20°

Game Betas Should Be an Industry Standard

First Castle Crashers. Then Gears of War 2. And now Battlefield 1943.

The time to demand betas is upon us, my gamer friends. As consumers of digital entertainment, we have a right to demand quality for every product we purchase with our hard-earned dollars. Lately it seems as though the exchange has been very one-sided - we gamers plop down our cash and then sit and wait until all the "unexpected issues" are worked out on the developers side.

And we wait. And wait. And wait.

Read Full Story >>
civilizedgamers.com
Automat5406d ago

seems like the 360 could use some betas......

TheChosenWon5406d ago

This isn't a flamewar article in the least.

The core of this problem has nothing to do with console. It's at the developer level.

Keep your flamebait comments to yourself or hop on over to the Open Zone.

Automat5406d ago

did you read the article? was ths ps3 present? all he talks about is trouble with online on the 360... we all know that serious developers who don't want to disappoint their customers have betas-....

TheChosenWon5406d ago (Edited 5406d ago )

I still fail to see your point.

PSN was mentioned in the article as actually having been a smooth release for BF1943... why was it smooth for PSN and not XBL? Who knows - but general consensus is that it's because the XBL version of 1943 was much more popular than the PSN version, and the server balancing wasn't allocated properly - thus you wouldn't see "server bandwidth issues" on PSN.

But that wasn't the point of the article, isn't not PSN vs. XBL vs. PC. It's an attempt to hold developers accountable for what they release.

The other games cited in the article are popular issues within the XBL community - issues which aren't because of XBL itself, but instead were caused by poor design decisions by the developers (and could easily have occurred on PSN/PC if they weren't 360 exclusives). This isn't to say that PC/PSN haven't had shobby multiplayer games. To say one platform provides the perfect experience is asinine - noone can argue that without coming across as a delusional buffoon.

But like I said, this isn't a console issue. The bandwidth problem with BF1943 (as well as EA's existing account issue) would have been figured out sooner if there was a beta.

Activision's had very few problems with CoD: W@W or MW1 on either XBL, PSN, or PC. But they had betas that were able to deal with a myriad of issues before full release.

Noone's immune to the problem of shoddy software being released to the paying general public.

>>we all know that serious developers who don't want to disappoint their customers have betas<<

That's such a loaded statement I don't even know where to begin.
A) how do we classify "serious developers"? those who release betas? Please. This is a multi-billion dollar industry, I'm pretty sure most developers are "serious".
B) there are always going to be disappointed people, no matter what. This can't/should't dictate whether or not a beta/demo is released before a game's release, if not for the sole purpose of full-on product testing.
C) Change "We all know" to "I believe", since I don't agree with you so technically "we all know" is incorrect. ;)

In summary: The whole purpose of the beta is to limit any surprises, like BF1943's epic fail on XBL. There's no longer any excuse for developers to not offer them.

130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies2d ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

just_looken2d ago

Here here

Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.

I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing

CrimsonWing693d ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker3d ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing693d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt2d ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

just_looken2d ago

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.

380°

65 Year Old Gamer Racks Up Ridiculous Stats After Playing 1 Game for 15 Years

A very devoted fan of Call of Duty: World at War racks up incredible in-game stats while playing regularly for the past 15 years.

Read Full Story >>
gamerant.com
franwex297d ago

Well, he definitely got his money’s worth.

Abnor_Mal297d ago

Same as Shirley Curry playing Skyrim for years. In the next Elders Scrolls game they should have her in the game as some form of npc.

andy85297d ago

She is, I read she will be a character. Not a dig in any form but I hope she's alive when it releases

Relientk77297d ago

That's over 7,000 hours geez. What crazy stats

nitus10297d ago

Actually it is very easy to up the number of hours you have been playing a game. Basically all you need to do (assuming you have a PS4 or 5) is to place the console into stand-by without exiting the game, so if you do this a one hour gameplay actually becomes a 24 gameplay or longer.

boing1297d ago

What? So the game is still runinng when you put it to sleep? What?

EvertonFC297d ago

It's actually sad not an achievement but hey we need the full story details.

Knushwood Butt297d ago

There's someone on my friend list that has more than 6200 hours on Uncharted 4.

vTuro24297d ago

7k hours over 15 years isn't that crazy. The fact that he's been playing the same game for 15 years is more impressive.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 297d ago
anast297d ago

And then you got people that want to finish a game every week.

Rhythmattic297d ago

Nailed what is the Spectrum... For good and bad, Quality or Quantity..Or the unreasonable to reason for. ;)

jznrpg297d ago

Of course you will hit a ridiculous stat after 15 of anything.
My main character for Everquest had over 500 days played in the first 6 years of the game. I was young then and had a lot of time on my hands. I don’t think I could duplicate that again until I retire and not sure I could match it if I tried.

