PayPal 45 days after the end of the project.
- Where to apply:https://www.vmc.com/join-gbtn/
4. RockStar Games
Even if you’re not a gamer, you’ve provably heard of Grand Theft Auto. RockStar Games is the company behind it and many other top games.
RockStar is looking for “passionate, enthusiastic and self-motivated individuals” to join their QA (Quality Assurance) teams in various cities.
You must be at least 18 years old, and you may be asked to complete a video interview as well.
Keep an eye on their career page for openings in other cities.
- Where to apply:https://www.rockstargames.com/careers/openings/position/4047003003
5. Blizzard
Blizzard is one of the top game designers/developers. Some of their most successful games include World of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft.
They hire game testers as temporary workers.
They don’t have open potions year-round, but they do from time to time.
To get notified, keep an eye on their Careers page.
If you like working in the gaming industry, they have other open positions for Animators, Designers, Character Artist and more.
- Where to apply:https://careers.blizzard.com/global/en
6. UserTesting
UserTesting is a great site for getting paid to test not only games but also websites, apps and other tech products.
You earn $10 for every 20-minute test you complete. They also have interviews for testers that pay much more. They pay via PayPal.
- Where to apply: https://www.usertesting.com/get-paid-to-test
7. Beta Family
If you like playing mobile games, this is a great game testing opportunity. The company rewards you for testing and providing feedback about gaming apps.
- Where to apply:https://betafamily.com/register?r=t–tester
8. BetaTesting (former Erli Bird)
With BetaTesting, you get paid to test websites & hardware and new apps (some of which are gaming apps). You earn $10-$20 for most tests (or more).
- Where to apply:https://betatesting.com/beta-testers
9. Betabound
Betabound is a website that allows you to become a beta game tester without requiring much experience of any kind. You need to be 18 years of age or older.
With Betabound you get to test and provide feedback on products from “some of the biggest names in tech before they are launched to the public.”
Anyone can apply to become a Betabound tester. To start, sign up for a free account and start applying for available tests. Pay varies based on each test and its requirements.
- Where to apply:https://my.betabound.com/welcome/
10. Android Central Forum
Android Central forum is one of the top forums where Android developers can get help, share tips and discuss phones, Android OS and more. The forum has one specific section called “Developer Beta Testing”. Here developers post ads when they are looking for beta testers to test out their apps, games and software. So it’s a great place to check for game testing opportunities.
- Where to apply:https://forums.androidcentral.com/developer-beta-testing/
11. Bananatic
Banantic is another testing site that rewards you for testing online games.
Once you register, you can play free online games as a tester to earn rewards. You can also earn rewards by reviewing games. For every test and review, you earn “Bananas” which is their form of virtual currency. You can then exchange your bananas for real prizes such as games and prepaids, CSGO skins, steam wallets, amazon, paysafecards, etc.
- Where to apply:https://www.bananatic.com/
How to Find More Game Testing Jobs
The companies mentioned above aren’t the only game (pun intended) in town.
Remember we said most game companies don’t have a dedicated panel?
So how do they find testers for their games?
Ads on a job site!
When they need testers, they simply put ads on job search engines.
And that’s where you can find more legitimate game testing jobs.
All you have to do is g to your favorite job site and search for terms like:
- “game tester jobs near me”
- “game tester jobs at home”
- “game tester jobs no experience”
- “entry level game tester jobs”
- …
I found a few dozens of openings on some of the top job search sites.
Here are some of the available game tester jobs on:
- Indeed: Current companies hiring include Big Fish Games and Electronic Arts.
- ZipRecruiter: Current companies hiring include RockStar and Ubisoft.
- GlassDoor: Current companies hiring include Epic Games and Gearbox Software.
- CareerBuilder: Current companies hiring include Steam and Big Fish Games.
- Linkedin: Current companies hiring include Epic Games and RockStar.
In just a few minutes, I was able to find available testing jobs for some of the biggest game development companies like Big Fish Games, C2S Technologies, RockStar North and Blizzard.
If you’re serious about wanting to make money as a game tester, I’d definitely keep an eye on these sites.
Tips for success
Here are a few tips to help you get that dream job.
Location matters
Unfortunately, remote testing jobs are rare. Most companies require you to show up in their studio somewhere and play the game under controlled situations.
So, living in big cities, especially tech and software hubs, like San Francisco, is your best bet for landing a beta tester job.
Reports from Houston Chronicle suggest that major cities like Los Angeles, New York and Seattle offer maximum opportunities for working as a game tester.
Learn to speak the language
Game developers look for people who are passionate and talented about games.
You should get familiar with gaming terminology and trends.
If you are already an expert on certain types of games, try some new games.
It will be helpful for you to learn how to write a test report, be aware of the ongoing trends in the industry.
And if you ever find an internship opportunity for a gaming company, do not mess it up!
Experience matters
Some companies don’t require degrees or years of experience. You may be able to find entry level jobs.
That said, having a degree in software development, computer programming or graphic design is a great tool for landing, not just testing, but any other job in this industry.
