Particle Man, on 12 December 2012 - 09:28 AM, said:
it's simple, it's beta because they say it is. Any other arguments are trumped by that fact.
cars and restaurants arent good comparisons because they dont say it. It doesnt matter if you are able to buy things in the beta state, it's still beta. You can consider it anything you want, but you are wrong. Your opinion doesnt matter. It says beta, performs like a beta, has changes like a beta, and says it all over the place.
I suppose everything but their cash shop is in beta, then.
Ultimately, trying to assert that its effectively release, or defend that its beta doesn't matter. The general public will judge, and they will not open wikipedia to check what beta really means. They will play the game, be disgusted by its awful new users experience, and either stay because they're insane as the rest of us, or leave.
There is no doubt the game is being hurt by its current state (especially the new user experience, of which PGI claims they're working on. Something I'm happy to hear). Saying "oh well its just beta" won't make those users return with wallets open. First impressions are everything, and that's a big reason why there was such a huge stink when PGI first wanted to enter open beta.
I understand money issues, I really do. And that's what this boils down to. PGI had to get their product into the market and get cash flowing in. Ideally, they wouldn't have entered open beta until every weapon, mechanic, and CW was in the game. Planetside 2 didn't enter open beta without its huge world, but then again, Planetside 2 has Sony to help fund it.
My point is, trying to act as though its beta (whether or not is is), will not make customers return or not leave. That's why we're here, to give feedback. Although it seems more than a few people don't seem to understand that and think that "its beta" or "stop QQing" are legitimate defenses. That type of talk kills games through stagnation of ideas and feedback.
Edited by Orzorn, 12 December 2012 - 09:37 AM.