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Beta test is it worth it?
hoopty
Member UncommonPosts: 788
Do any of you honest beta tester feel that you got rewarded good enough for your time and effort for testing a beta game knowing that the game company will be making millions?
Some people rob you at gun point..Others will rob you at "Ball Point Pen"
Comments
Rewarded? Nowhere do the majority of betas state when you sign up for them that they will reward you.
If you don't like that you dont get rewarded, don't sign up.
*sigh*
Beta testing. What is 99% of beta testing?
Playing the game.
That's right. In ALPHA testing, it's very different.
However, what the developers mostly need is warm bodies in front key boards mashing buttons in a beta test.
The diagnostic software collects data, and the developers analyze the data to tweak the game.
Can you really, seriously read 5 or 10 thousand bug reports a day? no, you cannot, but you can analyze the data from the diagnostic software.
Tha'ts why beta typically lags more than the release, because it's running the diagnostic.
So what do developers need beta testers to do?
Play the game.
If you don't like playing the game in beta, then dont'. There are plenty of bored people willing to take your place.
If you want to think you're an "important beta tester" because you fill out more bug reports than people who dont' fill out any, go ahead. It's harmless.
I've actually seen a few companies turning Bug Hunt into a Contest. Often along the lines of: The top 3 person to find/report as many bugs as possible will win "insert prize here". I'm not entirely sure about the "diagnostic software" part, it has it's limits.
I am 100% certain, that some people think they are l33t beta testers, and that they developed the game, because they filled otu some bug reports, and futhermore, that they are somehow more valuable to the developers than some noob just playing the game.
I garuantee you, the developers want as many noobs as possible just playing the game, and dont' give a shit about your "l33t beta testing skillz".
This. Studio's have not demonstrated to me that they know what beta testing should be about and mean anymore. Know what it is you want to develop and provide a project development plan/recipe to a professionale beta testing service, then launch your game.
Screw what their interpretation of beta testing has become.
I'd have to agree that developers don't "care" about who play "test" their game as long as they have a lot. At least that is the case during Open Beta for Server testing. As for Closed Beta, usually companies limits the amount of people who can join so yes they do care to some extent (companies asking players to fill form that requires information about your computer, etc), they do care a "bit more" but that's about it.
That said, I haven't seen this happening a lot recently in P2Ps (with a few exceptions). They usually offer pre-orders that includes access to Closed-Beta while F2Ps would rather release limited Free Closed Beta Keys OR have a computer program selects the participants based on pre-determine criterias (by reading through the forms that players had to fill)
Why should you be rewarded?
It's not like an in-house job where you are getting paid, and have to wear a snazzy card around your neck. You're at home, playing a game in your free time, and giving feedback at your leisure. Why should rewards be given to people in such a giant range of dedication to it? Should there be incentive for actually submitting bugs? Who would honestly not give duplicates or false info just to get more out of it in the end?
It comes down to some people taking it seriously and wanting nothing out of it, then the rest wanting a free trial with some cake at the end of it.
Writer / Musician / Game Designer
Now Playing: Skyrim, Wurm Online, Tropico 4
Waiting On: GW2, TSW, Archeage, The Rapture
It's not something that appeals to everyone, that's for sure. But it can also be like any other hobby - just because there's no monitary gain, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and get some pride out of it. But yeah, it's not cause to go bragging about it to those who haven't.
A Modest Proposal for MMORPGs:
That the means of progression would not be mutually exclusive from the means of enjoyment.
People pay to get into closed betas nowadays, so clearly a rather large number of people think it's worth it. (Not directly pay, but things like Gamespy memberships where it enables early beta access.)
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
I believe each game is different. When I beta tested SWG, the devs made a site with all the beta testers names on it, publicly thanking us for efforts. It wasn't much, but people were very proud to see their name listed on a site right below the devs names. That was worth it for me.
Since then I've beta tested many other games and leave most with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Her-in lies the problem. People are paying to get into a beta period, stuidos are encouraging it, people are not actually beta-testing, studios are fishing for an early influx of cash and inevitably churning out a lousy product.