Scam Alert: Game-Testers.net
Finding legitimate game testing jobs is kind of hard, which is why a lot of people fall for scams.
One of those is Game-Testers.net.
The site claims you can make $50 to $150 an hour playing games from anywhere.
But here is the catch…
You have to actually pay to join the site!
They charge something like $50 for the “membership fee!”
I mean, what legit company that is hiring people, charges you to work for them?
And you know what you get for it?
Nothing!
All you get is a guide on how to get started (just like what you’re reading now, for free!) and links to major game development companies like Microsoft and Activision.
So, please stay away from this one and others like it.
In general, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Resources
When researching for this post, I came across a lot of great resources that I think are very helpful for anyone interested in making money as a game tester.
Free Games For Money Online
Here are some of them:
- How to Get a Job as a Video Game Tester: A great guide by Volt that paints a realistic picture of this job and what you can expect.
- Inside the ‘dream job’ of a video game tester: A Business Insider’s interview with a someone who does this for a living.
Good Luck!
Have you ever been paid for testing video games?
Would you do it if you were offered a job?
And if you know of any other company that offers video game testing jobs, please leave a comment below.
If you are a user of Steam, then you probably know that it is one of the biggest online video game market places out there. However, you might not realize that there’s actually a way to put money into your Steam wallet funds without spending anything.
Keep reading to find out how to make money play games on Steam.
How to Earn Money on Steam Marketplace
Before getting started, it is important to note that there is no way to take the money you get on Steam out of your wallet fund. So, if you were planning on making a career out of the Steam market place, you might be out of luck.
However, there are other uses for the money you get. While you can’t take the money out of your wallet, you can still use it to buy video games or other things on the market place like trading cards or cosmetics. This is a good way to make your video game habit a lot more affordable with little effort.
By the way, if you also play games on Twitch, read this to learn how to make money streaming on Twitch.
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Here’s how you can make money on Steam.
1. Trade Your Cards
Most games on Steam have trading cards you can receive for playing them. You get one to three cards the first time you play a game after playing for two hours.
Most cards you get end up only being worth a few cents. However, you might get lucky and receive a foiled card that’s worth a couple of dollars. If you want to earn more cards, try using a site like Steam Idle Master.
Additionally, about every week you have a random chance of receiving a trading card Booster pack of three cards. You can either sell the pack as is, which is usually only worth about thirty cents or open the pack for the chance of getting foiled cards.
When you try to sell a card, you’ll notice a graph will appear that shows you how much the card was worth in the past.
Here are a few tips that apply generally to all cards:
- The newer the game is, the more the card will be worth
- Sell cards from new games as soon as possible
- When a card reaches a certain selling price, Steam will begin to take a small percentage
2. Sell Your Cosmetic Crates
Some games give away cosmetic crates that can be purchased with in-game currency or real money. If you get one of these crates, you should see if you can sell them for some decent cash.
Some games that let you do this are:
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive
- Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
- Payday 2
- Team Fortress 2
- Warframe
But, the two main games that people use to make money are Counter Strike and PUBG.
With Counter Strike, you can earn crates by:
- Playing the game every week
- Operations (seasonal DLC)
Games That I Can Make Money Off Of
Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds will let you get crates with battle points, which are earned whenever you kill other players and last long into the game. You can then sell the crates for twenty cents to a few dollars each.
3. Hold onto Pre-release Items
When a game is available for pre-order, you will sometimes be given an early-access cosmetic item. Hold onto that item instead of redeeming it and you might make a ton of money.
For instance, PUBG released a cosmetic set for everyone who pre-ordered PUBG. Right now, it sells for over $200.
This isn’t the only game that this happens too. A general rule is that if you think a game is going to be really popular, chances are their pre-order crates will also be just as popular.
4. Don’t Buy & Open Crates
You might consider trying to buy as many crates as possible and then opening for the small chance of getting a nice item. Ultimately, this is not worth the risk.
Most rare items have as low as 0.01% chance of appearing in a crate. So, you might have to spend thousands of dollars on thousands of crates just to get the item. It’s better to save up your money and just buy the rare item outright on the market place rather than spending all that money on what is basically gambling.
5. Sell a Video Game
There’s only one way to make real money on Steam which can be redeemed. Making a video game is a long process that requires a lot of skill in coding, writing, and art, but it can be worth the effort.
To put a game on the Steam store, you need to invest $100 for the Steam Direct Product Submission Fee. After that, you can start selling games you’ve made on Steam. Steam takes a 30% cut of all sales that you make. If you sell $1,000 worth of games, you’ll be refunded the $100 you paid originally.
It’s important to remember, however, that your game will need to be a decent quality to get good reviews and actually make sales. It also takes a lot longer to develop a game than to sell some trading cards.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, after reading this guide, you have a better picture of what it is like to earn money on Steam. It isn’t as easy as you think but it can help you save a few bucks on the next video game you buy.
Do you think it’s viable to sell Steam cards and cosmetic crates? Have you scored any major sale through the Steam platform? Let us and our readers know about your experiences below, as well as any tips you think can help others who may be trying to learn how to make money on the Steam platform.