Friday, October 8, 2010

Membership Doesn’t All Ways have it’s Privileges..

   As I’m writing this I’m literally, waiting in a que for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Beta game session.  I’ve only been able to get into 2 games in the passed 2 hours; and people are quitting out of my current session.  I’m not sure what’s more infuriating the fact that I’ve only played 2 games or that people are actually going back into a even wider que thinking things are going to be quicker.

     This is the exclusive beta that only people who have pre-ordered(I pre-ordered), some PSN Plus Members, or members of the press were allowed into and then only just this week.  Before that, t was only European Plus Members and Press.

    This is one of two “exclusive” betas that have sprung up for different games in the past couple of weeks and I’m sorry but I think this was a TERRIBLE IDEA!  These are multiplayer games, that need LOTS of people to play them in order to test server load, game balance, etc…  Considering the time of the year, this probably the second worst time to be holding one of these “exclusive betas.”  The first of course, being actual holiday season which in the US starts around November 1st.

 

    The other offending Beta is Dead Space 2 Multiplayer Beta.  Which I got into, I guess, because I’m a member of the press and a member of EA Gun Club or maybe one or the other.  I don’t know.  EA never really explained why anyone got in, the invites just showed up.  Also apparently, if you were a PSN Plus member you were in the group to be chosen.  Whatever, that actually meant.

    I booted up Dead Space 2 Multiplayer around 5 times at different times of the night and I have NEVER gotten into a game.  Some of the times, I must admit, I only tried to get in once or twice and then got fed up and left but the other times, I spent upwards of 20 minutes trying to get on.  Nothing…

    My point is that if your going to make an exclusive test anything, you might want to be sure that there will be enough people out there to ACTUALLY test what your working on.  Otherwise, other than a marketing stunt; your beta hasn’t achieved anything.  Not to mention the people who pre-ordered and are now thinking the game will be a failure because no one “seems” to be playing it.

    Now, I hear that Killzone 3 will have an exclusive PSN Plus grab bag type beta sign up.  Great, should I just not bother if I get sent the code?  Because if it’s just me, and 101,000 people, then I’m probably never going to get on. 

No comments: