It's kind of funny what beta testing has become now.
They weren't happy with the state of their original beta client, so now they're working on another and plan to test it internally before getting the public to "test" it lol.
The funny part is, that doing that is in their best interest since most people go into beta's now thinking it's a chance to just play the game, and if anything was seriously flawed or just plain ugly the game would be deemed DOA.
I also don't understand the doom and gloom. Some of you obviously aren't resourceful enough to find out when the new client will be available. If the new client was coming out in a month or two's time then maybe I would have some concern, but since it's nothing like as long as that it seems to me there's nothing to worry about.
I would not consider this stage what one would call a traditional beta but rather like Rift, an open beta. Like Rift they have changed the terminolgy. Traditionally betas have been for testing. Like Rift the real testing is by the Alpha testers and the beta weekends are just marketing.
The beta weekends are nothing like an open beta because you still need an invite to get into them. They are closed betas, but with lots of people invited.
Reading this thread I've never seen more wailing and gnashing of teeth. Be calm folks, they are working on the game, it will come out eventually, you are not entitled to a beta invite or for a release date, this delay in beta weekends means that the game will be that much better when it does finally release.
Techincally your right in thats not open beta as everyone cannot play but its being used for the same purposes as open beta where they stress test their systems and get general feedback from the morons, err mainstream gamers, while the real testing goes on behind the scenes with the alpha testers.
Most importantly it serves their marketing purposes as the morons otherwise known as mainstream gamers get to play for a few days before the plug is pulled on them. Before they can decide what they don't like about SWTOR, the game is taken away from them and they miss it making them like it even more, Creating more buzz and hype. Rift used this approach to sell a lot of boxes. But the point is while its labeled beta its not a beta and its not real testing. It is mainly a marketing phase creating buzz and demand.
Nothing wrong with that but its interesting, at least to me, how companies are switching the meaning of these words to hype their games without being forced to expose their game for extended periods to the masses otherwise known as morons. I think that the masses have become so fickle and lacking in patience any long term exposure to a game will cause them to quit. But I have to hand it to the people at SWTOR and also at Trion, at how they are able to manipulate these short term players. They are pretty smart.
This is, potentially, the first good news I've heard about this game in a very long time. While I would also maintain that this could just be an effort to squeeze a few more pre-orders, I think that the more likely scenario is that despite millions of potential gamers registering for TOR betas and updates, myself included two years ago, the number of pre-orders is still nowhere near the number of people who were initially interested in the game. At this point, you've either decided you like what you've seen, and likely pre-ordered, or you don't, and haven't. If this is true, then EA/BW does not like what they see in terms of numbers, and made the decision to at least attempt to fix some of the problems gamers who were at first excited about TOR have found fault with.
EA has a large investment in TOR, and expects an even bigger return. It's in their best interest to not only release this game as polished as possible, but also to ensure that it appeals to the widest audience possible as well. As I've stated before, if they can clean up the choppy flow of combat, allow for a rich-detail character customization, as well as deep customization of other parts of the game (a wide variety of vehicles, ships, and droids that aren't class-specific for example), I might quickly find interest in this game again. Hopefully, for those of us who love Star Wars but aren't impressed with TOR thus far, EA is putting together a build that addresses our concerns, and brings the game much closer to it's full potential than it is now.
Jeez. I can imagine a lot of upset people. I'm personally on the "hyping it up more" train, a little. I also got a email yesterday making sure I didn't "forget" that pre-ordering allows beta access.
Either way, it sucks.
Pre-ordering doesn't get you beta access. It gets you in the head-start before official release. You don't even have to keep your pre-order apparently, you have 5 days or something like that before you have to apply a retail key to the account.
Uncanny timing or an indication that this is all just part of their sinister plan to get thousands more preorders? I'd be tempted to preorder for the coloured lightsaber crystal (the only reason I would do it), if I could afford to play a subscription game. Unfortunately, circumstances are not favourable and it looks like SWTOR will be out of my reach for a while yet. So much for looking forward to enjoying the launch.
Then again, if it is delayed into Q2 2012, who knows what financial breakthrough might allow me to get a taste of the sweet, sweet Star Wars universe.
Glad i didnt pre-order. Might end up canceling this game due to funds like some other games in the past lol.
But i am glad they are taking their time, get it right, work the bugs out, and polish the heck out of this game. They have a lot to live up to with all the hype they and fans have created. lus its my real last hope for a sci-fi mmo, so sick of all thse orc and goblin games!
I have been in the beta and frankly the game isn't anything new,so if they have to go back to the drawing board a few more times let them or you will just be disappointed and out 50$ or more. Remember WAR or AOC you don't want a repeat with a Star Wars skin.
Still to find you had to make a new build at this stage is a joke.
Makes one wonder......
If they push this release to 2012, it will cause a loss of a lot of new players as other games will come out and take it's place.
I know many, once they get into a MMO, they do not leave as it is a lvl thing and to drop one for anotheris not something people do. No matter how kewl the next big thing is.
Any problem can be solved, with the Proper Amount of High Explosives..... Dont take life serious, youll never get out alive ..
If a lot of beta testers would actually test games today and not think of the invite as their own personal free preview, then maybe stuff like this would not happen and the issues that caused it (whatever they might be) might have been addressed earlier. (not all beta testers are guilty of this but I know many who just want to try the game and feel like they are entitled to do so.)
