Everyday I learn something new about RadBlue tools that make using them easier and easier. I’ve always thought they were user-friendly – even when I didn’t work here. (Yep, I was a customer first.)

As a usability-obsessed user, I believe that usability should always be the goal. Let me focus on the work I’m doing and NOT the vehicle I’m using to do it. (Hopping off the soapbox now.)

This week I learned that many RadBlue tools have right-click menu options that are not readily called out. Of course, each tool sports the standard copy/paste/screen selection features – those are pretty standard.

One of the coolest features I have already talked about in a previous blog post – the column auto re-size feature in the Message Transcript (and, in fact, most table displays throughout the tools). But did you know that when you select a row in the Message Transcript, and then right-click, you can export the selected data to a G2T file that can be imported into RAS for analysis?

Here’s a few more right-click things to try:

• On the SmartEGM layout in RST, right-click on the Player Display to set the player message duration and to see the last 50 messages.

• Easily manage EGMs in RLT with right-click options that allow you to edit EGM details,  start or stop Tiger scripts or reset all EGM settings in just a couple clicks.

• Use the right-click options on the CVT Test Session screen for file tree navigation.

• Use the right-click options on the CVT Test Results panel for file tree navigation and display expansion, editing comments in test results and exporting test case data out to a nice neat file.

I’m sure there’s more. But I’m still learning!

Do you have a right-click favorite not talked about here? Let me know about it!

The CVT is a test tool that allows you to quickly determine whether your gaming products meet a basic standard for G2S implementation.

What does this mean for you?

It means ensured interoperability. It means a cost-effective way to quickly get products to the slot floor. It means a definitive method to assess that your products meet G2S protocols. It means confidence in your G2S gaming products.

The goal of this first CVT Demo release is to show the overall design and flow of the CVT’s user interface. At this point in the project, we are soliciting your feedback to help us make the tool as useful and easy-to-use as possible. If you are interested in test driving the CVT, simply download and run the installer (32-bit or 64-bit).

In this release, you can set up and run tests using canned data, work with test case profiles, view test results and export test session data – in essence, you can try most everything in the CVT without connecting to an actual G2S EGM.

If you would like to know more about the CVT, visit the CVT product page.

For technical details, go to the CVT Development Portal.

or

Download any of the following to get started:

Installer  |  Release Notes  | Getting Started  |  Questions to Consider

In 2013, you can expect a new release of all RadBlue products on the first Tuesday of each even-numbered month.

I know. Don’t think too hard.

 Here are the dates:

• Release 26 – February 5
• Release 28 – April 2
• Release 30 – June 4
• Release 32 – August 6
• Release 34 – October 1
• Release 36 – December 3

Notice something odd (or even)?

Our release numbering has changed! We are now releasing even-numbered versions only. Odd-numbered versions will now be internal.

If you are at G2E this week, stop by the Gaming Standards Association booth (#5028), and say hello to Russ and Marty. They would be happy to answer your questions on RadBlue tools and the GSA protocols!

Few would argue that the slot floor of the future will rely heavily on Game-to-System (G2S) and System-to-System (S2S) protocols to provide the immersive experiences desired by a new generation of computer- and social network-savvy players. Radical Blue Gaming plans to be at the nexus of this transformation with an array of critical tools for the development, testing and maintenance of tomorrow’s gaming floors. 

The company’s stable of products includes RadBlue System Tester, RadBlue G2S Scope and RadBlue S2S Simulator, which help game developers understand and implement Gaming Standard Association protocols, and devices such as RadBlue Protocol Analyzer and RadBlue Analysis Suite, which test and harden new applications to make them ready for real-world use. 

“What we offer our customers is expertise and efficiency that saves them money by helping them accomplish their goals with an eye toward future innovation,” co-founder Russ Ristine says. “Whether it’s helping to improve a G2S implementation with our test tools, helping a manufacturer or casino troubleshoot their G2S floor in real-time with RPA, or advising casinos on the most efficient way to move to an open-standard, high-speed slot floor, our goal is to give our customers the tools they need to succeed in the world of next-generation gaming.”

The word is spreading too. RadBlue products are now used by such leading manufacturers as IGT, Aristocrat, Bally and WMS. Operator clients include no less than Isle of Capri Casinos,
Kerzner International and Lotto-Quebec.

But getting there is a serious challenge. We have five kids, one van and at least 17 hours on the road. So there is a great deal of planning that is done up-front. We plot out where to get gas, what rest stops to hit, what snacks to bring and where to find the first Chick-Fil-A once we cross into Tennessee. The goal is to have no surprises; to know exactly what we are doing.

