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Beta Tests [POLL]

AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432

Reading the article about how beta tests have changed over the years, I got to thinking about my own beta experiences and how others have fared.

How about a poll about beta tests and game purchases?

- Al

Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
- FARGIN_WAR


Comments

  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432

    I've only beta tested 2 games (SW:TOR and DDO) and neither time did I buy at release.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • XthosXthos Member UncommonPosts: 2,740

    Kind of flawed, if someone did one and bought it, they would be at 100%....You should of done a percentage, or something...I don't think you will learn anything as it stands.

     

    I am about 20%, but I havent beta'd a ton...atleast not early.

    Shadowbane - Like a 3-4 days I think, and I was into another game, thought it looked ok, so wasn't anything against it, so I didn't get it.

    WoW - Played for a couple weeks, didn't like it, it felt like a mix of two games, a generic standard MMO, and a wanna-be DAoC without all the cool stuff....I also disliked instances and such, and it seemed like the parts of EQ I didn't like on steroids.

     

    Rift - Thought it was ok, to good, and I had just got off of a long break of playing, but it was too small and not enough depth...Trion does seem to be a good company though.

     

    Perpetuum (SP?) - Played a little, but just didn't seem like my thing, I am admittedly more into high fantasy.

     

    SWTOR - Did a little bit, nothing long, bought it to play with friends, and a ton of people said it 'opened up' , and encouraged exploration....I find their claims very off to say the least.  Bought it.

     

    I am probably missing some, it's late.

     

  • mmoguy43mmoguy43 Member UncommonPosts: 2,770

    Beta test periods seem to be a lot longer than they used to. So for atleast 6 MMOs in the past, the amount I played in the beta didn't give me enough of a feel for the whole game. I ended up buying those and played for about 1-3months and quit. Rift had a rather long beta and I had more than enough time to know I would get bored so I didn't buy it.

     

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441

    Originally posted by mmoguy43

    Beta test periods seem to be a lot longer than they used to. So for atleast 6 MMOs in the past, the amount I played in the beta didn't give me enough of a feel for the whole game. I ended up buying those and played for about 1-3months and quit. Rift had a rather long beta and I had more than enough time to know I would get bored so I didn't buy it.

     

    I beta test a game to help the devs making it ready for release as intended, why is that not even an option?

    I have bought games I beta tested, like AoC. More often I didn´t though, like Lineage, LOTRO and Rift. The list is actually pretty much longer than that but I beta tested many F2P games as well.

    Many people are actually beta testing because they like the testing in itself and that isn´t just being bored.

  • mmoguy43mmoguy43 Member UncommonPosts: 2,770

    Originally posted by Loke666

    Originally posted by mmoguy43

    Beta test periods seem to be a lot longer than they used to. So for atleast 6 MMOs in the past, the amount I played in the beta didn't give me enough of a feel for the whole game. I ended up buying those and played for about 1-3months and quit. Rift had a rather long beta and I had more than enough time to know I would get bored so I didn't buy it.

     

    I beta test a game to help the devs making it ready for release as intended, why is that not even an option?

    I have bought games I beta tested, like AoC. More often I didn´t though, like Lineage, LOTRO and Rift. The list is actually pretty much longer than that but I beta tested many F2P games as well.

    Many people are actually beta testing because they like the testing in itself and that isn´t just being bored.

    I don't even know why I made that poll.

  • SkillCosbySkillCosby Member Posts: 684

    I buy games even when I know they will fail.

    I'll play beta. I'll learn that whatever game is just another poor WoW clone. However, I'll always still buy it for the excitement of a new economy and community. I normally don't last past the free month.

    I guess I'm either addicted to failure or am just dumb.

  • LowFlyingHamLowFlyingHam Member Posts: 98

    Zero, because I haven't beta tested anything to a serious extent.  Most beta tests that I was interested in participating in I haven't gotten into.  The last most notible one I got into was StarCraft 2 but I didn't participate because I wasn't at all interested in SC2 at the time... and I bought it due to friends talking about it all the time and my time spent enjoying the first one, and ultimately it was a mistake getting it.  I got into closed beta for Blacklight Retribution and didn't like it at all.  I played the training stuff, and then one real match, and I was done with it.  Same thing for Tribes Ascend, totally disappointing for that one given the massive lack of shooters that aren't tactical ones and the need for more shooters in the style of UT and Quake to come around.

