Sony Computer Entertainment of America is putting together what should be, God willing (pro-tip: there is no God) the final nail in the reality show coffin, one that is designed to appeal to video game players. It’s called The Tester and it pits 11 contestants against each other, in what promises to be “a series of physical and mental challenges” for… what exactly is the grand prize here? To be a video game tester! A dream come true for any gaming geek, right? Ummm.
Not to belittle the role of a game tester, which is absolutely essential to the process of producing a game, especially in this day and age in which they have grown to such an immense scope that so many more things can go wrong than ever before, but it’s hardly a glamorous job, let alone one that has a long list of qualifications. The role of game tester is, for all intents and purposes, an entry-level position. And I know the title seems far sexier than being the mail guy, but just barely. Though the most important thing to note is that the days of starting out at a game company as a game tester and then designing the games, which used to happen, is somewhat long gone, at least in big companies like Sony or EA, where there are so many roles, and each is so specialized.
Easily the most curious aspect are the contestants themselves, which is quite the diverse pool, consisting of a waiter, a theater guy, a cheerleading coach, a fireman, and even a used car salesman. The age range is also pretty wide, from 22 to 36, and covers both genders fairly equally; traditionally, game testers are young dudes, fresh out of college or perhaps still in high school. Though if I was a 26 year old that pushed clunkers in the middle of nowhere, a game testing job, plus the somewhat paltry bonus cash prize of $5,000, would seem like heaven on a plate.
Be sure to watch everyone’s audition tapes to get a taste of their personalities. Or not. At best, some of them seem fairly pleasant and normal, and at worst, a few seem to be fairly annoying, but no one is a total train wreck, which for a reality show is actually a very bad thing. I was sorta hoping “Star,” the self-professed professional gamer would be more of a spectacle, but she’s not.
We also don’t know what these aforementioned challenges are going to be. Is it going to be something akin to the old Nickelodeon video game show Nick Arcade (God I miss that program, or at least its reruns) or something similar to Survivor, or The Apprentice? Are they all going to live together? Are some of them going to hook up? Will a few trying to beat the crap out of each other for real? Who the hell knows? Though $20 says that PlayStation Home will be utilized somehow. Via GameSetWatch.