Let the World Be Your Beta-Tester

Training Team Orientation

BeeTa Labs Inc. Strategic verification of amusement characteristics since 2014

Goal

“BeeTa Labs works to simplify the synergy between strategic verification of amusement characteristics and entertainment elements.”

- Davin Risk, CEO BeeTa Labs

The Problem with Testing

Game Developers

The Problem Of Game Developers

“If we could remove the game developer from the amusement formulation process, we could streamline, synergize and make more efficient the evaluation process.”- Martha-Anne Winters, CAEO BeeTa Labs

Response?

“I don’t need to test, my game is perfect.”

- John Westonfieldmire, CEO, Designer, Programmer, Lead Artist

myappisfreakingamazeballs.com

At BeeTa Labs,

we are the best beta beaters.

Basic BeeTa Testing Process

Unit Testing

Alpha Testing

Beta Testing

Release

Beta Testing

“A test of product performed by real users in real environments.” - Centercode.com

“An evaluation of commodity implemented by actual individuals in authentic encompassments the BeeTa way.”

- Davin Risk, CEO

Beta testing is:

After internal testing

Includes prospective customers

Creates buzz for game

Brings up problems

from a player perspective

Part of your testing. so must be

managed

Beta Testing Process

Project Planning

Participant Recruiting

Product Distribution

Internal and External TestingCollecting Feedback

Evaluate Feedback

Conclusion

The Move from External to Internal

Converting what was said you need to do to what you need to do.

Tracking Software

• Bugzilla• Mantis• Trac

• BeeTa Bug Board 2.0

How Long Should a Beta Test Last?

The BeeTa Beta Timeline Evaluator

3-5 games

Time for reflection

Recruitment

• What do you want• Do not take everyone• Incentives

– Fans– Mr. Free Stuff– Active social folks

• Avoid– Employees– Friends– Family

Testing Recruit Requirements

• What is required?• What is expected?• What you are testing?

– Main game– Expansion– Game design

• Incentives and mystery• Legal stuff

The Legal Stuff

• Non Disclousure – Your original content– Your game mechanics– The beta-testing process itself– Any forms or communications

Feedback

Make it as easy as possible for user-enabled feedback data collection.

We use - BeeTa Beta Bees

Feedback

• Email• Forums• Locked Forums• Google Docs• Alternative Testing

Alternative Testing

• Unpub• Conferences

Game Developer Feedback

• “The art sucks.”• “It’s not fun.”• “The game is too hard.”• “This is exactly like GameX.”• “It was ok.”

BeeTa Labs Feedback

• “The art is cartoony on the box and realistic on the cards. This leads to confusion of the tone of the game. “

• “The rules are not easy to understand and there is too much dependency on luck for my tastes.”

• “The controls are difficult to get use to and counter-intuitive to games like this.”

• “The quest where you collect chickens for the old man is too much like a quest in GameX.”

• “This part of the game was easy to understand and did not cause any disruption in gameplay.”

Communication During Beta

• Developer chats• Forums

– Secure and public

• Change logs

Common Mistakes by Other Labs

• Big start little finish• Going to beta too early• Too short or too long• Difficult feedback mechanism• Ignoring feedback

Your Workday Starts Now…

• Our new Two Kings product • Role Play as Three BeeTa Beta Bees• Provide poor feedback example• Provide a good feedback example

Questions

• What do you think of the game art?• Did you find the rules easy to follow?• Is the queen character overpowered?• How can we add a third person to the

game?• Should we include a co-op mode?