board of advisor ron packard jr – tells us about his new game & how he use beta testing. | the...
TRANSCRIPT
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 1 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The$Beta$Family$BlogEverything+you+need+to+know+about+testing+appsBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells usabout his new game amp how he use betatesting
I asked our board of advisor Ron Packard Jr from Cloudburst games if he couldtell us how he started with app development and how he uses beta testing forhis products He was kind enough to give us information about his soon to bereleased puzzle game Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD so keep reading to learnfrom this successful Animation producer
Ron Packard Jr was born in California USA His inter-est in playing computer games developed early and hewas encouraged by his parents to make his own gamesin his youth That proved to be a great idea as he isnow a studio producer leading a team of fifteen 3D ani-mators and programmers working with mobile appdevelopment creating amazing games His apps haveover six million downloads and are at the top of thecharts in several countries all over the world
Hi Ron Thanks for doing this interview Tell us aboutyour company and what you are doing
Cloudburst Games is a mobile content development studio in transition from making
talking apps to creating beautiful photo-realistic ldquoroom escaperdquo puzzles for adults
Our current games have had over seven million downloads and two hundred million
010LikeLike 34 5
Join thousands of Subscribers Who Get Our Newsletter
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 2 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
play sessions worldwide The new room escape genre app wersquore preparing to roll out
ndash Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a very exciting project which our beta-users seem
to be enjoying
httpwwwcloudburstgamesco
Here are a couple of quotes from our beta testers to provide examples of the kind of
response Castle Breakout is receiving
ldquoThe game overall is beautifully well done with just enough difficulty crafted
into it to keep you interested but not enough to make you quit A perfect bal-
ancerdquo
ldquoOverall this is a very polished game and one of my favorite puzzle games Irsquove
played in some timerdquo
We believe the feedback wersquove had so far for this game points us to the potential for
huge success The beta testers arenrsquot paid and have no incentive to tell us anything
but the unvarnished truth
One beta tester became a super fan and freely offered us the following image show-
ing an iPad 6rdquo iPhone Macbook and 2nd computer screen all working at once for
the game We have placed this image on our ldquofan artrdquo blog thatrsquos attached to our
website
Httpwwwcastlebreakoutgamecom
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 3 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How come you started with app development
Cloudburst Games started in 2010 doing talking apps I chose app development be-
cause in high school I was an avid hobbyist programmer and I made a few games
that were quite popular in college
We werenrsquot always so successful When the ldquotalking app genrerdquo was yet in its nascent
stages I believed it had great potential because it had a high barrier to entry for pro-
grammers because of its complexity yet easy enough for me to do My wife and I had
a young daughter at the time and I figured that making a girl talking app would be
fun ndash and thus was born the Talking Nicky series Yet my faith in its potential wasnrsquot
proven to be true as it was never a big money-maker
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 4 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How long do you stick with an idea for an app before giving up
As I said the Talking Nicky series didnrsquot make much money At the same time I be-
gan Outfit7 did their Talking Tom Cat which was wildly successful So after about
five or six Talking Nickyrsquos about a year later I switched to animals Irsquove always loved
comedy and animals so switching was appealing to me I hired a comedian anima-
tion director who came up with the funny ideas for the Talking Duke Dog
Sure enough we did quite a bit better with Talking Duke Dog and we did a Talking
Duke Dog 2 which did even better We didnrsquot do nearly as well as Outfit7 and on
hindsight perhaps we could have done much better with a publisher But we did gain
seven million downloads and a hefty chunk of our needed monthly salary
In my ldquofocus grouprdquo for Talking Duke Dog I had a few real kids at my house and they
unanimously said it needed a game Unfortunately after three years I wasnrsquot able to
get the money to add a game And thatrsquos the point we decided to finally leave the
Talking App genre In fact Irsquove sold my talking apps to a kind man who wishes to
continue with them
After about two to three years Outfit7 took the animal characters very very far in
the genre It took me until recently to discover that the reason I didnrsquot feel like com-
mitting and following them that far was because I didnrsquot play with dolls or action fig-
ures nearly enough as a child Those were not my favorite toys by far I feel that the
genre now belongs to those who loved their dolls and action figures when they were
kids
What I recently discovered is that you need to be true to your sixteen year old self
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 5 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
When I was sixteen I built a mad puzzle on the computer So Irsquom now doing a puzzle
