Age of Conan Community Manager Shannon  Drake has posted a clarification in the AoC forums, about whether or not Age of Conan will have an open beta, as there were several reports out of CES last week stating the contrary.  Age of Conan will indeed have an open beta, but the beta won't be wide open, as there will be an application process.

Looks like there was a miscommunication/misunderstanding at the show.

We are planning to have an open beta for the game as we get closer to launch, however, it will be through specific partners and require an application/registration process, much like most of the other betas for most other games.

We will be limiting the number of keys we release to a manageable number at any given time, rather than subjecting people to queues and loading screens and so on. By "a manageable number," we mean tens of thousands, not just a handful.

We’re also ramping up some of our tech test betas, and, of course, we’ll be doing key giveaways, inviting forum veterans, and inviting more people to the current, closed stage of beta as we ramp up for launch.

So, yes, there will be a wider-scale open beta, but it will require an application/registration process and won’t be as simple as “press button, get key,” which is what we wanted to say.

Read more here.

Good call out.

Many were worried that no beta could mean it's a poor product.

My prediction :

YOU won't be getting in.

No one YOU personally know will be getting in.

Some unidentified 'special set' of folks will get into the 'Open Beta'.

Just like it was for EQ2.

I am thinking the 'Open Beta' will happen a few weeks before release.  Far to late for any negative information to get out and impact the early sales.

I am waiting on this one; not spending money it till some folks that play it start reporting here.

If there is an 'application process', then it's not an Open Beta...as you do not need to be 'chosen' to play in an Open Beta; but this is Funcom we're talking about!

Originally posted by mlauzon

If there is an 'application process', then it's not an Open Beta...as you do not need to be 'chosen' to play in an Open Beta; but this is Funcom we're talking about!

Where is the definition of Open Beta set so indelibly in stone?  The screening process is probably like LOTRO's Open Beta. One still needed to register, but most who wanted in, got in.

This is a good call on Funcom's part, great marketing as long as they don't approach Open Beta like Garriott approached it. Namely, Open Beta is largely a marketing tool, not a testing tool. Sure testing happens, but if your game is still in need of extensive testing, said game should not be in Open Beta.

As far as open beta or not, most people on this site are not interested in playtesting a game to make it better, which is what beta is supposed to be (helping the dev's put out a better product).

Most of the people on this site want to...

a) play a free game.

b) use beta as a free trial.

Funcom as a company rocks.

AO is a quality game, I have no doubt AoC will be as well.

---

Originally posted by Cerion

---

Originally posted by mlauzon

If there is an 'application process', then it's not an Open Beta...as you do not need to be 'chosen' to play in an Open Beta; but this is Funcom we're talking about!

---

Where is the definition of Open Beta set so indelibly in stone? The screening process is probably like LOTRO's Open Beta. One still needed to register, but most who wanted in, got in.

This is a good call on Funcom's part, great marketing as long as they don't approach Open Beta like Garriott approached it. Namely, Open Beta is largely a marketing tool, not a testing tool. Sure testing happens, but if your game is still in need of extensive testing, said game should not be in Open Beta.

---

Do you realize that your user icon is hypnotising?

Fileplanet?

Personally, I am glad they either changed their minds - Or - it was a misunderstanding.

When I tested WoW... <Open Beta for Server Stress Testing>, is when I really fell in love with the game eons ago and was hooked.. OR - rather my wallet was.

So, am glad that it will have some sort of Open Beta for people. Hopefully.. it will be for alot of people.

Especially to stress test the servers. That makes a world of difference to me, when playing a MMO. If the server you are on is crap.. due to high latency.. it no longer is worth either my time, or my money.

Originally posted by Dhaeman

Fileplanet?

I agree. It sounds like they are going to do their open key giveaway through FP. Probably a few days of member-only sign-ups then opened to the general public. WoW did this, and so have some other games (TR did too, I think).

Originally posted by will200

 

Originally posted by Dhaeman

Fileplanet?

