Have you ever played with the idea of how you could earn money playing games? We’re not talking about gambling. There are online games and some game machines in convenience stores and gas stations that can be played for money, but no one with half a brain would think of playing these games for a living. You’d end up in the poorhouse very quickly. Actually what we’re referring to is to make money playing video games for the game developers, to see if the games working properly. In other words, have you ever played with the idea of becoming a professional game tester? Growth in the video game development industry has been phenomenal since its inception. At the present time, sales probably exceed $50 million dollars annually. Gaming products have to be top rate to keep this market growing, and an important component in ensuring that the games remain top quality is game testing. Many experienced gamers have found lucrative careers, and managed to earn money for playing games, testing them, looking for bugs, and reporting the problems to the game programmers. If you’re interested the following steps may help you to realize that ambition. Step 1.  List the games that you really enjoy playing. The game development companies don’t want to train testers. They want experienced gamers who are expert at game types like FPS and RPG. They’re interested in those who can maneuver through the game at all levels and find bugs or malfunctions. If you want to play video games for money, you have to know games inside and out. Step 2.  Send a letter and resume to these game developers. Call, if possible, and speak to a human resources person about what’s available. Game developers usually don’t have to advertise for game testers, there are so many who have placed their name on the game company’s availability list. Step 3.  If you’re lucky enough to land one of these sought after positions, you’ll find that the work required to make money playing video games requires spending many long hours playing games; maybe the same game over and over and over again. Step 4.  Once you had your start in the business and you learn to know the ropes, you’ll realize what a great career game testing can be. You’ll learn that even though it is serious busy work, it is a job in which you can enjoy yourself. Why not spend one third of your life working at something that you love doing? After you’ve gained some experience in how to make money playing video games, you’ll have learned new skills through your testing efforts. You’ll learn what makes games exciting and what gamers find frustrating. You can use these newly developed skills to increase your income. Include game programmers and other testers in your professional network. You can provide them with practical knowledge about playing the games that they, as programmers, may not have the opportunity to experience. They’re busy with coding small program features at a time. You’re experiencing the entire package. When you first start out, however, it’s important that you get up to speed as soon as possible. There is a software application that can help you with the strategies and tactics of game testing. It’s called Gamer Testing Ground. Through this program, you’ll gain access to unreleased game titles and information on the extensive list of game assignments. Let’s face it, getting copies of new games is a real bonus for game testers. The inside dope that you can get from this program is invaluable, impossible to get by yourself without a great deal of experience in the industry. Make sure you check this out if your career goal is to earn money playing games.