I even pre-purchased GW2 but won't play this weekend.  My buddies think I'm crazy but I just don't see much of a reason to spend what little free time I have trying to log into an unfinished game only to have any progress I make wiped come Monday morning.

Some could argue that an open beta gives players an oppotunity to try a game before they buy it but with GW2 forcing players to pre-purchase (with no refunds) to play in the beta, that argument goes out the window.

I do however, applaud the real beta testers who spend many hours of their free time assisting game companies during the development process. 

I find betas do kind of spoil the game for you. Bugs and such can also give you a bad impression.

I haven't been bothering trying to get into many betas recently as well. Livestreams work just fine for figuring out if I really want to give a game a shot or not.

I used to love betas, but now not so much.

I really hate playing the same content over again - im kinda the opposite of an altaholic - and going through 3 or 4 beta weekends and playing the same starting zones means I am bored with it by the time the game actually releases and dont enjoy it until I get past where I got to in beta. 

Sometimes you can avoid this because different factions/races/classes have different starting zones, but with for instance Rift and SWTOR(the 2 most recent betas i have been in) you just get the 2...

Some people I heard saying they don't want to ruin their impression of the game by playing a beta. My friend is the same way, he loves movies but he doesn't watch the trailers of movies he really wants to see, even if he knows there is one.

Me, I don't care really, I like to try betas so I don't end up wasting my money on something I might not like.

I get what you're saying, but for me I use betas as a demo, espeiclaly important to me if I actually have to put up cash to play the game.  And you know if I catch a few bugs and report it, I get the satisfaction that I helped a little.

      I can see both sides...It really depends on why Im playing the beta....There are some games that I am curious about and would like ot help with its development......Some others though I want to use as a preview and those are the oens that if there is a wipe Im not interested in playing the beta....In some games the beta has ruined it for me while others it turned me onto a game I normally would have passed on.

Originally posted by CalmOceans

Some people I heard saying they don't want to ruin their impression of the game by playing a beta. My friend is the same way, he loves movies but he doesn't watch the trailers of movies he really wants to see, even if he knows there is one.

Me, I don't care really, I like to try betas so I don't end up wasting my money on something I might not like.

I know someone who doesn't play betas and who also won't watch movie trailers for movies he wants to see.  Kind of funny, but hey.

Strange? Not at all. I'm acquainted with a number of people who feel the same. Some approach it in similar fashion, viewing the beta as a potential "spoiler" for the genuine experience (and an often buggy one, at that), whereas others have stated that betas are little more than unpaid work and, therefore, akin to a veiled exploitation of the playerbase; to whit: why pay for late-development quality assurance when you can have your own players provide it?

I, however, view the opportunity to participate in betas as an advantage.

First, a recent trend among developers (or perhaps it's the publishers pushing the idea) is to offer various in-game incentives for participating in a beta. Among those I've received are titles, restorative items, assorted currencies (both regular and Cash Shop), mounts and cosmetic equipment.

Secondly, while Closed Betas tend to be followed by a wipe, it's become increasingly common that the Open Beta phase of games (particularly among the Free-to-Play market) remain persistent. As a result, those who participate begin at-release with an often substantial lead. The most recent example of this, in my experience, was with Seven Souls Online. I was among the first ten to reach level 40 (the present cap and the same enforced during the OB) and so received a custom weapon, yet also had that L40 character, in addition to another L40 and a L25 alt by the time Neowiz released the "full" game (which is quoted as it involved little to no legitimate change, save for the implementation of a Cash Shop). This, as I said, is but the most recent example and by no means a singular one. Indeed, the title "Open Beta" has become somewhat of a misnomer. I'd sooner label it "early release."

Furthermore, betas provide an opportunity to familiarize yourself not only with the gameplay mechanics but (for those who are interested) the lore. I, for one, enjoy dedicating my efforts to the game during beta, therefore ensuring I can leisurely approach the game on release; there are no hang-ups with the systems, no necessity to rush about nor inquire for aid. Only the sheer pleasure of playing remains.

Finally, betas are, as you pointed out, an excellent means of contributing to the game and the community supporting such. Whether via directly observing the evolution of the game (with ample opportunity to steer such through feedback) or merely taking those advantages they supply to aid newcomers at release, the beta remains an integral part of establishing how the game will progress. Quite often I've noticed guilds and other alliances springing up in beta that remain through to release.

Also, to touch upon Wolfenpride's "play by proxy" point: in my experience neither a livestream, pre-recorded footage nor any other preview/review can sufficiently approximate the experience of firsthand play. Bereft of the control, the tactile feel, I find it impossible to conceive of myself as anything more than a mere spectator. Perhaps that represents a lack of imagination on my part, but I need that exhilaration, however minute, of actually playing to appreciate the game. For instance, despite my interest, reading several reviews and watching countless reels of Youtube footage, it took playing an actual match in League of Legends to realize that I don't like it. :D

I've played countless betas in the past but sort of came to the same conclusion.

If theres anything i dislike Its repeating content and getting my characters whiped.

I'd rather have my first impression on a character i can keep.

Originally posted by Mythios11

I even pre-purchased GW2 but won't play this weekend.  My buddies think I'm crazy but I just don't see much of a reason to spend what little free time I have trying to log into an unfinished game only to have any progress I make wiped come Monday morning.

Some could argue that an open beta gives players an oppotunity to try a game before they buy it but with GW2 forcing players to pre-purchase (with no refunds) to play in the beta, that argument goes out the window.

I do however, applaud the real beta testers who spend many hours of their free time assisting game companies during the development process. 

 

 

 

To be fair, MMOs are never finished. I won't have time to do really let it sink in come launch and play it until I bleed. So I don't mind spoiling the early game by finding out what I want to play when the real game ships. I want to play GW2 for the long haul. I hope I am still playing this in 10 years. 

Never playing betas is perfectly normal.  I'd argue that the people who jump from beta to beta and usually quit before the game launches are the strange ones.

But preordering to get access to the beta and still not playing beta?  When you could have waited until you were ready to play the game before buying it?  I think that's strange.