I'm just about at the first beta release stage of my first iPhone game.
I have a couple of local beta testers lined up that I know can provide me with quality feedback.

However I'm going to need to find a couple of more users to provide some feedback.

Have other developers on iDevGames managed to find worth while iPhone beta testers by putting a call out on here or does that kind of request usually result in rush of people just wanting a free game and not able to provide feedback?

The above question is not meant as an insult to anyone as I know there are a lot of talented people on this site who can provide the quality of feedback a developer requires. However since the popularity of the iPhone there appears to be a lot more passing through traffic than there used to be.

Maybe my best solution will be to just post a request and then second a opinion from some of the established members prior to me issuing out test copies to people?

Thanks for your advice.

Does it matter if it's just someone who wants a free game as long as the person who is testing the game provides valid and useful feedback? I think feedback from just a normal non-dev gamer about an app would be very useful since majority of the people using/downloading apps won't be devs.

Typically an open call for people results in a rush of users looking for free games. These users fail to provide proper or even any bugs.

I have found reaching out to other developers helpful, especially those that are working in the same general field. For example have game programmers test games.

I think the only way you will ever have quality beta testers is if:

a) you pay them
b) you are a huge company with millions of fans and can let 1,000 people in and kick out the 90% who don't report anything useful.


My own experiences with public "beta testers" has been mixed. I did get a few reports, but nothing extremely useful. I think simply making your app bullet proof, time bombing it, and uploading it with a "BETA" label slapped all over it, is a good way to get feedback if you can't get it otherwise, but don't expect a whole lot.

Can iPhone apps time bomb? I wonder what the Apple agreement says...

Friends and other iDGers have been the best bet for us. Once you have a game out, you might end up with a few very enthusiastic or even rabid fans who would be interested in testing your future games.

Now that is some serious forum lag - nearly a month for a response to my original post!

DevelopInSeattle Wrote:Does it matter if it's just someone who wants a free game as long as the person who is testing the game provides valid and useful feedback? I think feedback from just a normal non-dev gamer about an app would be very useful since majority of the people using/downloading apps won't be devs.

Unfortunately it does matter because those who just want a free game rarely provide any feedback at all.

Some non-dev gamer feedback is what I was hoping to get as some of them do actually give feedback and not just take the game and run.

Anyway it is not so relevant at the moment as I did not get any interest from anyone - genuine or otherwise.