We've seen or should I say, experienced whats wrong with this situation.
"Badly managed beta" is very low on the list of reasons a game will turn out bad. The root problems are usually poor planning, lack of talent/experience, or insufficient interdepartmental communication. Those root problems ("poor planning" in particular) might cause a bad beta, but the beta itself wasn't to blame for the product being bad.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Usually they are not worth it although there are exceptions.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
It rewards my curiosity. I don't want or expect anything else.
I found I don't have the desire or time to beta test. Plus it usually tainted my opinion of a game.
So I don't apply or even accept Beta Test anymore. I find as I mature, I would rather wait and let those who have the time to commit to playing a game to find the cracks.
I think beta's, especially closed beta's are worth it in terms of feedback. Not only do you get the see a bulk of what is going on in the game, you get a chance to provide feedbac. The only time I don't feel beta's are worth it is when the feedback system is a ridiculous mess where presenting bug reports, feedback, and just data in general is ridiculously tideous. Still, how can a beta test not be worth it? All you are doing is spending your time to play a game that is, granted not in a finished state, but still something that isn't costing you more than that, time. Hopefully they have professional testers in there somewhere, and I wish they would give a little more guidance on what to report in a bug report. I think it was STO that had locs that seemed 20-25 characters long and no way to copy it... so they certainly didn't get an exact position from me when i encountered a bug that didn't crash me out.
Open beta's are especially worth it for gamers. If that game is coming out in a week, you are pretty much seeing what is going to be there on release day with the exception, hopefully, of a few less bugs.
parrotpholk-Because we all know the miracle patch fairy shows up the night before release and sprinkles magic dust on the server to make it allllll better.
Very true. But I am glad there is YouTube. Usually the devs avoid showing gameplay vids on the official site. And since they don't offer a free trial at launch, checking those vids can give you a better idea if the game is worth playing. Actually some people join beta to just make the decision if they will buy the game. And the devs know this, therefore now we see a lot of cash grab in betas.
You are going to get a lot of replies to the effect that beta testers are supposed to be saintly, unselfish, unrewarded, pure hearted, helpful-just-to-be-helpful, folks who beta test only to find bugs and not to play. They will excoriate you for not being a "real" beta tester and for being unworthy. Because we know lots of unselfish people like that in game and in real life yes?
The truth is most people beta test so they can play a game early for free. That's the reward. In return, you find bugs and give input, as well as being another body in their world whose behavior they can monitior. That's the reward for the company. It's symbiotic.
But the "you don't deserve to be a beta tester because you're not pure like me" game has been played out on message boards for over a decade. It's the same as when beauty contestants say they are competing so they can help achieve peace on Earth and love throughout its peoples.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
The reward of beta testing is knowing you made a difference, however little, with your bug reports and whatever logs they collected (at least for me). Even if you're only really playing because it's free and you get a sneak-peek, you're contributing to data collection.
"If all you can say is... "It's awful, it's not innovative, it's ugly, it's blah.." Then you're an unimaginative and unpolished excuse for human life" -eburn
Yes. Gotta love the reality that youtube provides, and reports from reality-based people at times. The cash-grabs just compound consumer and forum vitriol if the games turn out to be a poor product or if a game that has a 'launch attempt' based on lofty projections blunders miserably.
The 2 most recent attempts and cases are Star Trek Online and Xsyon. STO failed to deliver anything that resembles a Star Trek IP with faction vs faction mmorpg, to say the least. And Xsyon, like Mortal Online, has lured consumers into purchasing based on their communication that they already beta tested, there will be no open public beta, that Notorious stress tested and found that the game should support the size of community without problems. Then a couple weeks later the community realizes that 90% of the content isnt in, the servers are crashing constantly, and the devs begin announing large delay gaps in release.
I do want studios to take responsibility for their own testing, but in this case, when I thought that was the case, I was wrong. I still think the right answer if for studios to take responsibility. But again, studio responsibility, leadership and accountability is sorely lacking.
