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Why Are Game Studios So Afraid of Betas?

Why Are Game Studios So Afraid of Betas?

There’s been a shift in gaming over the last few years. Instead of developers and publishers being high above us, like gods on Olympus looking at gamers below, they’re more on equal footing. Thanks to betas, it feels more like people playing games are being heard. Our thoughts started being considered last gen, and with generation we should start seeing as many AAA games getting alphas and betas. Yes, it makes players guinea pigs, but it’s for the best reasons.

EA and Ghost Games’ Need for Speed beta qualifies as one of these good ideas. People might be hesitant, since it’s an always online experience. Even if you play solo, the internet connection has to be there. By letting people try the game first, they can see if that requirement actually benefits the game. Meanwhile, the developer and publisher see if they’re ready to handle the stress and demand of an always-connected racing game.

Even when a beta goes wrong, it’s still a good experience. The recent Street Fighter V beta is a good example. It was a bit of a debacle, initially. The demand was taking down the servers. No one was able to play. Capcom had to do smaller betas to ascertain information, and it was quite a few weeks before it finally began in earnest. Still, for all the frustration, it genuinely helped Capcom with finding out what demand would be like and get a working beta going so the final product will be better.

Then there’s Japan’s Dark Souls III beta. How many of you were jealous when it was announced ahead of the 2015 Tokyo Game Show? I mean, the opportunity to see what From Software has done so far with the game in October, when the final product isn’t going to be done until March for people in Japan and April for the rest of us? It’s such a great opportunity. Not only for fans either, since the developer is sure to pull some great data from the experience.

Why Are Game Studios So Afraid of Betas?

Think of how great it would be if suddenly, out of nowhere, Bethesda announced a Fallout 4 closed beta for the middle of October. Think of how happy that would make people. Plus, it’d benefit the company. Bethesda games have a history of not running so well on PlayStation 4s. A beta would help weed those issues out and result in a better day-one patch.

Really, companies should consider betas more often. Especially for AAA games. Think of it as a trust building exercise. I mean, what is there to be afraid of? The people playing would know it’s a work in progress, so it isn’t as though judgements would be severe. Plus, it may even make people more inclined to play the game, since they were able to test it first and contribute to a better final product.

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