So other companies don't announce Beta dates?

[Pride]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

This thread would be a lot more awesome if people could find at least 10 multiplayer shooters or games that are close to shooters in the past 5 years that announced their beta dates, along with source of evidence.

Is that a challenge I sense? I believe ten may be a bit ambitious, I can't think of ten big shooter released in the last couple of years. How about five and you can work with me from there?

Halo Reach - X360
Microsoft
Announced for 3rd of May on the 11th Febuary
3 Month Gap
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/halo-reach-beta-dated

Halo 3 - X360
Microsoft
Announced for 16th of May on the 10th of April
1 Month Gap
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/ha...irmed-for-may/

Call of Duty: World At War - X360/PC
Activision
Announced on the 9th of August (or possibly the 8th of september, i'm not sure of the date format here) for an October release.
3(or possibly 2) month gap.
http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/2658086

Battlefield 3 - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for 27th of September (closed, 29th open) on the 20th of September.
1 week gap.
http://www.neoseeker.com/news/17406-...beta-date-set/

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for 28th of January on the 8th of January.
1 month gap.
http://www.shacknews.com/article/618...d-company-2-pc

So there we have it, from all the influential shooters of the past 5 years I can think of straight away then their beta dates.

Edit: I was bored so I decided to meet your original challenge.

Black light Retribution - PC
Perfect World Entertainment
Announced for 27th of Febuary on the 14th of Febuary.
2 week gap.
http://blacklight-retribution.browse...g-shooter.html

Brick Force - PC
Infernum Productions
Announced for February the 28th on the 3rd of Febuary.
1 month gap.
http://brick-force.browsergamez.com/...der-title.html

Dust 514 - PS3
CCP Games
Announced for June 29th on the 5th of June.
1 month gap.
http://thecontrolleronline.com/2012/...ate-confirmed/

Mass Effect 3 (more of a co-op shooter apposed to full on fragfest granted) - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for Feb 14th on the 18th of Jan.
1 Month gap.
http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/mass-eff...1216713p1.html

Ghost Recon Future Solider - X360/PS3
Ubisoft
Announced for April 19th on April 5th.
2 week gap.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/05/gh...ork-announced/

So there you go, Challenge Accepted. 10 beta shooters, on multiple platforms as well as evidenced sources. With the additional 5 betas the new average for the gap between announcement and release is... 1 and a quarter months.

[Stardouser]

Originally Posted by Pride

Is that a challenge I sense? I believe ten may be a bit ambitious, I can't think of ten big shooter released in the last couple of years. How about five and you can work with me from there?

Halo Reach - X360
Announced for 3rd of May on the 11th Febuary
3 Month Gap
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/halo-reach-beta-dated

Halo 3 - X360
Announced for 16th of May on the 10th of April
1 Month Gap
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/ha...irmed-for-may/

Call of Duty: World At War - X360/PC
Announced on the 9th of August (or possibly the 8th of september, i'm not sure of the date format here) for an October release.
3(or possibly 2) month gap.
http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/2658086

Battlefield 3 - X360/PC/PS3
Announced for 27th of September (closed, 29th open) on the 20th of September.
1 week gap.
http://www.neoseeker.com/news/17406-...beta-date-set/

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - X360/PC/PS3
Announced for 28th of January on the 8th of January.
1 month gap.
http://www.shacknews.com/article/618...d-company-2-pc

So there we have it, from all the influential shooters of the past 5 years I can think of straight away then their beta dates are giving on average a month and a 1/2 before they start.

Ah sweet!!!

Just out of curiosity, did BC2 and BF3 meet their projected dates?

However I do note that BF3's beta was more of a demo - it released not long after, lol.

[Pride]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

Ah sweet!!!

Just out of curiosity, did BC2 and BF3 meet their projected dates?

However I do note that BF3's beta was more of a demo - it released not long after, lol.

EA tend to have a habit of releasing their "Betas" as almost complete games to double them up as a demo. However I wouldn't call them a demo as such as they do still make changes based on them, and they have a start and end date. Demos are usually finished.

To answer your question directly, yes I believe they did as I remember participating in them around the times quoted and I can't find contradictory information elsewhere. I also updated my list with 5 more games, admittedly Mass Effect is another one of those EA games which seemed to double as a demo, it even came bundled with a single player mission! I think they did use the multiplayer data to improve the final product though so I choose to include it.

[Stardouser]

Originally Posted by Pride

EA tend to have a habit of releasing their "Betas" as almost complete games to double them up as a demo. However I wouldn't call them a demo as such as they do still make changes based on them, and they have a start and end date. Demos are usually finished.

To answer your question directly, yes I believe they did as I remember participating in them around the times quoted and I can't find contradictory information elsewhere. I also updated my list with 5 more games, admittedly Mass Effect is another one of those EA games which seemed to double as a demo, it even came bundled with a single player mission! I think they did use the multiplayer data to improve the final product though so I choose to include it.

