Getting Out Of Debt

Are you one of the many gamers out there asking: how do i become a xbox beta tester? Yes? Then you're in luck, as you're about to discover the 4 simple steps that could have you testing video games on the xbox 360 by the end of this week!

Step 1: Be Serious

If you just want to test video games on the weekends for a little extra cash, game testing probably isn't going to work out for you. Although possible, being a "hobby" game tester isn't usually all that successful. Why not? Because of the "part time" limitation that you've set for yourself.

Being unavailable to test games is a huge drawback when it comes to game testing. If you're not available when a company first needs you, then you're not available at all -- it's as simple as that. In light of that unfortunate fact, be ready and willing WHENEVER a developer or gaming company beckons you. As a new xbox beta tester, you can't afford to be picky, lazy, or busy.

Step 2: Get Your Head Out Of The Paper

Stop looking in the paper for xbox game tester jobs; you won't find them. The nation wide "game tester" pool is plentiful, meaning game developers have no need to advertise their need for game testers -- the testers come to them. That being said, throw away that newspaper and start heading straight to the companies.

Send in your resume/application via e-mail, snail mail, fax, telegram, you name it; just make sure it gets to the game developer. The more gaming companies that have your resume/application, the better your chances are of getting that "You've Just Been Hired!" phone call.

Step 3: Offer to Test for Free

You might not think it to be a good idea, but free video game testing is an effective way to meet the right people; not to mention build up a collection of references.

Developers and gaming companies hate to spend more on a games creation than absolutely necessary. That means if they can save a few bucks by getting a couple of testers to test their game for free, they're going to jump on the offer in a heartbeat. By testing a game free of charge for a company one week, you might just find that you're a paid employee of that game company the next.

Step 4: Learn From The Masters

Learning how to become a successful video game tester all on your own can be tough; especially when you don't have a clue about where to start. For that reason, most aspiring young xbox game testers use the website http://Gamer-Testing-Ground.com to help themselves find high-paying testing jobs. Not only does the website teach gamers how to be better testers, but it also tells them which gaming companies are currently hiring and how to get in touch with those companies! It truly is the best resource for video game testers everywhere.

AP - It was a mere fleeting image amid all the others that were beamed into our living rooms on that momentous election night: 7-year-old Sasha Obama in her black party dress, bounding gleefully up into her father's arms, each in turn planting a happy kiss on the other's cheek.

It's a popularity contest.

Solitaire is hip, cool, and way more popular than Half Life 2. Don't believe me right? Well, the numbers don't lie. According to two of the biggest search tracking tools on the web (Wordtracker and Overture) more people are looking to play Solitaire then Half Life 2. Almost twice as many. Wordtracker says that every day 5,031 people searched for Solitaire, while only 3,610 looked for Half Life 2. Overture says 3,095 searched for Solitaire, while only 1,180 searched for Half Life 2. And these days, Half Life 2 is in its prime. It's having its 15 minutes of fame. Within 6 more months, when all the buzz has worn down, Half Lifes numbers will drop. After those same 6 months, Solitaire will be just as popular as ever. It's a classic; it never goes out of style. It's retro, old school, and bleeding edge all at the same time.

Save your money.

Ya gotta read the fine print folks. Flip that pretty shrink-wrapped box of Half Life 2 over, and take a peek at the little letters. You know, the ones with all the tech speak, that only the 14 year old in the family understands. Don't bother trying to read it; I'll translate for ya. It says, "Not only will you have to shell out 59.95 for this glitzy box in your hands, but prepare to cough up another $150-$ $200 (plus installation) to upgrade that pathetic outdated machine you have at home". Yea right. Is there a big "L" burned into my forehead? I'm willing to bet however, that if you can read this article, your PC has all the juice it needs to run the biggest baddest version of Solitaire ever created.

You'll never be bored.

If your looking to expand your Solitaire experience head on over to your favorite search engine, type in Solitaire, and hit enter. Google finds about 6.8 million sites. Pick one, and have a blast. I'm sure you can find one that's way cooler than the one that came with your windows machine. Now, how many variations of Half Life 2 are there to choose from? Umm I believe the title suggests there are 2. Not much choice there.

