Sony is going the way of American Idol and other reality series. Coming in February is the PlayStation exclusive series, The Tester. 11 gamers will put their gaming knowledge and skills to the test where the winner will be awarded one of the most sought after jobs in the gaming industry, a game tester at SCEA and also a $5,000 signing bonus. Not a bad gig. The series will be available only on the PlayStation Network for the PS3 and PSP systems, in a move by Sony to bring exclusive content to it's customers.

Sony teamed up with 51 Minds, the production company behind some of the most popular reality series of all time including The Surreal Life, Rock of Love, and For the Love of Ray J. The series will be 8 episodes long as the contestants will be put through conditioning to test their dexterity, communication skills and mental prowess. Each episode will feature an elimination and I'm guessing that like other reality series, friendships will be made and strained under the intense pressure. For such a sought after position, my thoughts are the backstabbing will not only be fun to watch, but there will be plenty of it. Cast members range in age from 22 to 36 and come from all of the country.

"Connecting PS3 and PSP owners to great entertainment options and original digital content experiences such as Flower™, flOw and Fat Princess has always been a cornerstone of our vision for PlayStation Network," said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing and PlayStation Network. "With the addition of the original series, The Tester, we further establish PlayStation Network as the preeminent destination for digital entertainment in the living room or in the palm of your hand."

The Tester will be hosted by Meredith Molinari, who hosts various online music shows. Judges will be actor/comedian and die-hard gamer Hal Sparks and Brent Gocke, Release Manager, First Party QA at Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). There will also be various celebrity judges from within the gaming community every week. The episodes will be available as a free download each Thursday from February 18 through April 8 on the PlayStation Network. Check out the official trailer below.