on the Mac iOS and Android and Irsquom excelling a little beyond belief
Do you prototype
Irsquove got a collection of contractors who are also avid game players so we are general-
ly very confident in our ideas So no we donrsquot prototype
Do you test your ideas on people
No we donrsquot except internally Rather I make sure we have enough creative perspec-
tives in our own group and listen and discuss opposing and contrasting ideas within
our group
What motivates you And what are your goals
My goals are to conquer the top of the Puzzle category within five years They say
yoursquove got to go big or go home well I think thatrsquos true Our vision is to give casual
gamers who just want a challenging puzzle experience whenever they have spare
time something theyrsquove never experienced before I want them to feel challenged but
not overwhelmed and enthralled with the graphics and storyline We believe this is
a formula for substantial success in the ldquoescape game genrerdquo
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful app developer
Irsquom not sure I can speak for every developer because so many people can leverage
their unique skill sets in ways that I canrsquot imagine I think the important thing is to
know yourself and know what your own unique skills are and how to properly lever-
age them
A great source of inspiration is the ldquoGallup Poll StrengthsFinderrdquo which gives you a
set of 34 personality results from strongest to weakest and also the ldquoGallup Poll En-
trepreneur Profilerdquo which gives you your ten highest strengths
My top StrengthFinder strength is strategy and my highest Entrepreneur strength is
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 2 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
play sessions worldwide The new room escape genre app wersquore preparing to roll out
ndash Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a very exciting project which our beta-users seem
to be enjoying
httpwwwcloudburstgamesco
Here are a couple of quotes from our beta testers to provide examples of the kind of
response Castle Breakout is receiving
ldquoThe game overall is beautifully well done with just enough difficulty crafted
into it to keep you interested but not enough to make you quit A perfect bal-
ancerdquo
ldquoOverall this is a very polished game and one of my favorite puzzle games Irsquove
played in some timerdquo
We believe the feedback wersquove had so far for this game points us to the potential for
huge success The beta testers arenrsquot paid and have no incentive to tell us anything
but the unvarnished truth
One beta tester became a super fan and freely offered us the following image show-
ing an iPad 6rdquo iPhone Macbook and 2nd computer screen all working at once for
the game We have placed this image on our ldquofan artrdquo blog thatrsquos attached to our
website
Httpwwwcastlebreakoutgamecom
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 3 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How come you started with app development
Cloudburst Games started in 2010 doing talking apps I chose app development be-
cause in high school I was an avid hobbyist programmer and I made a few games
that were quite popular in college
We werenrsquot always so successful When the ldquotalking app genrerdquo was yet in its nascent
stages I believed it had great potential because it had a high barrier to entry for pro-
grammers because of its complexity yet easy enough for me to do My wife and I had
a young daughter at the time and I figured that making a girl talking app would be
fun ndash and thus was born the Talking Nicky series Yet my faith in its potential wasnrsquot
proven to be true as it was never a big money-maker
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 4 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How long do you stick with an idea for an app before giving up
As I said the Talking Nicky series didnrsquot make much money At the same time I be-
gan Outfit7 did their Talking Tom Cat which was wildly successful So after about
five or six Talking Nickyrsquos about a year later I switched to animals Irsquove always loved
comedy and animals so switching was appealing to me I hired a comedian anima-
tion director who came up with the funny ideas for the Talking Duke Dog
Sure enough we did quite a bit better with Talking Duke Dog and we did a Talking
Duke Dog 2 which did even better We didnrsquot do nearly as well as Outfit7 and on
hindsight perhaps we could have done much better with a publisher But we did gain
seven million downloads and a hefty chunk of our needed monthly salary
In my ldquofocus grouprdquo for Talking Duke Dog I had a few real kids at my house and they
unanimously said it needed a game Unfortunately after three years I wasnrsquot able to
get the money to add a game And thatrsquos the point we decided to finally leave the
Talking App genre In fact Irsquove sold my talking apps to a kind man who wishes to
continue with them
After about two to three years Outfit7 took the animal characters very very far in
the genre It took me until recently to discover that the reason I didnrsquot feel like com-
mitting and following them that far was because I didnrsquot play with dolls or action fig-
ures nearly enough as a child Those were not my favorite toys by far I feel that the
genre now belongs to those who loved their dolls and action figures when they were
kids
What I recently discovered is that you need to be true to your sixteen year old self
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 5 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