You don't have to train with the circus contortionist.

You'll really need to get your fingers limbered and loose for all the crazy keyboard commands, combinations, and permutations you'll need to master for Half Life 2. The original Half Life had 49 different keyboard / mouse control combinations to play the game. I suspect that version 2 has even more. Last time I checked, the version of Solitaire installed with Windows, only needed 2. Point . . . and . . . click. Once again, if you're reading this article (and obviously you are), I think you've got all the training you need for Solitaire. Ever seen a deck of playing cards before? Ok then, your trained!

Slingo, Platypus, Breakout, Tetris, Zuma, Magic Vines, etc, etc, etc.

If Solitaire doesn't get you all worked up, then look around a little. Don't just settle for the latest hype from todays headlines. There are thousands of fun, easy to learn game gems out there, just waiting to be discovered by someone like you. They never get old, theyre always fun. Plus, you can download them right now, and be playing in minutes. They're great games, they don't need to be hyped. So, what are you waiting for, stop reading, come on in, and play play play!

About the author:
Chris Campbell is secretly envious of everyone with a PC good enough to play Half Life 2. When not writing articles praising the glory of independent games and their developers, he dreams of the day when everyone searching the web for "solitaire" ends up visiting his website: http://www.SunAndGames.com Then maybe he'll be able upgrade his PC, and finally play Half Life 2.

Politico - Among the senior jobs the president-elect must fill, no position looms larger than that of Secretary of State.

If you are one among the ordinary gamers, you probably do not want hundreds of copies of the latest big hit among the wide selection of video games. However, if you have a video game business, this will surely be on your priority list. Video games wholesalers are the best options in that case that can provide you with thousands copies of the same game and probably at a fraction of their original prices, you just need to have a little patience. Though even budget-conscious gamer must also be aware of such wholesalers of video games. Wholesalers normally purchase the aging game supply from stores where gamers usually visit to purchase their entertainment.

Some of the small wholesalers purchase in bulk and resell it further for lucrative deals at eBay, Amazon.com and Half.com. It is common to find unethical sellers, so if you want to purchase video games via wholesaler or auction, it would be better to check out the seller thoroughly and scrutinize well his/her reviews and ratings. GoGamers and Overstock sell the latest games, but their seasonal specials featuring their mailing list on the older games are available at surprisingly low prices. This is what Overstock has been known for, for providing discontinued products at discounted prices to the public. So, wholesale video games are not simply to stock them in warehouses. Being aware of your surroundings for wholesale opportunities might prove to be of great help as you may be able to strike a good deal on the game that is very spicy to keep your gaming nights warm.

Speed is very important when you are a video game wholesaler. If you are willing to sell any of the game, do it right them rather than waiting for the most lucrative deal and rejecting the less profitable ones. Always remember that the value of the game decreases as the popularity of their title decreases. It is also advisable not to list your game at various places immediately as this may lead embarrassing and ugly situations. Instead of listing your games online, it would be a good idea to ask your friends who love or deal in video games if they want to purchase your game. This is a faster and easier method as compared to listing them on the Internet. As a wholesaler of video games, you may also participate in good forums of video games, search for or ask for "Buy, Trade, Sell" thread. This will help you to interchange games among other buddies at the forum and thereby reach a lot of gamers without any charge. Make sure to read trading rules as the transactions take place among gamers only without intervention from any third party. Here generally, you can crack a good deal for your games, as all gamers are aware of their business.

If nothing works, you can trade-in used games at any online source or local retailer. Small cash compensation or simply little store credit is better than dusting games on shelf. Bre-games are among the best trade-in web sources and must be given a try.

Find out more about where to buy wholesale video games and video game wholesalers at: http://www.wholesale-videogames.net/

Reuters - Oil prices tumbled 6 percent on Thursday on expectations that demand would slow further after the International Monetary Fund predicted developed economies would deliver their worst performance since World War II.