An Important Question More MMORPG Developers Need To Ask

OracleP4

I've played in a few beta tests of MMORPGs and I think there is one very important question that developers should periodically ask their testers:

Based on what you've seen so far, would you subscribe to "THIS GAME" when it comes out?

When I played the Saga of Ryzom open beta, every time you logged off their was a short survey on what features you liked about the game and what you didn't.  But I think if they were going to bother making a survey in the first place, they missed the most vital question of all.  I've played in some other betas too and none of them ever asked this question either.  I think it's a pretty important question to let developers know where they stand, and if they monitor the results through different stages of the beta, it probably would give them a pretty good idea what features can make people decide on whether or not they're going to get an MMORPG once it's released.

If other people want to weigh in on this that would be great, maybe it's not all that important a question, but I think it kinda is.

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"Do I come to your workplace and tell you how to kill civilians? No, so don't tell me how to do my job" - Sam Fischer.

--OracleP4

darkman

That is an important question Developers need to ask, but not at an alpha stage or the initial beta stage. At the initial beta stages and alpha stages, developers need to focus their time making sure that gameplay works and that there are no major bugs that are present. After all the major kinks have been worked out and the mmajor gameplay issues, (towards the end of beta, or in some game's case, open beta), they then should definitely make the server more appealing to what the final product should be like, because now that everything major is fixed, you have to make sure that people testing the game will want to stay and play the game.

New PR rep for the North American Version of RYL
www.planetwidegames.com

Teei

That's a bad question, because the answer will be yes and no. They won't know what they did wrong or what they need to change to improve the game. They need feedback, not "no, I'll not buy it" or "Yes I'll buy it". They need to know what is fun for us and what is not fun for us. What we want and do not want.

jax2

There is no way I will give straight answers to any GM . This will I play or buy is to straight forward I will answer with "Is there a free trial"  anything to delay them as they do us so frustrating. As far as surveys go there should be some credit towards the ones who accually complete them as for I have been in countless betas and no credit what so ever, but RYL is finally one beta with cash in prizes  people what to have fun but with some REAL LIFE stuff in the mix as well. geez go figure!!

jjd2

Torlaily

I would have to agree that asking that question at various stages of a beta could be a very helpfull tool for developers. It would only work however if it were asked along with the many other questions normally asked so that they would have an idea as to WHY people are less likely to subsrcibe.

Also it would be best for the to have a comment section alongside the question for more specific feedback on the subject.

But all in all I think it is a very good idea for the developers to ask if a beta tester would subscribe.