Firaxis Games Public Beta Team

[TechWins]

i think you should bold the more important part of your post instead

Maybe if you even had minimal intelligence you would be able to comprehend that the bold was there to symbolize a fictional statement by Firaxis.

[eclarkso]

I assume this is a volunteer thing?

And I assume there's no payment involved? I would consider applying, but am not sure many hours are they expecting? 5-10? 30-40? Aside from the number of hours, I'm not sure how my current employer (who pays me to develop and test software) would feel about me being paid to work for another software shop (though I'm not in the game industry).

[Capt Dizle]

I think this just validates the fact the original release was little more than an Alpha. Now it looks like Firaxis is moving into the Beta Phase as they prepare for the expansion (which will really be the first legimate release). Then they will move to the Gold version (which will really be the first expansion).

[MarkG]

Originally posted by TechWins
Maybe if you even had minimal intelligence you would be able to comprehend that the bold was there to symbolize a fictional statement by Firaxis.

saying nothing intelligent though

[lockstep]

Originally posted by jimmytrick
I think this just validates the fact the original release was little more than an Alpha.

Nevertheless, this is good news.

[Immortal Wombat]

Americans

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Another unhappy Eurocom

I: IFGM has headquarters in France... why not a team in Europe?

Firaxis: Only if there will not be enough Americans that satisfy the requirements.

I: What if I plan to move to US?

F: Come on... who would wait for you...

I: Please please
(Firaxis decides)
F: Sorry but no

I: I will sue you for geographical discrimination
(Firaxis thinks)
F: Ok than lets have a global team

5 US, 5 Europe, 5 Latin america, 5 Asia, 2 Austrailia, 2 Africa, and 1 NZ....

I: Yipeeee

And than they gave me to supervise the team


Than I quit...

*waking up*

[TechWins]

saying nothing intelligent though

Basically what I'm trying to say is that we see the 'bold' statement brought to us, which is absolutely terrible. Civ3 is now just now going through a real beta and the game has already been released. What should have happened was for us to see the first part of the 'bold' statement right now (Civ3 goes beta) but not the latter part of the 'bold' statement (Civ3 is released and on sell for $50) until Spring. Do you now understand what I was intending?

[MrWhereItsAt]

Mark,

how much of a help is geographical restriction? I assume everyone will get most (if not all) info over the 'net or thru email, and there is minimal need for any particular area to be focussed on if this is the case. I could understand if perhaps ppl needed to have hardcopy or software mailed to them that Firaxis/Infogrames would want to keep postage costs smallest, but what could they send? You'd hope all the beta testers would be chosen for having Civ 3 already, as well as knowing at least a little about the game and thus need only to test patches/mods which could surely be got by 'Net access.

And all who learn of this application process would do so because of 'Net access anyway...

My point is that (correct me if I'm wrong) Civ has a much larger fan base overseas, perhaps somehow the type of game it is has more of an appeal to Europe than the US (that's the impression I get). Thus you would hope that the beta testing would test both what works and what ppl want - so you find out where your largest markets are and get them in on the process. Perhaps Firaxis has done this and have found the US market to be large enough, but if so this would surprise me.

In any case I don't see any reason for not asking for overseas testers (Europe, anyway), in order to get the probably quite distinct views of this very very large market slice.

[Capt Dizle]

Hmm..

I would have assumed the US market to be 75-80 % of total sales.

Anyway, the obvious reason to restrict the beta to US residents is to simply the legal aspects.

[Travathian]

This is a joke right? They want volunteers to beta test patches and updates? What have all of us been doing since the games been released?

They need to take note of Blizzard, you know the guys who do a public beta test THEN release the game, not the other way around.

[MarkG]

first of all, while being a proud european, i'm sure Firaxis will be able to find 25 people from the US that can give some pretty good feedback

Originally posted by MrWhereItsAt
I could understand if perhaps ppl needed to have hardcopy or software mailed to them that Firaxis/Infogrames would want to keep postage costs smallest, but what could they send?

there might actually need to snail-mail stuff. being involved indirectly to the ctp2 beta team, i can tell you that snail-mailing was a big issue.


btw, people who think that this is only for patches should re-read the announcement more carefully

[ColdWizard]

if i didn't have to work so much () i might be interested, especially with that "and possibly future projects" bit

[TechWins]

One more thing, remember how Jeff said that they don't (possibly just rarely) visit the General forum anymore because of the 'zoo' that it is. Well, I think Jeff just proved that they don't by posting this in the Creation forum. Typically an announcement like this would be posted in the General forum. My point being is that a lot of people's concerns/ideas/questions might be going unnoticed by Firaxis. However, I may just be conspiratizing just a bit.

[MarkG]

Originally posted by TechWins
However, I may just be conspiratizing just a bit.

trust me, you are
dan magaha replied to two threads today, one was in the general forum....