The game creators should make a special deal to the beta testers or give them credits if they really do help!! I think Testers should be more eager to find bugs and problems etc. The ones who helped the most and proven that they are a truly beta tester should have two more months free gaming or some special weapons.. you get the point.
No game production had ever done that. !? or am I´m wrong... . .
/ Peace
(( I`D RATHER DIE WITH A STRAIGHT BACK THAN A BOW TO YOU AND LIVE ))^^^^^>
Comments
It's kind of funny what beta testing has become now.
They weren't happy with the state of their original beta client, so now they're working on another and plan to test it internally before getting the public to "test" it lol.
The funny part is, that doing that is in their best interest since most people go into beta's now thinking it's a chance to just play the game, and if anything was seriously flawed or just plain ugly the game would be deemed DOA.
I also don't understand the doom and gloom. Some of you obviously aren't resourceful enough to find out when the new client will be available. If the new client was coming out in a month or two's time then maybe I would have some concern, but since it's nothing like as long as that it seems to me there's nothing to worry about.
Techincally your right in thats not open beta as everyone cannot play but its being used for the same purposes as open beta where they stress test their systems and get general feedback from the morons, err mainstream gamers, while the real testing goes on behind the scenes with the alpha testers.
Most importantly it serves their marketing purposes as the morons otherwise known as mainstream gamers get to play for a few days before the plug is pulled on them. Before they can decide what they don't like about SWTOR, the game is taken away from them and they miss it making them like it even more, Creating more buzz and hype. Rift used this approach to sell a lot of boxes. But the point is while its labeled beta its not a beta and its not real testing. It is mainly a marketing phase creating buzz and demand.
Nothing wrong with that but its interesting, at least to me, how companies are switching the meaning of these words to hype their games without being forced to expose their game for extended periods to the masses otherwise known as morons. I think that the masses have become so fickle and lacking in patience any long term exposure to a game will cause them to quit. But I have to hand it to the people at SWTOR and also at Trion, at how they are able to manipulate these short term players. They are pretty smart.
This is, potentially, the first good news I've heard about this game in a very long time. While I would also maintain that this could just be an effort to squeeze a few more pre-orders, I think that the more likely scenario is that despite millions of potential gamers registering for TOR betas and updates, myself included two years ago, the number of pre-orders is still nowhere near the number of people who were initially interested in the game. At this point, you've either decided you like what you've seen, and likely pre-ordered, or you don't, and haven't. If this is true, then EA/BW does not like what they see in terms of numbers, and made the decision to at least attempt to fix some of the problems gamers who were at first excited about TOR have found fault with.
EA has a large investment in TOR, and expects an even bigger return. It's in their best interest to not only release this game as polished as possible, but also to ensure that it appeals to the widest audience possible as well. As I've stated before, if they can clean up the choppy flow of combat, allow for a rich-detail character customization, as well as deep customization of other parts of the game (a wide variety of vehicles, ships, and droids that aren't class-specific for example), I might quickly find interest in this game again. Hopefully, for those of us who love Star Wars but aren't impressed with TOR thus far, EA is putting together a build that addresses our concerns, and brings the game much closer to it's full potential than it is now.
Pre-ordering doesn't get you beta access. It gets you in the head-start before official release. You don't even have to keep your pre-order apparently, you have 5 days or something like that before you have to apply a retail key to the account.
sorry, but the one who is trolling atm are you, kind sir.
i only meant what i said.
"I'll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!"
Uncanny timing or an indication that this is all just part of their sinister plan to get thousands more preorders? I'd be tempted to preorder for the coloured lightsaber crystal (the only reason I would do it), if I could afford to play a subscription game. Unfortunately, circumstances are not favourable and it looks like SWTOR will be out of my reach for a while yet. So much for looking forward to enjoying the launch.
Then again, if it is delayed into Q2 2012, who knows what financial breakthrough might allow me to get a taste of the sweet, sweet Star Wars universe.
Glad i didnt pre-order. Might end up canceling this game due to funds like some other games in the past lol.
But i am glad they are taking their time, get it right, work the bugs out, and polish the heck out of this game. They have a lot to live up to with all the hype they and fans have created. lus its my real last hope for a sci-fi mmo, so sick of all thse orc and goblin games!
Marketing 101.
Still to find you had to make a new build at this stage is a joke.
Makes one wonder......
If they push this release to 2012, it will cause a loss of a lot of new players as other games will come out and take it's place.
I know many, once they get into a MMO, they do not leave as it is a lvl thing and to drop one for anotheris not something people do. No matter how kewl the next big thing is.
Any problem can be solved, with the Proper Amount of High Explosives.....
Dont take life serious, youll never get out alive ..
The game creators should make a special deal to the beta testers or give them credits if they really do help!! I think Testers should be more eager to find bugs and problems etc. The ones who helped the most and proven that they are a truly beta tester should have two more months free gaming or some special weapons.. you get the point.
No game production had ever done that. !? or am I´m wrong... . .
/ Peace
(( I`D RATHER DIE WITH A STRAIGHT BACK THAN A BOW TO YOU AND LIVE ))^^^^^>