We are in interesting times for developers. A beta is no longer just a working prototype. Instead it has to be a workable, playable, usable experience. The aim of a beta now is to stress test network code, to examine mass user player statistics and to get the people who want to play your game to help build it.
Bungie made a big splash the last few weeks with their Destiny beta. Initially you had to buy into the beta by preordering. That gave you access to test. So… based on the reputation of the developer (of Halo) you could get an access code to download and join in a mass test if you promised, or actually bought it.
I was interested, but I was not so interested in having to pre-order a physical copy in order to access it. Xbox One does not have digital pre-orders yet. I was happy to see the beta just turn up anyway though. In this case it was for Xbox Live Subscribers. So obviously they needed more people.
It was, I have to say, very good. It had a slick next gen feel to it, but it was also very “metaversey”.
The initial mission of this RPG FPS had you run around and shoot a few things, but before long you were in the lobby/hub/base. I gounf it very amusing as the little unity3d project we have been doing has a room and a table and window out into space, and I was also surprised a relatively serious RPG had dancing mapped to the dpad. There were a few comms gestures.
It was possible to shout Xbox Record That and then edit it up in Upload studio and sent it to onedrive, of which this link should work.
====Update
Here is the youtube embed which is much more friendly to use
I did not record any of the shooting or coop play as that often looks similar across games. I was interested in the virtual world aspects. Could I have green hair ? why yes I could 🙂
It was great ti drop into 3 player team coop and spending 20 minutes reviving one another as we tried to take out a monster spider machine. It was just a shame it crashed just as we did.
That of course is the price of beta testing, you can’t moan, you can only think that your presence and activity has helped make it just a little bit better.
It certainly left me wanting more so roll on 9/9/14 🙂
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