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Exploring the Current State of Beta Testing

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the only-if-you-actually-learn-from-the-past dept.

Karen Hertzberg writes "Since the earliest days of MMO gaming, beta testing has played a pivotal role in the success or failure of our persistent worlds. We've come a long way since the initial tests of Ultima Online and The Realm, but what role do our current beta tests play in the potential outcomes of unreleased titles? To answer this question, Ten Ton Hammer turned to current and former beta decision makers at Cryptic Studios, NetDevil, Sony Online Entertainment, Funcom, and Mythic Entertainment. Some of their answers — and the information they reveal — may surprise you."

2 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Some Games Just Don't Catch On by qpawn · · Score: 1, Funny

    After extensive beta testing, I decided to scrap my game tentatively titled "Kill Orcs Instead of Talking to Girls"... which, coincidentally, is the title of my autobiography.

  2. The future isn't pretty by Arimus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just thinking to the future; when we get games with direct neural interfaces or even decent force feedback systems who will want to the beta tester then?

    One wrong function call and the word 'headache' could gain a whole new meaning...

    --
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