There are phases in Beta so a broad sweeping labeling of "beta" is not very helpful.
The early Beta stages are alot different than the later stages. Alpha is usually all in house testing, Beta is when the testing expands. Beta 1 is usually a "family and friends" stage where Devs invite a select few into the testing process. Beta 2 is usually closed and selected via forum sign-ups, lottos etc. Beta 3 is the "open beta" and is more a server stress test than an actual game test, by this point the game is in play and its hardware they are testing not if X quest works or not .... those problems will be resolved in content patches.
So Beta 1 and 2 are used for bug finding and game enhancements etc and yes if your in a beta in this stage you should be submitting as much feedback as possible, or your a wasted slot. Beta 1 and 2 are limited b/c of bandwidths and server limitations etc. Games dont beta 1 and 2 with the server bandwidths they will go live with, its a scaling up process. Beta 3 is the "open" stage (stress test) and is the beta that you get access to with pre-orders etc.
It used to be that alot of open beta's were totally free and the players got a sneak peak at the game in return the devs got a true stress test of thier servers. Until you have 5000 people contecting to and using your servers you cant 100% know how your servers are gonna handle the processing etc.
These days companys are milking the stress test for a few extra bucks, thats progress folks.
Bottom line is dont be fooled, an Open beta is not there for testers to suggest game changing idears (new classes, abilitys whatever) all that stuff is already set by beta 3, your just there to test the hardware and maby bring to light some exploites or glitches that were missed. Sure you can report any minor bugs you find, chances are they already know about them though and just hav'ent allocated resources to fix 'em yet .. dont expect anything to be done about them until content updates though (after the game is live) By Beta 3 they are looking at going live "as is" and tweaking what you find later if required.
If you really want some true impact on how a game evolves you need to get in at the earliest stage possible, that means be on the staff and in Alpha / Development or failing that get friendly with the Devs and try and get into Beta 1 where you *may* be able to have some impact (minimal at best since by beta 1 the framework should already be in place) ... Dont fool yourself into thinking your gonna change *anything* about a game by being in an open beta (beta 3) coz your not.
All my own opinions from the beta's I've done (2's and early 3's ... I'm not "connected" enough to get into a beta 1
)
As for the OP's question about "rewards" .... I'm assuming that most people are viewing this from the beta 3 standpoint, so in responce I ask you .. when you test drive a car are you upset that the dealer does not offer you a reward? Thats basically what playing a beta 3 is about ... testing a finished product.
*Most* Developers will give thier beta 2 and 1 testers a nod, be it in the way or a special forum title, or in game pet or some other crap .. but those of us who test 1 and 2 dont do it for the "reward" we do it to have some (although very minor) input on the games we love ... if your trying to get into a beta in the early stages (1 or 2) for a reward .. your there for all the wrong reasons ...
Beta testing is taken seriously by everyone; company obv to release a cleaner product and the consumer to sneak preview a game usually for free but sometimes by preordering, plus it gives them something to do.
Gives those players the advantage of experience when the real game finally comes out. Edge over the competition. Guilds are formed a lot in closed beta, that helps. Plus they get to say they were in from the beginning, which is important to some people. Lots of benefits, no negatives. Payment involves preordering the game meaning not paying for the game later when it actually comes (do you not understand that concept) or subscribing to some websites which happen to give access once in a while. Whatever.
Really... The reward should be a great game.
Betas fail these days because the testers aren't seriously testing. It's more like a preview than a test. I'm definitely guilty of playing betas as a preview. It also doesn't help that people who preorder get into betas.
IMO developers should have strict rules for betas to get people who actually want to test and help the game be great. Testers should be required to log in a certain amount of time each week. They should also be required to report and give detailed feedback through text or polls after each session. If these requirements are not met, they should be removed as a tester.
It might not be the friendliest way to go about things, but i believe it would separate the serious testers from those who want a preview.