When I was sixteen I built a mad puzzle on the computer So Irsquom now doing a puzzle
on the Mac iOS and Android and Irsquom excelling a little beyond belief
Do you prototype
Irsquove got a collection of contractors who are also avid game players so we are general-
ly very confident in our ideas So no we donrsquot prototype
Do you test your ideas on people
No we donrsquot except internally Rather I make sure we have enough creative perspec-
tives in our own group and listen and discuss opposing and contrasting ideas within
our group
What motivates you And what are your goals
My goals are to conquer the top of the Puzzle category within five years They say
yoursquove got to go big or go home well I think thatrsquos true Our vision is to give casual
gamers who just want a challenging puzzle experience whenever they have spare
time something theyrsquove never experienced before I want them to feel challenged but
not overwhelmed and enthralled with the graphics and storyline We believe this is
a formula for substantial success in the ldquoescape game genrerdquo
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful app developer
Irsquom not sure I can speak for every developer because so many people can leverage
their unique skill sets in ways that I canrsquot imagine I think the important thing is to
know yourself and know what your own unique skills are and how to properly lever-
age them
A great source of inspiration is the ldquoGallup Poll StrengthsFinderrdquo which gives you a
set of 34 personality results from strongest to weakest and also the ldquoGallup Poll En-
trepreneur Profilerdquo which gives you your ten highest strengths
My top StrengthFinder strength is strategy and my highest Entrepreneur strength is
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 3 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How come you started with app development
Cloudburst Games started in 2010 doing talking apps I chose app development be-
cause in high school I was an avid hobbyist programmer and I made a few games
that were quite popular in college
We werenrsquot always so successful When the ldquotalking app genrerdquo was yet in its nascent
stages I believed it had great potential because it had a high barrier to entry for pro-
grammers because of its complexity yet easy enough for me to do My wife and I had
a young daughter at the time and I figured that making a girl talking app would be
fun ndash and thus was born the Talking Nicky series Yet my faith in its potential wasnrsquot
proven to be true as it was never a big money-maker
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 4 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How long do you stick with an idea for an app before giving up
As I said the Talking Nicky series didnrsquot make much money At the same time I be-
gan Outfit7 did their Talking Tom Cat which was wildly successful So after about
five or six Talking Nickyrsquos about a year later I switched to animals Irsquove always loved
comedy and animals so switching was appealing to me I hired a comedian anima-
tion director who came up with the funny ideas for the Talking Duke Dog
Sure enough we did quite a bit better with Talking Duke Dog and we did a Talking
Duke Dog 2 which did even better We didnrsquot do nearly as well as Outfit7 and on
hindsight perhaps we could have done much better with a publisher But we did gain
seven million downloads and a hefty chunk of our needed monthly salary
In my ldquofocus grouprdquo for Talking Duke Dog I had a few real kids at my house and they
unanimously said it needed a game Unfortunately after three years I wasnrsquot able to
get the money to add a game And thatrsquos the point we decided to finally leave the
Talking App genre In fact Irsquove sold my talking apps to a kind man who wishes to
continue with them
After about two to three years Outfit7 took the animal characters very very far in
the genre It took me until recently to discover that the reason I didnrsquot feel like com-
mitting and following them that far was because I didnrsquot play with dolls or action fig-
ures nearly enough as a child Those were not my favorite toys by far I feel that the
genre now belongs to those who loved their dolls and action figures when they were
kids
What I recently discovered is that you need to be true to your sixteen year old self
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 5 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
When I was sixteen I built a mad puzzle on the computer So Irsquom now doing a puzzle
on the Mac iOS and Android and Irsquom excelling a little beyond belief
Do you prototype
Irsquove got a collection of contractors who are also avid game players so we are general-
ly very confident in our ideas So no we donrsquot prototype
Do you test your ideas on people
No we donrsquot except internally Rather I make sure we have enough creative perspec-
tives in our own group and listen and discuss opposing and contrasting ideas within
our group
What motivates you And what are your goals
My goals are to conquer the top of the Puzzle category within five years They say
yoursquove got to go big or go home well I think thatrsquos true Our vision is to give casual
gamers who just want a challenging puzzle experience whenever they have spare
time something theyrsquove never experienced before I want them to feel challenged but
not overwhelmed and enthralled with the graphics and storyline We believe this is
a formula for substantial success in the ldquoescape game genrerdquo
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful app developer
