1. Work in a Video Game Store. Working at video game store or rental place – either permanently or temporarily – has got to be a teen gamers dream. In a single place, employees have access to the first games and game systems hot off the market and they are privy to peek inside magazines hot off the press before anyone else. If that wasn’t enough, gaming clerks get a discount on what would otherwise be tooPricey(games, game systems, and game accessories) to even think about buying. Sweet!

2. Working as a Game Tester. Before a game hits the market, it has to go through extensive testing and if you think the programmers behind the game test their own material, think again. The gaming industry is extremely sensitive about what it puts out into the public. In an effort to remain competitive, it must maketotallysure that the games it produces work as intended. This is where testers enter the picture. But it is not easy to become a game tester. Becoming a game tester requires a Littleinside help but once you’re in there, you’ll not only have access to games that no one else knows about, you will also have anchance to shape the game into an experience that you and your comrades prefer.

3. Working as a Game Designer. Do you have good artistic skills? Can you whip out a character faster than you can say, “I drew that”? If so, you may be able to get a career designing video games. Today’s video games exude some of the most beautiful graphics ever seen and if you’ve a good imagination, are able to use some of the most advanced graphics software programs available, and can follow instructions, you could see your own artwork in the next popular video game.

4. Working as a Game Critic. The gaming industry is always looking for good content and if you have a flair for writing combined with a love for games, you could write for game magazines like Game Informer or you could write content for a highly popular gaming website.

5. Working as a Game Programmer. Not a career for everyone, a good game programmer is always in demand. As player preferences change and new technology is developed, someone with the right programming skills has to be there to fill the gap between what players want, and what the gaming industry can supply. Becoming a game programmer requires extensive training in several different development languages – so if you do not have a clue as to what we just said, skip this profession and look into some of the others.

Even with today’s recession, the video game industry is still going strong.  Eventually, you will needto take into account post high school education in order to get a high paying video game career. That said, the above tips will put you head and shoulders above everyone else, making your skills and knowledge highly prized by potential video game developers.

Video games and Gaming systems

For parents with teens, you will no doubt have a heck of a time telling your children that they won’t get a Gaming System this year, but fortunately, you can set aside that bad news. The cost of buying quality computeror video games does not have to be expensive. In fact, you can save a lot of money if you know where and how to look for your teens gaming system.

The most obvious choice when deciding to purchase a gaming system is to ‘buy used’, meaning that you are still purchasing the gaming system that your children want, the only difference is that it will have been used. Some company’s call these resale systems, Refurbished, and you can often find a refurbished box at many gaming stores. Often, refurbished gaming systems are bran new, and were most likely used a couple of times, if at all, and then returned to the store. Alternatively, you can also pick up some great deals on gaming systems on eBay, but be warned, buy only from reputable sellers, and ask about shipping insurance. There’s nothing more frustrating than receiving a gaming system that is either broken, or missing accessories. An substitute to purchasing on eBay is to purchase at a game reseller, these game resellers are usually located in strip malls and basically buy games and systems from a seller (Who are often just people like you or me looking for quick case), and mark-up the price to make a profit. The great thing about these shops is that you know the condition of the product before purchase.

Another substitute to paying large bucks for a gaming system, is to buy an older gaming system instead. This may not go over well with your teens, but for the younger kids, a PlayStation 2 or  Super-Nintendo will do just fine. You can usually purchase these for amazingly low prices, but unfortunately, you may have trouble finding Super Nintendo gaming systems new, you may need to visit a gaming reseller, but PlayStation 2 are still available and worth every penny. Let’s face it, unless you are a millionaire, none of us can afford to purchase the latest toy on the market, just purchase the children an older system and they will be just as entertained with it as with the latest gaming system.

Another substitute to gaming systems, and one that many people have turned to is to use yourpersonal to play games. Please note that not just anypersonal will do, and you need a fairly good Gaming Graphics Card to make PC Gaming worthwhile. The good news about PC gaming is that you can often play game demos, meaning that you can try the game first and if you do not like it, you don’t lose any money. There are also many free games on the Internet that you can play, but be warned that your game is not pirated. When it comes to computergaming, you could also come outsuperior by upgrading games rather then an entire computer. It can take anywhere from a year or more for a gaming company to release a new version and chances are, the upgrade doesn’t require new hardware – it just requires a new payment.  For PC gaming, make sure that you have a good audio card and joystick as well because playing on the keyboard is not as fun as playing with a controller.  Shop wisely and you can catch a new soundcard, joystick, or graphics card on sale, and don’t often cost very much.

That is it in a nutshell, Video Gaming can be inexpensive if you know how to go about it. In fact, the cost of buying video games is negligible whenyou take into account the hours of enjoyment your kids will get from it.