EvertonFC297d ago

500 days in 6 years is nothing lol, you do realise how many days in a year right ?

poppatron297d ago

I might be getting the maths wrong here, I think 500 days in 6 years works out at an average of just over 6 hours every single day. For 6 years. That’s pretty serious

EvertonFC297d ago

Edit: wrote this early this morning, I understand it's lots of hours now lol at myself 😂🤣😜

RedDevils297d ago

The only way to achieve this, is by having no life outside of video game lol.

Outlawzz297d ago

Strange choice of game but hey that's some devotion. Congrats to them!

Show all comments (18)
390°

Battlefield Legacy - Sunsetting Announcement

EA: "As we close in on 15 years since the release of Battlefield 1943, and Bad Company™ 1 & 2, we are announcing that their journey is coming to an end."

darthv72404d ago

This reminds me... I have ME on my PS3 hdd. Never really played it, but it was free.

XiNatsuDragnel404d ago

Digital future ppl is good they say nope imo

Eidolon403d ago

And it still says nothing about being able to downloaded even when it's off the storefront, that's a huge ouchie for some who somehow still have it in their backlog...

Shane Kim403d ago

Dont make it an issue when it's not. If you haven't played it in 15 years, chances are you'll never play it.

isarai404d ago

That all digital future sure looks great!

/s

zidane1341403d ago (Edited 403d ago )

Online game servers shut off eventually all the time. Doesn’t matter if you have the disc or not. Even if you have the disc, it’ll be just paperweight unless the game lets you connect directly to a friend or LAN play.

isarai403d ago (Edited 403d ago )

Read the article bro. They are delisting the games, including mirrors edge which is an offline game. Online servers i can understand, not being able to buy/download the games anymore? Completely separate issue, especially seeing as how some these games had lengthy sp campaigns and not just mp.

zidane1341403d ago

@israrai, you can still buy the disc for less then 10$. Hardly a loss.

TheEnigma313403d ago

You shouldn't have to buy the disc, that's the issue.

OhReginald403d ago (Edited 403d ago )

Some brilliant minds created servers to keep these old online games alive. A lot of ps2 and ps3 games that had there servers shut down a long time ago have been restored by fans to keep it going. Warhawk, killzone 2, socom 2/ confrontation, resident evil outbreak series, etc.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 403d ago
DankSinatra403d ago

The disc still exist. I don’t understand the issue. You guys are upset about that “all digital future” yet these games are not “digital only”. Hell digital only is a minority in the gaming world and so far we haven’t moved into it, the only digital only games are games as a service or online only games, which end up failing in the end.

This is no different than a store that stops selling old games, just go and buy a copy somewhere else. So which is it, you hate all digital or you like it? Make up your mind.

isarai403d ago

Talk about missing the point entirely. I'm not going to sit here and explain it to you, figure it out.

DankSinatra403d ago

Talk about whining about something and not wanting to explain from an off handed sarcastic original comment.

I got the point just fine. You’re literally complaining about something that has an easy alternative to it.

ManMarmalade402d ago

I don't think you got the point

DankSinatra402d ago (Edited 402d ago )

@ManMarmalade

No I got it, it has to do with the push towards a future of all digital and reprocussions of losing games. Something I already stayed that hasn’t happened nor is it large enough right now to cause any issues as the games that are all digital are online only to begin with or make up the minority of games

So I’ll say it again, the disc still exists for these games that are over a decade old and can still be played easily. You guys are contradicting the whole “we don’t want a digital only future” crying when the dude I originally responded to stated:

“Read the article bro. They are delisting the games, including mirrors edge which is an offline game. Online servers i can understand, not being able to buy/download the games anymore? Completely separate issue, especially seeing as how some these games had lengthy sp campaigns and not just mp.“

So again, which is it? Do you hate all digital or do you want it?

Inverno403d ago

On PC I don't think it's much of a problem but I'm sad to see BF43 being shut down. I haven't played it in a while since it's stuck on PS3, but i preferred it way more over BF3. It was the lack of invisible barriers which made it better for me.

badz149403d ago

BFBC2 was still the best overall package offered by the franchise so far IMO

porkChop403d ago

Absolutely. BC2 was such a great game. It's a shame we never got BC3.

P_Bomb402d ago

I had a great run on Bad Company 2. Pound for pound, as solid a BF package as there’s been.

InUrFoxHole403d ago

Does anyone play the last BF anymore? I searched crossplay servers and it was 20 people the most on all the servers? Can never find a game

SonyStyled403d ago

The last BC you mean? I was still able to find 10v10 on ps3 2 years ago on NA servers during the evenings. I have all the free and paid dlc installed, but there want any matches in the Vietnam dlc.

Show all comments (35)