So Matrix/Slitherine is now selling Beta's

[SgtRock]

Wow, even Matrix/Slitherine has joined the rest of the industry and selling Battle Academy 2 Early Access. :P Sorry but, selling unfinished software is just like selling snake oil or in this case (Slitherine Oil - LOL). Anyone who thinks this is a good idea, just wait until EA and/or Microsoft starts doing this! :o

In most beta's 99.98% of the time your great idea and most of your input is completely ignored (design is already done). Your nothing but, a "you paid for it (i.e idiot)" beta tester. Worst yet, if you really play Beta tester, you'll be so sick of the game before release, you'll likely never play it again after release.

What's next for this industry, finish it yourself software? ;)

[skeptical.platypus]

Yes, choice is bad!

How dare producers give consumers what they want. How dare they make money from doing it. And all you people who want early access are unquestionably not as smart as Sgt. Rock! After all, he's first genius evah to figure out what works for him is for What Should Be For Everyone!

[Apocalypse 31]

Most of Matrix games are unfinished, so whats the big deal?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Grim.Reaper]

To me I am fine with it.....it's our choice to buy or not buy...don't see anything wrong with it.  This of course assumes they have some level of testers outside of the first access people.

[JudgeDredd]

I actually truly do not mind paying for beta access. I know, I know...it used to be free.

I should say I don't mind paying for BETA access IF the cost is cheaper. There's a particularly expensive game out there that seems to be sitting in BETA afaic and that cost a phenomenal amount of money - so at least they're coming clean now.... but you know what...games seem to almost always hit the "stores" in beta format anyway...at least they're being honest about it.

[steve58]

Yup, their EAP started with Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager...and it is/was at a discount.

[Mad Russian]

I believe to be an Elite (the computer game, not a rating at Matrix)  beta tester was in the neighborhood of +$325. US.

Sorry, not doing it.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Queeg]

To me I am fine with it.....it's our choice to buy or not buy...don't see anything wrong with it. 

I agree nothing's wrong with it in the sense that folks are free to pay for beta or not.

But I do think it's a bad trend that ultimately will mean fewer games actually get finished.  The pay before finished model just creates too much incentive to collect first and complete never. 

[Dolan50]

I don't pay to test.
If some people want that option fine.Not me.
I don't buy unfinished products especially from companies like Matrix/Slitherine with a history of charging high dollar for not so high dollar or 1/2 assed  games.

I may be interested in putting up a down payment for the game to test if I like the idea of the game and an option for paying full price when the product is finished or the guarantee of a refund if the product is never completed.

Otherwise I'll wait and see how it fares after it hits the open market.
There are way too many incomplete games out now and I can think of better ways to burn my money.

[Ian C]

I don't pay to test either. However, if companies want to do this - fine. It means we find out early on how crap it is -or not.
If the game is finished and good by release - even better. If not, we already have a heads-up on whether to avoid it.

[SgtRock]

This pay of unfinished software is a bad trend I tell you and if enough people pay, it will become the norm, if it already hasn't!

For those who think it's a good idea, what are you willing to pay for next?

1. Pay for demos ($5, $10) a pop?

2. Pay for upgrades?

3. Pay for bug fixes?

4. Pay for features (developer gives you a list of Features;  just  pay an extra $29.95 for feature 1, pay $39.95 for feature 2, pay $50.95 for feature 3 , etc).

Sucker 101- Once you start paying for snake oil, then that's all you ever get because, everyone will be selling it! Why sell the real thing (finished product) if you keep buying the (unfinished version)!


What's next, pay to finish, you already paid for the beta now, just send another $39.95 for the upgraded (wink, wink finished) product! :P

[Arctic Blast]

This pay of unfinished software is a bad trend I tell you and if enough people pay, it will become the norm, if it already hasn't!

For those who think it's a good idea, what are you willing to pay for next?

1. Pay for demos ($5, $10) a pop?

2. Pay for upgrades?

3. Pay for bug fixes?

4. Pay for features (developer gives you a chose of Features;   pay an extra $29.95 for feature 1, pay $39.95 for feature 2, pay $50.95 for feature 3 , etc).


What's next, pay to finish, you already paid for the beta now, just send another $39.95 for the upgraded (wink, wink finished) product! :P

We're talking about people paying in now for a game still in active development. It's made very clear that you are not purchasing a finished product, you are purchasing something in development. Nobody is being misled about what they're getting. There is zero exaggeration about what you're purchasing. And you continue to be given new builds with new features, and the finished game when it's complete.

How in the world does that compare to paying for patches, upgrades or bug fixing for a finished product? This all reads like the sort of slippery slope nonsense one would expect to be coming from the mouth of Chicken Little.

[Greybriar]

I don't pay to beta test games. It's supposed to be the other way around.

But as long as someone pays for unfinished games, expect them to be put up for sale.

[SgtRock]

This pay of unfinished software is a bad trend I tell you and if enough people pay, it will become the norm, if it already hasn't!

For those who think it's a good idea, what are you willing to pay for next?

1. Pay for demos ($5, $10) a pop?

2. Pay for upgrades?

3. Pay for bug fixes?

4. Pay for features (developer gives you a chose of Features;   pay an extra $29.95 for feature 1, pay $39.95 for feature 2, pay $50.95 for feature 3 , etc).


What's next, pay to finish, you already paid for the beta now, just send another $39.95 for the upgraded (wink, wink finished) product! :P

We're talking about people paying in now for a game still in active development. It's made very clear that you are not purchasing a finished product, you are purchasing something in development. Nobody is being misled about what they're getting. There is zero exaggeration about what you're purchasing. And you continue to be given new builds with new features, and the finished game when it's complete.

How in the world does that compare to paying for patches, upgrades or bug fixing for a finished product? This all reads like the sort of slippery slope nonsense one would expect to be coming from the mouth of Chicken Little.

Don't take off those rose colored glasses! ;D

Just look at some of the Steam's early releases, it's not clear what your getting (Alpha, Beta, etc.), in fact Alpha and/or Beta release can very greatly from one developer or another.

Where is the money back guaranty that the game will ever be finished? There's a long long list of games that never make it to release, the only difference is, no one sold the unfinished version (aka early release).
 
It's a economic fact, if people start buying unfinished software, then you'll get more and more of it!!! It's only a matter of time before one of the early release projects fails before anyone get's a completed version!

[mirth]

Ha! Paying for beta access! It's PT Barnum's dream come true!