 

I agree. It sounds like they are going to do their open key giveaway through FP. Probably a few days of member-only sign-ups then opened to the general public. WoW did this, and so have some other games (TR did too, I think).

PotBS as well.

Oh when they saw all the negative posts like "no open beta they hidding something, im not buying before i see how it goes and i dont risk my money to test vanguard again" they change their minds and they will extend their close beta to a few more thousands and call it open beta.

I use the open beta has a test for the game and I'm part of the people who thinks that no open beta is a bad sign. I don't care if it's a bad attitude or if "it's not what an open beta is intended to be".

The thing is that usually, new mmos don't include a free trial (by free I mean that it includes a free client download). If you want to test the game, you have to buy the client and if you don't like it you become the happy owner of a useless DVD that cost you 6 months of subscription in any other MMO.

No way for me.

If there are a lot of people like me, the choice is simple for Funcom or any other : whether you allow people to test your game freely and you start your game with a huge community (ok, if the game worths the shot) or you don't allow free test and you will have hard times ahead to build a decent commmunity.

I really think that test/open beta are really boosting sales for a new mmo. So, no open beta, no good game.

Then its not a open beta , if it requires you submitting a application / registering and then waiting for a response, thats not the principle of open beta, open beta is something fileplanet or _W_ hosts and you click to get a key and go to a webpage and sign up with that key, think the people at CES have misunderstood something.

Originally posted by Snikes

I use the open beta has a test for the game and I'm part of the people who thinks that no open beta is a bad sign. I don't care if it's a bad attitude or if "it's not what an open beta is intended to be".

The thing is that usually, new mmos don't include a free trial (by free I mean that it includes a free client download). If you want to test the game, you have to buy the client and if you don't like it you become the happy owner of a useless DVD that cost you 6 months of subscription in any other MMO.

No way for me.

If there are a lot of people like me, the choice is simple for Funcom or any other : whether you allow people to test your game freely and you start your game with a huge community (ok, if the game worths the shot) or you don't allow free test and you will have hard times ahead to build a decent commmunity.

I really think that test/open beta are really boosting sales for a new mmo. So, no open beta, no good game.

If your to broke to be able to afford a game before buying it, to bad so sad, get a second job / better job , or better yet, GET a job :)

Open betas are mainly for testing the servers, call it a stresstest if you want. Its also a great way to find problems within the network and system. I really don't want them to find that out on release date.

Do you really believe the devs are that ignorant to believe they will get quality feedback from everyone?

Originally posted by TiiKii

Personally, I am glad they either changed their minds - Or - it was a misunderstanding.

When I tested WoW... <Open Beta for Server Stress Testing>, is when I really fell in love with the game eons ago and was hooked.. OR - rather my wallet was.

So, am glad that it will have some sort of Open Beta for people. Hopefully.. it will be for alot of people.

Especially to stress test the servers. That makes a world of difference to me, when playing a MMO. If the server you are on is crap.. due to high latency.. it no longer is worth either my time, or my money.

They didn't change their minds. If you read the Game update here on this site you would have seen the original concept of their beta. They have over 100,000 people signed up to beta at some point. They will simply invite more as the game gets closer to release. They are just restating that to qualm all of the Trialers who must be able to get a free shot at the game before it comes out. OR they will say the game is crap (Oh the intelligence there is captivating)

Imagine for a second that this wasn't an MMO people. HL2 Open Beta? If you buy the game you play for a month - you do not have to sub. GET over it.

I also prefer they do a large scale beta... If i pay $50-$60 for a game, I'd like it to work when I get it, and not get some stupid message saying "Sorry, due to lat issues, the servers will be down from so and such til such and so." I mean, look at what happend to Vanguard at release. I say, let 'em get on with their stress testing before release, and not after I waste the money to hang a game before I really get a chance to play it. I don't think anyone would enjoy a game where the only thing that is ever said in general chat is "LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!" And "WTF, did anyone else just lose connection?"