Nice! One question...you only listed one CoD game, does this mean CoD's latest games have not been announcing their beta dates?

[Pride]

Originally Posted by Stardouser

Nice! One question...you only listed one CoD game, does this mean CoD's latest games have not been announcing their beta dates?

World at War is the only game that I recall Call of Duty doing a beta for in recent years, at least it was the only one I was personally involved in. The others have all been in-house to my knowledge. Hence the broken mess we get every year :P

[InternetZombie]

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time

Valve is the worst for releasing stuff. Hell they said we would have Half Life 2 Episode 3 by Christmas 2007... so you know there only late by 4 and a half years now...

PS2 is still being tested internally... If it takes them another year to work out all the kinks then so be it, I only want to play the very best game.

[The Degenatron]

Oooo, this is FUN! I've got some:

Team Fortess 2
Announced: 1998 / Released: October 10, 2007
9 Year Gap

Duke Nukem Forever
Announced: 1997 / Released: 2011
14 Year Gap

Black Mesa Source
Release Date Announced: Dec 2008 for "Sometime in 2009" / Still in Developement
-3 Year Gap

The point? Shit happens and only an idiot would make a guarantee when no reasonable time-frame can be predicted.

[UnDeAdKiTtY]

I was wondering about this myself, I was starting to get annoyed at all of this we are going to announce something in the coming weeks stuff. By no means am I bashing the developers or marketing people, I just don't like it when someone pisses on my leg and tells me its raining. If you are gonna build up all this hype why do it when beta is further away then is assumed, because you guys will get burned by the people you are trying to appeal to. I know this is out of your hands but please realize this.

I am patient and I am going to play it when it comes out, I am happy to wait and can't wait to have alot of fun, but the livelihood of a free to play game relays on the people that are there first and pushes it to other people. Along with the fact that only 30 percent of your customer base will be paying you guys can't afford to make this mistake. Please be aware of this

Much love undeadkitty

[Kilratha]

Originally Posted by Pride

Is that a challenge I sense? I believe ten may be a bit ambitious, I can't think of ten big shooter released in the last couple of years. How about five and you can work with me from there?

Halo Reach - X360
Microsoft
Announced for 3rd of May on the 11th Febuary
3 Month Gap
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/halo-reach-beta-dated

Halo 3 - X360
Microsoft
Announced for 16th of May on the 10th of April
1 Month Gap
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/ha...irmed-for-may/

Call of Duty: World At War - X360/PC
Activision
Announced on the 9th of August (or possibly the 8th of september, i'm not sure of the date format here) for an October release.
3(or possibly 2) month gap.
http://www.ausgamers.com/news/read/2658086

Battlefield 3 - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for 27th of September (closed, 29th open) on the 20th of September.
1 week gap.
http://www.neoseeker.com/news/17406-...beta-date-set/

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for 28th of January on the 8th of January.
1 month gap.
http://www.shacknews.com/article/618...d-company-2-pc

So there we have it, from all the influential shooters of the past 5 years I can think of straight away then their beta dates.

Edit: I was bored so I decided to meet your original challenge.

Black light Retribution - PC
Perfect World Entertainment
Announced for 27th of Febuary on the 14th of Febuary.
2 week gap.
http://blacklight-retribution.browse...g-shooter.html

Brick Force - PC
Infernum Productions
Announced for February the 28th on the 3rd of Febuary.
1 month gap.
http://brick-force.browsergamez.com/...der-title.html

Dust 514 - PS3
CCP Games
Announced for June 29th on the 5th of June.
1 month gap.
http://thecontrolleronline.com/2012/...ate-confirmed/

Mass Effect 3 (more of a co-op shooter apposed to full on fragfest granted) - X360/PC/PS3
EA
Announced for Feb 14th on the 18th of Jan.
1 Month gap.
http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/mass-eff...1216713p1.html

Ghost Recon Future Solider - X360/PS3
Ubisoft
Announced for April 19th on April 5th.
2 week gap.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/05/gh...ork-announced/

So there you go, Challenge Accepted. 10 beta shooters, on multiple platforms as well as evidenced sources. With the additional 5 betas the new average for the gap between announcement and release is... 1 and a quarter months.

NONE of which are MMO's. Massively Multiplayer Online. Not just Multiplayer Online. The difference between these types of games is night and day.

[Stardouser]

Originally Posted by Kilratha

NONE of which are MMO's. Massively Multiplayer Online. Not just Multiplayer Online. The difference between these types of games is night and day.

Remember, there are only 2 real MMOFPS, so it's either cite non MMO FPS info, or MMORPGs. I think non MMO FPS is more relevant here. Though I suspect Pride could probably find the info on some MMORPGs.

[Graywolves]

What are you talking about?

I'm pretty sure they told us about their alpha tests last december. They even told us about their beta build before E3. Then they continued to tell us about their beta internal testing and there's been tweets here and there about their playtests and technical tests.


What announcement are you missing?