Question of the Day, May 14, 2010

[The Escapist Staff]

Question of the Day, May 14, 2010



Alliance and Horde can now opt into the WoW:Cataclysm beta, but The Escapist staff wants to know if playing the beta spoils the game at all. Why do you play in betas? How do they change your gaming experience once the game launches?

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[ProfessorLayton]

Well, yes, but not in the way that's on the poll. See, when I was in the Combat Arms beta, I loved it. I thought it was a whole lot of fun. But then it was released and everyone started glitching the spawns and bypassing the language filter... I thought it was going to be great, but that's only because when you have an extremely small community like that at first, people are less likely to exploit.

Also, it's awesome to say you played a game before it came out. Beta testing is ultimate bragging rights.

 

[Littlejib]

I personally loved playing the modern warefare beta ,it was great to see how the game changed, something would work one day would be a noob mistake the next. Great to feel apart of how the online compunity evolved

 

[neosman8]

if anything betas make the game better because it helps the game developers hear feedback from us the gaming community and see how they can improve it.

 

[oppp7]

I don't think betas ruin the games.
Then again, I've only ever played the BF: BC beta and then played the game...

 

[dex-dex]

betas are sort of a test run in my eyes on how the public will react to it
they can change the game entirely if they do give out a beta

 

[fix-the-spade]

Because it's a vital public service. No beta players filing bug reports and it all goes wrong on release when peole are paying good money.

Modern Warfare 2 had no beta, it released full of crippling bugs and exploits, look how that turned out... oh... wait.

 

[Rayansaki]

Depends on the game imo. A game like Blur or Starcraft 2 or Halo Reach it's just the multiplayer part, which in theory has unlimited hours of gameplay anyway.

But for WoW it kind of ruins the in-box content, since people will probably level 1-2 characters on the beta and do the quests and discover all the little interesting things in an inferior version of the game, so when they get to play the release version with everything fixed, they got the experience kind of ruined.

I think WoW, and other similar games should only have the friends and family closed beta.

 

[StriderShinryu]

If it's a proper Beta, then there should be a lot to be seen outside of the Beta once the full game is complete. In the Reach beta, for example, you're not experiencing the single player game at all and you're also not experiencing everything multiplayer will have to offer (from maps, modes and matchmaking to the final weapon/skill balance).

 

[Lovesfool]

The thing that I hate most in games is glitches. BETAs are, by definition, full of them.

I can see the point. I can also see the fanservice and PR value of it, as well as the practical benefits to the final game.

However, it still comes down to doing the BETA testers job for free for them. I prefer to play the game once it's finished.

 

[Marter]

No, I like to play Betas so that I can see how the game is looking. It won't spoil a game that I know I'm getting, but if I'm not liking how it is looking, I won't get the game. It can also help sell me on the game if the beta is amazing.

 

[Kajt]

No, much can happen between beta and finished product. And if anything, the beta for Starcraft 2 has made me want the game even more!

 

[JEBWrench]

The Betas I've been in haven't really spoiled anything. They were mostly just fun.

(Those being Saga of Ryzom, and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War)

 

[Simalacrum]

Nope, not really, since from my experience with Beta's, they generally feature very little of the actual game, so its more like a demo.

Sometimes they even help with your experience with the full version - getting my hands on the Metal Gear Online beta certainly helped me get a handle on the very complicated controls, and that helped me get into MGS4 once it came out.

Besides, beta's don't generally have any of the story of the game in them (if there is a story in it at all!), so there are little spoilers to be had in them.

 

[Proteus214]

Out of the betas that I was a part of, nothing was really spoiled that I didn't already expect. The surprises came later when I came across certain aspects of the game actually worked and in a very spectacular way that weren't functional in the beta, also it's refreshing when the difficulty curve is working properly.

It's really an experimental experience.

 

[Notthatbright]

Betas don't spoil things. People in beta spoil things. Websites spoil things. You can't go anywhere on the internet these days without someone spoiling something. The only way to not spoil something is truly not care.

 

[Contun]

I got to play the betas for the Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King, and when I actually got to play it in-game it was still just as enjoyable. I really hope I get to play the Cataclysm Beta. The "leak" has really got me excited about Cataclysm again.

Goblins ftw.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

yes, that's exactly the reason why i never participate in beta's ... first you spoil the game for yourself and then every account gets a reset (in mmo's)

 

[Kris015]

Really depends on what kind of game it is