     

    If I'm going to put time and effort into beta testing something, I want my thoughts and ideas to be taken into consideration.  There are too many games where people say that beta test feedback went ignored for me to invest time into such a thing unless it's for someone that has been proven to take beta feedback seriously.  APB was a massive flop when it came out and many people said they didn't do a damn thing with the feedback that the beta testers gave them.  Why even have a beta if you're not going to take the feedback?  The only thing I can think of is server stress-testing.

     

    Having said that I signed up for the C9 closed beta.  I don't know if I'm in or not at this stage but it looks interesting enough.  I don't know the history of betas at Webzen but if I like the game enough I'd probably give the feedback thing a shot.

     

    I'd give CS:GO a shot if I got into beta.  I think for games that are going to be released retail, you should be given a free copy of the game if you've been helpful enough throughout the beta period.  That would certainly be another incentive for me to give feedback especially if I like the game.

    Now Playing: Mission Against Terror, Battlefield 3, Skyrim, Dark Souls, League of Legends, Minecraft, and the piano. =3

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  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by Xthos
    Kind of flawed, if someone did one and bought it, they would be at 100%....You should of done a percentage, or something...I don't think you will learn anything as it stands.
     
    I am about 20%, but I havent beta'd a ton...atleast not early.

    I was kind of looking to see if people actually bought into the games they beta tested or not. A percentage would be good, but I was looking more at raw data, to see if beta testing was a good marketing ploy.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by mmoguy43

    Originally posted by Loke666

    Originally posted by mmoguy43

    Beta test periods seem to be a lot longer than they used to. So for atleast 6 MMOs in the past, the amount I played in the beta didn't give me enough of a feel for the whole game. I ended up buying those and played for about 1-3months and quit. Rift had a rather long beta and I had more than enough time to know I would get bored so I didn't buy it.
     
    I beta test a game to help the devs making it ready for release as intended, why is that not even an option?
    I have bought games I beta tested, like AoC. More often I didn´t though, like Lineage, LOTRO and Rift. The list is actually pretty much longer than that but I beta tested many F2P games as well.
    Many people are actually beta testing because they like the testing in itself and that isn´t just being bored.


    I don't even know why I made that poll.


    LOL

    Loke, did you beta test games you were not interested in? I see the first choice as where you fit in. That one seems to assume the "real beta tester" label.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by SkillCosby
    I buy games even when I know they will fail.
    I'll play beta. I'll learn that whatever game is just another poor WoW clone. However, I'll always still buy it for the excitement of a new economy and community. I normally don't last past the free month.
    I guess I'm either addicted to failure or am just dumb.

    Or... you may be looking for that "first game feel" again. You at least find the games fun for about a month after release :)

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • AlBQuirkyAlBQuirky Member EpicPosts: 7,432


    Originally posted by LowFlyingHam
    If I'm going to put time and effort into beta testing something, I want my thoughts and ideas to be taken into consideration.  There are too many games where people say that beta test feedback went ignored for me to invest time into such a thing unless it's for someone that has been proven to take beta feedback seriously.  APB was a massive flop when it came out and many people said they didn't do a damn thing with the feedback that the beta testers gave them.  Why even have a beta if you're not going to take the feedback?  The only thing I can think of is server stress-testing.

    This is spot on, Ham. The 2 I was in felt like they did not really listen to the feedback.

    - Al

    Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.
    - FARGIN_WAR


  • SovrathSovrath Member LegendaryPosts: 32,938

    Pretty much all of them. I usually do my research beforehand so I know exactly what I"m getting. Since I don't hold unrealistic expectations and don't believe in "the perfect game" I usually find that these things play, for the most part, as I suspect.

     

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  • SkillCosbySkillCosby Member Posts: 684

    Originally posted by AlBQuirky

     




    Originally posted by SkillCosby

    I buy games even when I know they will fail.

    I'll play beta. I'll learn that whatever game is just another poor WoW clone. However, I'll always still buy it for the excitement of a new economy and community. I normally don't last past the free month.

    I guess I'm either addicted to failure or am just dumb.






    Or... you may be looking for that "first game feel" again. You at least find the games fun for about a month after release :)

     

    I really enjoyed SWG and EQ2's World PvP. Everything after that has been so typical, typecasted, and hand-holdy.

    I yearn for some open world freedom, but the games of today don't offer that. It's not about having a favorite first; it's about the fact that modern games are too trivial and predictable.

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