I don't understand why you need a key for an open beta? If something is open why not let everyone signup as they please? Or am I missing somerthing here...? :-)

Mainly because your definition of 'Open beta' is not their definition of 'open beta'. Fact is that the term is not standardized, nor are they breaking any laws by claiming an open beta where  access is limited

Not saying they do, but having restricted access to an open beta is..silly. They might as well have called it extended closed beta.

Originally posted by Lundorff

I don't understand why you need a key for an open beta? If something is open why not let everyone signup as they please? Or am I missing somerthing here...? :-)

everything in life isn't free :(

i don't understand why people think they deserve free stuff regardless of what its called

Originally posted by Vinterkrig

everything in life isn't free :(

i don't understand why people think they deserve free stuff regardless of what its called

? I have no idea what you are talking about. I am just confused about the use of the word "open" when in fact the game is not open. It makes absolutely no sense to call it that and still demand a key to "unlock" it...

But it doesn't matter one way or the other really.

Originally posted by Lundorff

Originally posted by Vinterkrig

everything in life isn't free :(

i don't understand why people think they deserve free stuff regardless of what its called

 

? I have no idea what you are talking about. I am just confused about the use of the word "open" when in fact the game is not open. It makes absolutely no sense to call it that and still demand a key to "unlock" it...

 

But it doesn't matter one way or the other really.

It "opens" when you unlock it with a "key". Open to public for testing, not open for free play.

All kidding aside, I do wish Aion can let more people experience OBT, but I think they have a few good reasons to try to limit how many people participate in it.  All they really need is enough people to stress test the stability of the game so they have a good idea about what to do at launch, but they do not need all players who want to test it out to crowd out the servers.  Which from what I can see are quite alot of people.  Truthfully, there can be many reasons from practicality to marketing strategy, so can't say for certain.

Originally posted by linren

It "opens" when you unlock it with a "key". Open to public for testing, not open for free play.

All kidding aside, I do wish Aion can let more people experience OBT, but I think they have a few good reasons to try to limit how many people participate in it.  All they really need is enough people to stress test the stability of the game so they have a good idea about what to do at launch, but they do not need all players who want to test it out to crowd out the servers.  Which from what I can see are quite alot of people.  Truthfully, there can be many reasons from practicality to marketing strategy, so can't say for certain.

Then it's also locked to begin with :p

With an open beta I just assumed they would let X amount of people into the game to stress test it just as you say. They should just ignore the whole key thing and simply limit the amount of player per server.

Oh well, just bought it :)

can you imagine the anger of people if the just closed the doors when they were at capacity? so many people would be saying how the game is unstable, and servers can't handle any type of loads, cause of course they are the only ones that really matter.

No I think the way they are handling it is fine. If you were interested enough to buy the guy already or lucky enough to find a beta key giveaway, cause you were looking up the game, you get in. It's not a free trial, its a beta. Sorry if you didn't get in, but hey not everyone gets into a beta, thats why its a beta test, not a free trial.

Ok. Well people want to debate what an OB means. It means a Open Stress Test. That doesn't mean EVERYONE is included. Since it is a TEST the only people availible to partake are older beta users, pre-orderers, and people who won a competition. Many times in OBs nearly half way through more third-party companies will give a similar contest again. So if you wanted to wait for a FREE OB key you would have to wait till OB is nearly half over. Nearly all recent MMOs have had the OB without it being availible to everyone. Now if a Free2Play MMO states it has an OB it might as well be everyone, but that's just my opinion.

The term "open beta" is a dated term. You will never see a major MMO have a true open beta ever again trust me. There would be so many people it would crash any server capacity they had. You can't expect them to have more capacity for beta then they will have at release. Too many people think betas are for freeloading these days. Stop the QQing about terminology and use some common sense people. If you care you will sign up and get a key and if not you probably have no real interest in the game and your participation in beta is useless. Get your free entertainment someplace else.

I have no problem with needing a key for Open Beta, but they should spread the key giving to multiple sites. They should have give a few thousand keys to MMORPG.com and other free MMO sites, but having to be a paying member of one specific site seems wrong to me.

I agree, I don't give the car dealer money to try out a new vehicle..... The keys should be spread out more between multiple sites

cheese?

Originally posted by Andraaxx

I have no problem with needing a key for Open Beta, but they should spread the key giving to multiple sites. They should have give a few thousand keys to MMORPG.com and other free MMO sites, but having to be a paying member of one specific site seems wrong to me.

I think that is what those sites did with the key in order to get more subscriber.  I don't think NCsoft intended it to be used that way for OBT.  I mean even for CBT they many sites keys to be distributed, some gave them out freely while others have contest, and then there are sites that make you subscribe.

I suppose there is no real way to enforce how a middleman decide to use those keys.

I'm calling it an Open Beta since it took me 10 minutes to find a site where they were giving keys and 5 minutes to create an account on ncsoft website. I haven't bought the game and probably won't buy it at launch, so yea, it's an Open Beta. They're just handling it another way...

Originally posted by linren

Originally posted by Andraaxx

I have no problem with needing a key for Open Beta, but they should spread the key giving to multiple sites. They should have give a few thousand keys to MMORPG.com and other free MMO sites, but having to be a paying member of one specific site seems wrong to me.

 

I think that is what those sites did with the key in order to get more subscriber.  I don't think NCsoft intended it to be used that way for OBT.  I mean even for CBT they many sites keys to be distributed, some gave them out freely while others have contest, and then there are sites that make you subscribe.

I suppose there is no real way to enforce how a middleman decide to use those keys.

I am sure that the keys still belong to NCSoft. I would imagine that requiring a paid subscription to another company (site), in order to even have a chance to get a key, would require permission from NCSoft.

I'm buying the game anyway, but I have to agree with the OP to a degree. I understand the need to have keys, but to not have any on a first come, first serve basis for an OB seems a little strange. Especially from a company the size of NCSoft.

Just my virtual $0.02

Originally posted by Respit

Originally posted by linren

Originally posted by Andraaxx

I have no problem with needing a key for Open Beta, but they should spread the key giving to multiple sites. They should have give a few thousand keys to MMORPG.com and other free MMO sites, but having to be a paying member of one specific site seems wrong to me.

 

I think that is what those sites did with the key in order to get more subscriber.  I don't think NCsoft intended it to be used that way for OBT.  I mean even for CBT they many sites keys to be distributed, some gave them out freely while others have contest, and then there are sites that make you subscribe.

I suppose there is no real way to enforce how a middleman decide to use those keys.

 

I am sure that the keys still belong to NCSoft. I would imagine that requiring a paid subscription to another company (site), in order to even have a chance to get a key, would require permission from NCSoft.

 

I'm buying the game anyway, but I have to agree with the OP to a degree. I understand the need to have keys, but to not have any on a first come, first serve basis for an OB seems a little strange. Especially from a company the size of NCSoft.

 

Just my virtual $0.02

I agree and I am sure that Fileplanet paid for the rights to be the primary source for Aion's OB keys and did it to increase their amount of paid customers.