And that is how we used to build software as well.

Not too long ago, we would sit down at the start of a project and write down everything we were going to do. We would plot out the bugs we were going to fix, the features we were going to add and how much time each step would take. We would spend weeks or months creating documents and charts filled with details. The final schedule would be meticulous in detail and brimming with confidence.

And then the van would crash into a ditch just outside of Indianapolis.

I’ll get into the hows and whys of that particular phenomenon in another blog, but first, I wanted to touch on how we do scheduling at RadBlue.

At the start of each development cycle, we have a short list of issues that we want to tackle. All of these issues relate to our goal of making our products better for our customers.

Then, we get in the car and start driving.

Going into a development cycle, we know that the journey is never going to be a straight shot. In fact, we know we aren’t going to get to the original destination. Our customers are great at voicing their opinions – on both the current products and on sneak previews of the work in-progress. And all of that input helps steer the car.

Our development process is a fluid one. We are constantly revising the schedule and feature set based on the latest information. Sometimes the input changes our direction by a few degrees. And sometimes the input completely changes our direction. Sometimes we head toward Disneyland, but end up at Disney World.

For a small, agile company like us, this is the best possible way to respond to the needs of our customers. It allows us to focus on what is needed and deliver it in a timely manner.

It’s probably the worst possible way to pilot a family to the ocean. But it’s a great way to build software.

In short, G2S moves your casino from a closed-system world (where you can only get new applications from your system provider) to an open network, where anyone can write an application that lets you have all sorts of amazing new interactions with your players. The applications taking the lead these days are remote game configuration and downloading new code to run on your gaming machines. These are just the tip of the iceberg. Much like e-mail and file sharing were the tip of the iceberg for the Internet – and now look where we are!

As you (and your slot floor) move into this new world, it is critical that you are an intelligent consumer – making sure that the solution you implement (or is installed for you) can take advantage of future applications. I suspect there may be some pressure from your current solution providers to make sure you don’t go shopping around for solutions from just anybody. This might cause your casino to become as flexible and innovative as (gasp!) the Internet.

So, what do you do? Concede that your current solution providers are the best at what they are doing now – the highly regulated, incredibly important applications that are the bread and butter of your casino – and let them know they will continue to be an important part of your future. But, imagine going to a gaming show, seeing a cool new application that might be just perfect for your players, and then having it up and running a month or so later. And, if it’s not quite right, having the vendor iteratively update their application until it’s just perfect for your players. In the G2S world, a gaming machine (EGM) can talk directly to multiple servers at the same time! This means that your current system provider can continue to do what they do best (all of the important stuff), while your EGMs also talk to other applications that are not as highly regulated (since they are just “marketing” apps).

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be exploring various aspects of networked gaming, and ways that you can prepare yourself and your slot floor for future innovation. In addition, I would be happy to explore specific networked gaming topics that interest you. So, what you would you like to talk about?

That is how these things always start out – at least when you are a programmer.  Or maybe:

System.out.println(“Hello world”);

This is my first entry, so I thought I would introduce myself.  My name is Marty and I work here at RadBlue.  I do lots of different things, but my main job to write code.  When you are a small company, like us, you have to wear lots of different hats. But, at the end of the day, that is what I do.  I write code.  Lots and lots of code.

And that is what I want to share with you.  What it is that we do here at RadBlue, why we do it, how we do it and why we enjoy it so much.   So come along for the ride.

–Marty

The RadBlue Blog

First, the new RadBlue blog will feature insights and discussions from RadBlue experts as well as leaders in the world of networked gaming. It will address technical topics as well as forward-looking issues related to the real-world possibilities of this technology. We hope to inform as well as provoke discussion about the incredible potential – and yes, possible pitfalls, of networked gaming.

Networked Gaming Resources

Our Networked Gaming Resources page provides quality information that is of interest to the gaming technology community. For those of you who are new to networked gaming, the Networked Gaming Resources page contains articles, presentations and diagrams to help you get a handle on this new technology. If you’re simply looking for a place to find the latest news and discussions on networked gaming from around the Web, we’ve got that too. We’ll be updating this page with new information and resources, so check back often.

Our goal is to create dynamic spaces where the gaming technology community – whether vendor, operator or test lab - can find quality, thoughtful networked gaming information from a wide array of sources. With that in mind, we hope you’ll participate: ask questions, voice your opinions and suggest topics of discussion. Subscribe to our RSS feed. Send us an email. Leave comments. We look forward to hearing from you.

Here is where you put your test content. Right here!

• Test 1
• Test 2

Here is where you put your test content. Right here!

• Test 1
• Test 2