Irsquom not sure I can speak for every developer because so many people can leverage
their unique skill sets in ways that I canrsquot imagine I think the important thing is to
know yourself and know what your own unique skills are and how to properly lever-
age them
A great source of inspiration is the ldquoGallup Poll StrengthsFinderrdquo which gives you a
set of 34 personality results from strongest to weakest and also the ldquoGallup Poll En-
trepreneur Profilerdquo which gives you your ten highest strengths
My top StrengthFinder strength is strategy and my highest Entrepreneur strength is
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 4 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
How long do you stick with an idea for an app before giving up
As I said the Talking Nicky series didnrsquot make much money At the same time I be-
gan Outfit7 did their Talking Tom Cat which was wildly successful So after about
five or six Talking Nickyrsquos about a year later I switched to animals Irsquove always loved
comedy and animals so switching was appealing to me I hired a comedian anima-
tion director who came up with the funny ideas for the Talking Duke Dog
Sure enough we did quite a bit better with Talking Duke Dog and we did a Talking
Duke Dog 2 which did even better We didnrsquot do nearly as well as Outfit7 and on
hindsight perhaps we could have done much better with a publisher But we did gain
seven million downloads and a hefty chunk of our needed monthly salary
In my ldquofocus grouprdquo for Talking Duke Dog I had a few real kids at my house and they
unanimously said it needed a game Unfortunately after three years I wasnrsquot able to
get the money to add a game And thatrsquos the point we decided to finally leave the
Talking App genre In fact Irsquove sold my talking apps to a kind man who wishes to
continue with them
After about two to three years Outfit7 took the animal characters very very far in
the genre It took me until recently to discover that the reason I didnrsquot feel like com-
mitting and following them that far was because I didnrsquot play with dolls or action fig-
ures nearly enough as a child Those were not my favorite toys by far I feel that the
genre now belongs to those who loved their dolls and action figures when they were
kids
What I recently discovered is that you need to be true to your sixteen year old self
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 5 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
When I was sixteen I built a mad puzzle on the computer So Irsquom now doing a puzzle
on the Mac iOS and Android and Irsquom excelling a little beyond belief
Do you prototype
Irsquove got a collection of contractors who are also avid game players so we are general-
ly very confident in our ideas So no we donrsquot prototype
Do you test your ideas on people
No we donrsquot except internally Rather I make sure we have enough creative perspec-
tives in our own group and listen and discuss opposing and contrasting ideas within
our group
What motivates you And what are your goals
My goals are to conquer the top of the Puzzle category within five years They say
yoursquove got to go big or go home well I think thatrsquos true Our vision is to give casual
gamers who just want a challenging puzzle experience whenever they have spare
time something theyrsquove never experienced before I want them to feel challenged but
not overwhelmed and enthralled with the graphics and storyline We believe this is
a formula for substantial success in the ldquoescape game genrerdquo
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful app developer
Irsquom not sure I can speak for every developer because so many people can leverage
their unique skill sets in ways that I canrsquot imagine I think the important thing is to
know yourself and know what your own unique skills are and how to properly lever-
age them
A great source of inspiration is the ldquoGallup Poll StrengthsFinderrdquo which gives you a
set of 34 personality results from strongest to weakest and also the ldquoGallup Poll En-
trepreneur Profilerdquo which gives you your ten highest strengths
My top StrengthFinder strength is strategy and my highest Entrepreneur strength is
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 5 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
When I was sixteen I built a mad puzzle on the computer So Irsquom now doing a puzzle
on the Mac iOS and Android and Irsquom excelling a little beyond belief
Do you prototype
Irsquove got a collection of contractors who are also avid game players so we are general-
ly very confident in our ideas So no we donrsquot prototype
Do you test your ideas on people
No we donrsquot except internally Rather I make sure we have enough creative perspec-
tives in our own group and listen and discuss opposing and contrasting ideas within
our group
What motivates you And what are your goals
My goals are to conquer the top of the Puzzle category within five years They say
yoursquove got to go big or go home well I think thatrsquos true Our vision is to give casual
gamers who just want a challenging puzzle experience whenever they have spare
time something theyrsquove never experienced before I want them to feel challenged but
not overwhelmed and enthralled with the graphics and storyline We believe this is
a formula for substantial success in the ldquoescape game genrerdquo
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful app developer
Irsquom not sure I can speak for every developer because so many people can leverage
their unique skill sets in ways that I canrsquot imagine I think the important thing is to
