Hey all! I have a quick question

[LBarcelo]

Hey I'm Luke and im 19 years old and I live in Las Vegas NV I am a gamer at heart which leads me to my question, I would like to be a video game tester is it a must that you live next to the corporate offices to do so? any information on where I can start or meet a contact who can help me I would appreciate that very much. Any information on this please email me at LBarcelo101@gmail.com

[GamesLaw]

Hey I'm Luke and im 19 years old and I live in Las Vegas NV I am a gamer at heart which leads me to my question, I would like to be a video game tester is it a must that you live next to the corporate offices to do so? any information on where I can start or meet a contact who can help me I would appreciate that very much. Any information on this please email me at LBarcelo101@gmail.com

At this point, most full time tester jobs require you to move to where the company's studio is located. A good many of those are in Seattle, and there are of course plenty all over California, especially in the valley.

Check the job boards at gamasutra.com or gamejobs.com and sometimes there are listings there.

It's kind of hard to break into the industry though, unless you truly dedicate yourself to it. Writing for a game magazine helps, but most require a college degree in a relevant field. Working for corporate helps also, but requires a degree and often experience, depending on the job (i.e. computer science + a portfolio for a programmer, marketing + a few years work experience for PR, etc.)

It's one of these things where unless you consciously make a decision to dedicate your life to the industry it is quite difficult to get in. It's not a decision I was ready to make at 19, I'll say that much. You might want to figure out a little more about what it is exactly you want to do in the industry (testers don't usually get paid a lot) and then go to college for that field, and then try again.