BETA VERSION RELEASE POLL
THE QUESTION: what are your thoughts on me doing BETA releases of my future games? Up until now I was always strongly against the idea of releasing a game until it's fully finished, and I still am, to be completely honest with you. But, I am curious to know what percentage of my supporters share that sentiment or would rather have me release games in unfinished (and often unplayable state) while I continue to work towards the final release.
So this is your question, go cast you vote now please.
P.S. Don't worry too much about the outcome of this poll, like I said I just want to know your opinion. Even if the majority will say that I need to release games unfinished, like some other creators do, I'll probably still won't do it. ^_^ Just give me your honest opinion.
Comments (38)
Man as always, it depends. Personally I prefer the game to be a complete artistic vision of the creator, however if you want to get feedback on some systems it would be nice to get the community to have a way to play a beta
Yeah. At the moment I am leaning towards releasing some sort of DEMO version eventually.
ok with either. i enjoy shaping the games early.
^_^
I didn't have a chance to vote but I will always prefer the done-done, over the half-done That said, a Very Early show of concept is enticing
Yeah, I think releasing some sort of DEMO when I am much further into the development cycle could be a good idea :)
Yes to betas. It allows for community feedback while it still has a chance to have an impact.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for voting.
What would be the goal of the beta release? Would it be to satisfy our curiosity? Or to get early specific feedback to help you make design decisions?
Good question. One of the reasons is the pure vanity on my part. It's tough to work on something for many month without showing it to anyone and hearing: "Well done, keep going." Another reason is generating more interest in the project. And another more reason is getting feedback while the game is still a work in progress. Although this is not necessarily a good thing and could also backfire, making me doubt my own creative vision. -_-
I'd say if you could divide it into chapters it would be a good middle ground, you're not releasing anything unplayable, you could still take time to get each chapter right before release, and the time between chapter releases would be shorter than time between completed game releases. Additionally leaving each chapter ending with a cliffhanger could also keep people interested.
I did this with Star Channel 34 for a few years. I am well aware of both pros and cons of this type of approach. Unfortunately it won't work very well with the project structure I have in mind for Reporter Trainer. Also making sure every episode works well and make sense in the grand scheme of things will also take extra work, while just dropping un unfinished abomination every now and then presents no such problem.
I know this poll is tongue in cheek, but I would caution against releasing unfinished content whatsoever. People are extremely opinionated and will try to steer you away from your vision and get EXTREMELY combative and rude when you don't do what they want. They will always want to have a say, and nothing is worse than when it is a work in process. And these same people judge your work as if it is a complete product. I would prefer either a full game release with finished features/story/art or a chapter release where you reach a good stopping point or story beat. The chapter release is a good middle ground to continue to engage with something instead of waiting years. I just don't want people fucking with the product before you've put out what you wanted. You are genuinely one of the only people left that sticks to their vision and releases a finished product. I also like the surprise and wow factor where I am not spoiled. Your games do that to me every time.
Thank you for your comment. To tell you the truth you are just repeating my own thoughts (and fears) here, but it's nice to hear somebody else say this.
I figure limited Betas to a smaller technical or volunteer crowd who know how to bend and break games a bit could be very useful!
Hm... Maybe.
To me, beta releases undermine the narrative exploration of games. What's the point if I already know all the story beats from a prior, inferior build?
Yeah. I also prefer play a finished project. That's why I appreciate older games so much, when even a DLC wasn't a thing yet. Don't worry I don't think I will be changing my approach, I just wanted to see what you guys think.
I don’t like Fomo but could the beta test not be a Patreon post, then those who don’t want to see can’t and those who do want to play it early can and they can give feedback in comments without spoiling it for those who don’t want to play a beta version. The downside would be a paywall added for the beta.
You brought up a very good point, that somehow never crossed my mind: this time of releases would spoil the game story and events (through the comments and discussions) for those people who would rather play the finished game and discover everything on their own. Good point.
Its depends... If it needs more than 18 months of developpement, I think it could be great to have a beta or a demo of a short section of the game (like you did for Queen Trainer). If not, I prefer to wait and play the final game.
Agreed here. A sample sequence can, ironically, provide a more complete and authentic experience than an unfinished 'full' game. It's hard NOT to play betas when they're made available, but unless one is a developer providing qualified feedback there's not much point in replaying the early stages over and over.
While I'm not the biggest fan of Beta releases, I understand the appeal it holds. Besides, having more eyes looking for bugs and typos at earlier stages of development can save time and effort later on.
Yeah, that what I was thinking. Although I am still not sure I will be doing it. There are quite a few CONS that comes with the PROS of doing beta releases.
Careful, sir. On the plus side giving releases to the game as it grows (kind of like you did with SC34) is definitely the smart move money-wise, because players want proof that things are happening and it's much more engaging. But you'll also be moving toward a deadline-based model, which means you'd have to be able to say "this is not perfect, but it's deadline time so it's good enough" and cut releases. You seem like the kind of guy that would have a hard time with that. Be careful not to do something that makes you miserable.
Yeah. I have the same fears. In other comments people suggested just releasing a polished DEMO eventually, and I think it would be a much better idea.
I generally like to play finished games, that said if I have the time I'm happy to beta test if it helps in development, bug finding and the like. For my own gaming needs I'm fairly patient. I still haven't had a chance to play Queen Trainer, stupid life things getting in the way.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Deonast. And sorry to hear about your IRL eating up all your free time. I can relate though. I only have the time to play before bed, and by than I am usually too tired T_T
I picked "both". I would not play a beta version (sometimes I'm even waiting for that sweet after release patch to start…) but I have no issue with beta versions existing for people that want them. May even help iron out a bug or two, although that would require managing feedback.
Noted. Thank you for voting. I see that quite a few people opted to "OK with both" option.
I'd wait for the full release anyway, but I don't want to gatekeep
Same
I would beta test if it helped development. If not, i can just wait for a polished release. But beta as just a teaser or for curiosity I think is an idea that will take time away from development and generate demand for support. Get a small group of testers and give them a good way to provide feedback and you should get a lot of help.
I think releasing a well polished DEMO could be the golden middle. It was suggested in the comments above, and I think it would work better than BETA releases. But thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
I believe in choices… anyone who doesn’t want to wait can get a teaser. Those who do get the proper experience. Just don’t let any feedback sway you from your goals and make sure to keep making what you want to make. It might cause doubts but the longtime fans like me trust you!
Yeah, many things to consider here. Don't worry I won't be taking any rush decisions, I just want to hear your opinions on this. Thank you for sharing yours :)
Having the occational beta could give you helpful feedback on improvements of game mechanics.
True. But it also comes with certain drawbacks. I need to give all this more thought. For now, thank you for sharing your opinion! :)