know yourself and know what your own unique skills are and how to properly lever-
age them
A great source of inspiration is the ldquoGallup Poll StrengthsFinderrdquo which gives you a
set of 34 personality results from strongest to weakest and also the ldquoGallup Poll En-
trepreneur Profilerdquo which gives you your ten highest strengths
My top StrengthFinder strength is strategy and my highest Entrepreneur strength is
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 6 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Creativity So I really excel at looking at new genres and identifying ways to fill an
unmet need
httpswwwgallupstrengthscentercom
httpwwwgallupcomservices170867entrepreneurshipaspx
Can you tell us a bit about your new app Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD
Castle Breakout ndash Escape HD is a terrific game which takes the current room escape
genre and pushes the boundaries almost creating a new genre It has eleven stereo
medieval songs and about 100 unique stereo sound bites for each action The game
features stunningly beautiful rendered images an amazing flight with a magical
dragon a comic book intro and animated animals to give entertainment
Castle Breakout is due in the Apple amp Google store for Mac iOS and Android in mid-
May With its oversized images the game is truly glorious on the Mac
What problems are you facing right now
Like with many developers funding during the development phases is often a chal-
lenge Irsquove done this app completely without money (for one and a half years) using
the promise of future royalties to pay my contractors The sale of my talking apps
gave me the funds I need to finish Castle Breakout
What do you feel are the positive aspects of using a crowdtesting platform for yourbeta testing
Itrsquos been enormously helpful to further the cause of Castle Breakout with Beta Fami-
lyrsquos crowdtesting service Enormously What wersquove found from extensive testing is
that the users are now saying it comes across as ldquopolishedrdquo Beta Family offers free
reviews and that has been a life-saver for me
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 7 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
If I could answer the question ldquoWhatrsquos the number one thing that differentiates a
crummy app from a great onerdquo it would be the amount of polish it has I see in the
App Store so many developers who must have worked for years on an app only to
see it fail miserably because it just plain doesnrsquot work not to mention donrsquot perform
with elegance or isnrsquot polished with the details that consumers notice in an app The
need for exhaustive beta testing has never been greater
Can you tell us more about your testing plan
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
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Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 8 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
With Castle Breakout I waited until the app was in a fairly mature state to begin test-
ing Then I began testing the app every three weeks or so Irsquove given it five tests so
far and I plan to do about two more on Castle Breakout before its launch I try to find
new people for each test for fresh perspectives I try to pay Beta Family about frac14 of
the time to keep them happy and they seem OK with that
When working with the beta users I remain very polite and tell them when Irsquove
fixed their issues I respond to all their pain points and tell them what Irsquom doing If I
donrsquot agree with one of their issues then I tell them so with my reasons I respond to
every message they leave me and always help the newcomers with their technical
support issues Treasure the beta testers and they will treasure you
I tend to give beta testers 5-stars feedback unless they are rude or mean-spirited
Beta testers need to stay positive as it does affect our collective moods
I also share all my reports ndash both positive and negative with my contractors It tends
to excite motivate and give us some discussion points about what needs to be fixed
To help facilitate such discussion remotely we use Basecamp which is another love-
ly tool for collaboration
httpsbasecampcom
Why did you choose The Beta Family over other similar service
As far as I know the Beta Family is the only beta testing service that provides a com-
munity of users Everything about the service works real smoothly Itrsquos an excellent
service and a great value package I couldnrsquot be happier
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 9 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
The talented team from Cloudburst-games
I hope you liked this interview with Ron Packard Jr If you have any questions feel
free to reach out
If you liked this interview then perhaps you will like the interview I did withTED Speaker Dr Ayanna Howard Yoursquoll find the link here Zyrobotics view onbeta testing
PUBLISHED$BY
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games
5915 1252 AMBoard of advisor Ron Packard Jr ndash tells us about his new game amp how he use beta testing | The Beta Family Blog
Page 10 of 10httpblogbetafamilycom20150427board-of-advisor-ron-packard-jr-tells-us-about-his-new-game-how-he-use-beta-testing
Proudly powered by WordPress
Malin Klockare GullesjoumlMalin Klockare Gullesjouml is working with Beta Familys online profile She has previously workedas a community manager on social media in the tourism industry View all posts by Malin Klockare Gullesjouml
April+27+2015 Malin+Klockare+Gullesjouml App+testing+Company+interviews app+developmentcompanies+beta+testing+games