i hear people talking about how they got to do beta testing and idk how to get to beta test sumthin

You sign up with the game's particular beta test you want to help out with.. and cross your fingers.  Sometime places like fileplanet get batches of beta codes that they then distribute to their own subscribers, or you may find a beta code in some magazine promotion or as part of a pre-order bonus.

Keep in mind that beta test is not equal to free trial.  Although thats what most of us see them as, apparently.  When beta testing.. bugs are expected, and reports about said bugs are expected.  And complaints about how its not stable or has bugs or isn't complete are irrelevant.. its a beta test.

do you know how long the beta gona be for?

The company will usually tell you how long. For example, they'll have a 3 week long beta during which they try get as many problems reported as possible. After that all beta accounts are inaccessible again.

i love being a beta tester..you will avail many freebies ingame

me too i love beta testing coz all noobs and no over power character lolzzz....

I dunno, I think it's one of those things.  You gotta know someone who works at the company, or work at the company, or live in their town, or something.  I guess there's other ways of getting in but those are all I know.

Most the time its all luck if you get in or when. The only way to deal with luck is to apply to as many betas as you can, and as soon as possible.

Alot of people also start hanging out at the forums and posting, this works sometimes but the time required is really not worth the effort.

I love beta testing too coz your the first player who played it and also when Open launch you have much idea than the other....

I bet most players dont beta test at all, they just look for free games and just play in beta tests

Originally posted by spizz

I bet most players dont beta test at all, they just look for free games and just play in beta tests

most of beta testers do so so they can have an overview of the whole game and if they like it, they'll have the upper hand once it goes open or live (e.g., better knowlodge in crafting,trading,PvP).

if they don't like it, they just flame at it (e.g., same old crap from ASIA or lame old eye hurting piece of crap)

I like beta Testing because your helping to make the game better i'm beta testing a game now called Football Manager  (Soccer).

but what really really make's me annoyed is then players complain about the bugs.

I say don't give up

I have done quite a few beta test's and its fun to try the games out report problems and do your bit too improve the game before release date

Originally posted by shoneil

i hear people talking about how they got to do beta testing and idk how to get to beta test sumthin

 

shoneil, no offense, but I think you would be better to go for "free trials" rather than "Beta Testing".

Free Trials allow you to play a game that has been released to decide if you are going to like it (and maybe subscribe and play it long term).

Beta Tests are just that - a test.

In Beta Tests you are expected to find bugs and provide feedback to the developer and do so in a clear and concise way.
You are also expected to read lots of notes and updates and follow instructions.
Sorry, but your post suggests to me that you are a person in a hurry.  You really haven't taken the time to look around, read or research.  These are qualities you would need to be an effective Beta Tester IMHO (I know some people disagree...)

Beta Testing should be about making the final (retail) product better.  As a Beta Tester you should expect buggy play and be prepared to dedicate the time to file detailed bug reports on exactly what and why (right down to listing each key you pressed in order!)  You should also expect character wipes on a regular basis... do you have the patience for that?

Originally posted by shoneil

i hear people talking about how they got to do beta testing and idk how to get to beta test sumthin

I hear people talking about how they got to do beta testing and I would like to know how I could get the opportunity to beta test something.

Reading through this thread gives a pretty clear indication as to why so many mmos get released full of bugs and terrible gameplay mechanics. Responses like "I beta test to play before everyone else" and "I beta test to get free stuff" pretty much says it all.

Shonell.......pay careful attention to what Gyrus says to you in his reply. He was trying to convey a message to you in a polite manner.

I will deliver it in a very obvious and straight forward manner. Firstly you cant even be bothered to check your own spelling. Do you seriously think you are capable of providing feedback to developers? Do you think they have the time to translate sentences like "Da qest iz brokn. My wepn don wrk". The ability to communicate effectively and describe problems is a very useful ability if you are going to beta test a game. I took the liberty of rewriting your sentence and highlighting the correct words in blue for you.

Also I agree with Gyrus about the fact that you clearly havent done any research on this at all. Its really not hard to find out about beta testing games. Just look it up on the web.

Hopefully though you will never get to beta test anything which will mean there is a better chance of having a more observant person do it instead.

ps. Yes I'm a picky bastard for picking on your spelling but I might end up paying money for a game tested by someone like you so I dont really care.

Originally posted by spizz

I bet most players dont beta test at all, they just look for free games and just play in beta tests

Nothing is lamer than someone in closed beta who made multiple accounts to get a key (usualy getting several keys in the process), racing to be the highest level, then whining about a wipe.  Later they will complain that they should get prizes for being in beta.

Although people who just play the game with an eye out for bugs/errors is sufficant enough for the most part.  Not everyone is going to hardcore test everything, as long as they keep an eye out and report any bugs i think thats good enough.

Actually though, im sure in later beta stages, players just being there is enough for the company to stress test their servers.

I am willing to bet most people don't beta test. They just play betas to get whatever perks and stuff.

Originally posted by spizz

I bet most players dont beta test at all, they just look for free games and just play in beta tests

Definitely. Without a doubt, and most sensible developers will tell you beta's are only good for stress testing, and perhaps Pre-Market Interest, for preorders, etc.

OP, if you want to truly test games, don't sign up for beta's, etc. Find a game in the pre-stages of development, track it, follow it, participate in it's forums and on occasion, companies will have closed alpha, or closed/ff beta's that "regulars" can join. Get enough of these under your belt, and form a resume. Send it to game companies developing games, show your genuine interest and I can guarantee you'll get results.

When a company tries to get a true public beta started, requiring everyone to test one particular item in unison... problems seem to always arise. The latest thing I remember are all the Conan Technical Tests. There was a test for 6 hours of just logging in and out. No joke.

To the OP:  The way to get into beta is to pay attention to game sites and forums such as this, going to game conventions or watching gaming channel shows on the internet or TV.  Watch out for people talking about future plans for games to be in development and find out about them.  As soon as there is a place with information, normally a web site set up for that game, there will probably be a forum.  Sign up in the forums and be active.  The more active you are, the more they notice.

Then they will usually start talking about beta tests.  As soon as they open registration, sign up, then wait.  The more testing you do and the more places you watch for upcoming projects, the more chance you have to get in other beta tests, and then even alpha test.

Now...in agreement with a few of the other posters, beta testing is NOT just a free preview of upcoming games.  Real beta testing is about HELPING the developers by playing the game when it is far from finished, playing to find bugs and submit tickets, not for playing the game for fun (except that beta CAN be fun).

So if you are hearing people talking about "Beta Testing" and are thinking it's just a way to be cool because you get early access to play around in a game before everyone else, you're wrong.  Just wait for OB or Early Access from sites like Fileplanet and play then.

Yes, some folks here have it right.

Open Beta testing is usefull for devs to figure out what works on what type of CPU's and vid cards and such.

Most players in open beta are just there because it's free and have no knowledge of game programming and what to look for as far as bugs.

Closed betas, however, are different. Companies will look for people who have some form of comp sci or general game programming background.

These people can use bug tracking and try to push the game to it's limits.

In the end. If you want open beta, just sign up and take an interest.

If you want to be in closed beta, brush up on your hardware and software knowledge. Learn about how networks work and you might be lucky enough to join in.