When A Beta Stops Being A Test

We are all familiar with companies giving out beta invites to customers in multiple ways. However, beta testing has moved away from testing to improve a game, and has starting to become a way for a gaming company to gain hype.

We are all familiar with companies giving out beta invites to customers, testers, and press in multiple ways.  Some companies give them out free when you buy a different game or pre-order while others choose to send them out randomly in a type of lottery draw. However, betas have become less focused on testing, but rather as an alternative way for a company to publicize their game.

Most critical testing is done in the alpha stage, which logically takes place before the beta test. An alpha is where the company believes that its game is complete enough to show a small group of press and testers to fix major issues before progressing to the beta stage.

By the time a game reaches the beta phase, the game is as complete as it can physically be. A company cannot release a game without using a beta to test for bugs or other problems that it many have.  If a game has any obvious problems when it reaches the consumer, gamers and critics will talk about these problems and then everyone who heard about them will be less likely to buy the game.  Halo, for example, uses data from the beta test to determine balance like if a weapon is over-powered or if there is spot on a map where too many people die.  Many online multiplayer titles also use an open, meaning anyone can join that wants to, beta to test server stability once the public gets their hands it.

Companies can also, instead, use the beta test to produce the same word-of-mouth that can kill their games to publicize them. If a company chooses to give beta keys out in a lottery, people will sign up for the chance to be the first to play the game, thus building excitement for the release. If a gamer does not get chosen for the beta, they will look for any bit of information they can find.  What they discover will most likely continue to build more hype for the game.  As you can see these "beta tests" aren't much of a test, as the name implies, but rather a limited release of a demo to fuel the hype train. While a beta tester may feel like they are getting a full picture of the game, which they are not, they are really just seeing the part of the game that the company feels is most polished.

While all beta tests are important to a game's success, the traditional definition has been lost and many different forms of testing and publicity now fall under the beta test veil.  Either way, beta tests do wonders to increase hype around a game's release and provide the public with what they feel is a sneak peek into a game, but the traditional definition of a beta test is rarely seen today.