This is Joel Marcantel. His job is more fun and emotionally fulfilling than yours will probably ever be. He is a game tester for THQ, and has been for the past few months. In an effort to find out more about this dream job, I interviewed him.

Hit the jump to find out:

• How to become a game tester.

• What the job entails.

• Why chicks dig men who get paid to play games.

I work for THQ Inc. as a playtester. Technically I'm employed through a temp agency called the Acro Service Corporation, but for all practical purposes I'm a THQ employee.  

If you're still around after a year as a temp, they'll take you on as an official employee depending on their needs. Because THQ just opened a new office in Phoenix, the odds are looking pretty good right now.

There's no specific title per se: we're simply in the Quality Assurance department and call each other "testers".

I heard about the job through my career advisor at the Art Institute of Phoenix.  If your advisor has a mailing list, get on it. They provide you with useful updates about jobs around the country.  When possible, visit your career advisor personally so they get to know your interests and skills.

I was able to get this job because my advisor knew I wanted to join THQ and got me a last-minute spot on their interview day. I asked my instructors and contacts advice about the interview process and followed it. Remember what they say about first impressions?  

In the games industry, showing up to an interview dressed in a suit and tie isn't a great idea. Walk in wearing something business casual; you want your interviewer to know that you'll be comfortable in a more relaxed environment.

Versatility, creativity, and a burning passion to play games.  It's easy to hire someone who can just run through a level, but if you're being hired as a playtester they want someone who can push a game past its breaking point. Finding interesting and new ways to test the game will get their attention.

For instance, one of the questions was "What would you do if you've found most of the major bugs and haven't received a new build of the game in a couple of weeks?"

Simply saying "Play through the game a couple more times" isn't going to give them any real incentive to hire you. Let them know that you're aware of the factors involved in games and how you would exploit them, and even make references to other games you've played. 

If there doesn't seem to be a bug in your assigned level, see if you can wall-jump to the highest piece of geometry, start raining fireballs at every rock and tree below you, and then skydive and try to hit a passing NPC. You don't have to be completely silly about it, but they'll remember you if you give them an answer that's different from everyone else's.

Know your favorite game and why it's your favorite, because they'll ask.  The ability to analyze a game's structure and what makes it tick are both essential skills when the solutions to less obvious bugs are lurking in the shadows.

Punch in, sit down and play an assigned game, take an hour of lunchtime (relax by playing games), play the assigned game again, and punch out.

Teams are divided up and put under Test Leads, and it's the Leads who determine exactly who will be doing what. Most of the time we're just allowed to run through the game causing as much mayhem as possible, but sometimes someone is assigned to test a particular level, area, or gameplay function.

The most important part of this job isn't necessarily the ability to find bugs, but to reproduce them. If a bug occurs, testers must backtrack every step they've taken, and then try to narrow it down to only the essential things needed to trigger the bug.  Problem-solving and deduction abilities are crucial to being able to quickly route out a bug and get on to the next.

This is a job for people who absolutely love videogames. You have to if you're going to last for more than six months playing the same game over and over again.   The programmers and designers will change things between builds, but it basically remains the same levels, same plot, etc. You may get juggled between a couple of titles depending on where they need you, but you'll usually end up coming back around to the same game.

One of my friends just got through a weekend of testing a game that's entered crunch-mode. He put in 12 hours a day for three days straight, and it looks like there's plenty more to come. He's tired of playing the same levels over and over, but for right now he just has to deal: it's part of the job.

The trick is to find new ways to approach the game, or you'll get bored out of your skull. I think that so long as I can keep this in mind, I'll be just fine.

Ah…here's a prickly question.  While anyone who knows their stuff will tell you that getting your foot in the door, any door, of the industry is important, playtesting is no longer the golden gateway it once was. Companies grow and acquire each other, studios become compartmentalized, and sections are kept separated for efficiency reasons. Long story short: you probably won't be having lunch with game artists if you're a tester.

The job looks great on your resume because it shows that you have experience with game design and can work in a team, but it will still be up to you to take initiative and keep sending off your resume and portfolio to potential employers.

Be creative, be outgoing, and sharpen your writing skills. Love games, love playing games, love being around people who play games, and keep up on your personal hygiene. Seriously: 180 nerds on one floor can get the place smelling mighty ripe.

You wouldn't want to plan a family around it, but right now this weekly paycheck seems mighty chunky. If you're splitting an apartment with someone, you'll be able to live just fine.

Just look at my job description.  I play videogames for a living. I'm surrounded by a crowd who loves videogames as much as I do, and at lunch time we duke it out on Guitar Hero or Super Smash Brothers. 

The community is really great. Oh, and not having to deal with irate customers because their DVDs are scratched.  Big plus. (Joel's last job was at Blockbuster Video. -Rev)

DESTRUCTOID: Worst?

Tracking a single bug for six hours. Sometimes you'll want to give up, but you'll just have to soldier through.