Originally posted by raihiryu

I also prefer they do a large scale beta... If i pay $50-$60 for a game, I'd like it to work when I get it, and not get some stupid message saying "Sorry, due to lat issues, the servers will be down from so and such til such and so." I mean, look at what happend to Vanguard at release. I say, let 'em get on with their stress testing before release, and not after I waste the money to hang a game before I really get a chance to play it. I don't think anyone would enjoy a game where the only thing that is ever said in general chat is "LLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!" And "WTF, did anyone else just lose connection?"

The first 2 months after release was LLLLLAAAAGGGGG all the time. The servers would shut down all the time - we actually got refunded downtime added to our accounts.

They stress tested (read: open beta) the game tons and still had the issues. SO what makes the difference? Why do people still play by the millions?

The game is good. Polished. Does what they want it to do.

The same will be said for Conan. If it sucks or is amazing - an Open Beta will not determine success one way or another.

Betas are good, they allow people to help the developers find what doesn't work and improve the game, will I be one of those people? prob not 10k thats tiny among millions, of gamers, I mean it is a multi billion dollar industry. Still though... ***crosses fingers***.

Originally posted by sh4dowst4lkr

Betas are good, they allow people to help the developers find what doesn't work and improve the game, will I be one of those people? prob not 10k thats tiny among millions, of gamers, I mean it is a multi billion dollar industry. Still though... ***crosses fingers***.

The Open Beta is not a good forum for bug testing. Random people who care only about trying the game out before release do not report bugs they simply use them as an excuse to leave the game alone and spread bad PR for the game.

Stress testing is important however and that takes thousands. Which is why FC is inviting more people to the Beta to cover that base.

You pointed out how costly it is to make these games. It's sad that a a few freeloaders can ruin it for a company. I agree with FC's way of working this issue.

Honestly, I wasn't in WoW release or beta, I didn't jump on til after BC, and by then, it was great. But if they didn't have the months before release for stress testing, then the months after release would have been used for it. So instead of having stress tests in, let's say, May before release in July... the 2 months there would have been used in live server time, inwhich, who knows, they may have lost some people. I'm not saying that not stress testing will be the end of a game... just that if 2 months stress testing now makes it so they have less testing during release, let 'em get on with it.

---

Originally posted by kwai

---

Originally posted by Snikes

I use the open beta has a test for the game and I'm part of the people who thinks that no open beta is a bad sign. I don't care if it's a bad attitude or if "it's not what an open beta is intended to be".
The thing is that usually, new mmos don't include a free trial (by free I mean that it includes a free client download). If you want to test the game, you have to buy the client and if you don't like it you become the happy owner of a useless DVD that cost you 6 months of subscription in any other MMO.
No way for me.
If there are a lot of people like me, the choice is simple for Funcom or any other : whether you allow people to test your game freely and you start your game with a huge community (ok, if the game worths the shot) or you don't allow free test and you will have hard times ahead to build a decent commmunity.
I really think that test/open beta are really boosting sales for a new mmo. So, no open beta, no good game.

---

Open beta's or beta's arent made at all for you to play the game as you wish , your obligated to do as it says as a beta tester, your supposed to test the game's strength and weakness's and report it to the devs so it can be fixed / balanced.
If your to broke to be able to afford a game before buying it, to bad so sad, get a second job / better job , or better yet, GET a job :)

---

Yeah Snikes, you can't afford to toss 50 dollar bills into the gutter, you're such a loser.

POTBS had the same registration open beta process and i got right in after registration so i have no problem with this. Its better then no "open beta" at all. Why are their so many haters among MMORPG gamers. You people are never happy. The forum was flooded with doomsday prediction because of the "no open beta" post. Now that they have clarified the situation your still all pi$$y because they don't want 200,000 people flooding their servers before launch.

Good move on their part. beggars can't be choosers

I find the best testing I could do with my studio was to take copies of the game and my team to the local HS and have them play in class with us standing behind them.  The ones who actually tested after a day or so and wrote up nice little report notes got invited to continue their adventures from home.

You'd be surprised how little actual testing goes on, even when standing on top of them asking questions.  I got TONS of "Just let me play, ok?"