The Weekly Raid: How Many Betas Is One Too Many?
With the announcement of Revelation Online's THIRD Closed Beta I can't help but wonder, has it gone too far? I remember a time in the long-long ago when games had ONE Beta test, designed to work out the kinks and gain player feedback just before a full release.
If your game's systems aren't near release ready, why are you releasing a Beta? Oh, because you want to keep laying down tracks to keep the hollering train rolling. Is that it? Have Betas become nothing more than a way to market a game, to build suspense and keep it relevant over a longer stretch of time?
My bias is clearly showing. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe someone can prove to me that multiple Beta tests are desirable, that they help polish up a game before release.
You tell me.
How many Betas is one too many? Let us know in the comments below!
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From Mega Man II to Ape Escape, I've been playing games for as long as I can remember. I've spent months killing porings in Ragnarok Online and more recently lived a second life in Eve Online. I usually play as gUMBY, gUMBLEoni, or gUMBLes in-game.
