So how do you beta test? I know there was a thread on this before but i looked and i couldn't find it.
Beta testing iPhone games is trying out a game for a developer and giving them feedback on the game before it comes out so that they can fix any problems and make the game as good as possible before it goes live. Basically you'll have to be accepted by a developer as a beta tester for their game, and they'll set you up with a build. You might have to use WinRAR (Well I'm running Windows), to unzip the .ipa and drag and drop it into your iTunes and then you can begin playing the game. Most developers will set up a site for their beta testers to discuss the game and give feedback. Just get into contact with a developer who is interested in seeking beta testers and continue to communicate with them to get all the information you need. The easiest place to begin beta testing would probably be www.ibetatest.com
You know iTunes will accept .ipa files, right? In fact, I've heard rumors that .ipa files actually upload to your device faster than the unzipped directory structure. Not sure that's true, but it would stand to reason since file systems seem to deal with one large file better than many small files. I'm using Windows as well, so I know this works.
The only way I've ever received builds are through promo codes that I installed directly onto the device or through dragging and dropping the .ipa files after unzipping them through WinRAR. You probably know more then me about this though.
I hope I didn't come off as some "condescending expert" in that last post, because that wasn't my intention. I've only beta tested 10 or 12 games myself, so I'm by no means a pro. Next time you get an .ipa file, though, just drag it to the applications section of iTunes instead of uncompressing it, and it should work just fine. Personally, I wish more developers would / could use the promo code method, though, because that's so much nicer to deal with. I'm not sure what restrictions allow some to use that method while most have to use the ad-hoc files method.
With the ad-hoc method, the game doesn't have to have been submitted to the app store. For promo codes it does.
Well, don't you need a jailbroken iTouch to just drag the .ipas straight into iTunes? And how do you deal with the zipped files, getting them into your iTouch after unzipping
No. You have to have a jailbroken device to install files directly to your device, but that's not what I'm talking about. To use an .ipa file (or a set of files extracted from the .ipa), you simply open up iTunes, switch to the Applications screen under Library, and drag the file or folder from Windows Explorer onto iTunes. Then you sync to your iPod or iPhone. Of course, as you might have gathered this is a Windows solution, so YMMV if you're on a Mac.
No don't worry you weren't condescending at all. And yeah I know you can just drag and drop the .ipa straight from the .rar into iTunes, I guess I shouldn't have said I only unzip the app, since I've done both. Thanks for the clarification though.
That's a different problem. That means that either you don't have a provisioning file, or the provisioning file isn't working on your device for some reason. A provisioning file is a file that should be supplied with the beta that tells your device that it's okay to run the software you're trying to install. Another way to look at it is that the file is a bypass for the App Store.
I thought you meant that you were extracting the .ipa file, because an .ipa is just a renamed .zip file.