I Need "Beta" Explained to Me :/

[TheSolemnHypnotic]

Okay, I pre-ordered inFamous 2 a few weeks back in-store at Gamestop (where I also applied for my first job recently). In the pre-order deal, you get a poster, some dlc, and Beta for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. I know this is uber-noob-like but how does a beta work if the game isn't out yet? Do I even need to worry about this? How do you use one?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Wait... what?

I...

My head hurts now.

 

[Limecake]

usually a game goes through 3 stages of playability.

1. Alpha which is where the games is far from complete, plenty of bugs and probably a few other huge issues.

2. Beta which is where the game is mostly complete except for some bugs.

3. Release where the game is released to the general public, few (if any) bugs remain if need be game can be patched in the future to clean up problems.

so when the beta is released you'll get to play it.

EDIT: looks like the beta will be released on the 5th of July

 

[Elamdri]

A beta is a pre-release version of the game. In the context of uncharted 3, beta and demo are interchangeable. Save the code and eventually they'll put the beta up on xbox live and PSN and you can download it and play it before the whole game comes out.

There's also such a thing as a "Beta testing phase" where developers will let players play with an unfinished version of the game, and the players will look for bugs and balancing problems, tell the devs, and the devs will make changes for the actual release. This pretty much never happens on console games tho. When they say "Beta" they mean "Demo"

 

[Koshok]

The term "Beta" is short for beta testing. This is done with most products prior to release.
The nuts and bolts of the concept is that the game is done, but it may have bugs. So, the developers will have people play the game early to help work out the bugs in the software. Many people like being a beta tester, so some devs make it a bonus, in this case for pre-ordering.

 

[Frozengale]

Beta is just a game in a playable but unfinished format. If you want to think of it in broader terms it's like a Car Prototype. Sure the car is functional and usable, but you aren't going to be seeing that car in the market because it's just a test model that the final product will be based on.

You could also think of it as the rough sketch of a painting. It gives you the general idea what the painting will look like, and depending on what type of painting it is, the sketch may already look like a finished work of art, but the artist still has to add some more onto it before it is finished.

 

[DEAD34345]

Beta is the second letter in the Greek alphabet. The end.

(In terms of games it basically means you'll get to play a demo before everyone else does.)

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

As it has been said a beta is a pre-build of the full game, it's not quite complete but it has enough done to be playable. It's to give players a preview of the game and what to expect, but also for developers to see how servers handle the influx of players and what bugs can be found before the full retail version of the game is out.

You probably have a code of some sort to enter somewhere and when the beta is available to be played for pre-order people(For Uncharted 3 I believe it is June 28th) you will be able to download it and play.

 

[Worgen]

beta on pc usualy means they let players help them look for bugs and balance issues but as I understand it on consoles players tend to think of it as a demo and dont seem to understand that its gonna have bugs, I just remember hearing about that from the gears of war 3 beta

 

[Agayek]

Okay, I pre-ordered inFamous 2 a few weeks back in-store at Gamestop (where I also applied for my first job recently). In the pre-order deal, you get a poster, some dlc, and Beta for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. I know this is uber-noob-like but how does a beta work if the game isn't out yet? Do I even need to worry about this? How do you use one?

A game's beta is a pre-release version of the game. In other words, it's an incomplete, but still mostly functional version that you can play before the game is released.

Follow the directions that come with the beta code, and you will be able to download and play Uncharted 3 a few weeks before the game is actually released.

A game beta is almost like a demo, but it's an incomplete version of the game, so they expect/want the players of the beta to point out flaws in the game before it is released.

 

[Dexiro]

Might be worth mentioning that with triple A games "beta" tends to mean "exclusive demo" rather than actual beta testing, it's a marketing thing. Not that bugs can't be reported during these "beta" periods, they're just not likely to be fixed until after release.

 

[Woodsey]

The beta is for the multiplayer, it helps the developers test balancing with a wider range of players, as well as letting them iron out any issues with matchmaking and their servers.

Just don't treat it like a normal demo, or else you'll sound like every other idiot who plays a beta.

 

[Wintermoot]

a Beta is a nearly done game it still has stuff like bug,s but is around 60-80% complete.

 

[CommanderKirov]

Alpha is full of bugs
Beta is close to bug free but still greatly untested.


Unless it's an MMO in that case

Alpha is Beta and Beta is a Marketing stunt and a demo for a chosen group (In large amount of cases).

 

[TheSolemnHypnotic]

Thank you so much. I was excited about it before I knew what it was! This sounds pretty awesome.