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[Supple]

Just curious to why beta periods for upcoming games are so short. I see most only last a few days. Why not do a few weeks? Also, why do they limit the amount of players especially for multiplayer games? Don’t they don’t want to stress test game servers so that they can handle the load on release day?

 

[Spukc]

stress test game servers so that they can handle the load on release day?

 

[March Climber]

Is this about Exoprimal?

 

[STARSBarry]

Is this about Exoprimal?

Probably Diablo

 

[Tomeru]

Open betas were always short. Usually weekends. Nothing new from my experience.

 

[AV]

Because it's marketing, not a real beta.

Especially if you're talking about Blizzard.

 

[StueyDuck]

Others have already said it.

But yeah it's for marketing, nothing more or less

Back in my day they were called demos

 

[Saber]

Usually as a filter.
With less people playing would be easier to get feedback, in theory.

 

[Griffon]

If it's a real beta, that's normal.
Devs wouldn't want to expose too many gamers to a buggy version of their game. Besides, past a certain amount of players, adding more wont make the feedback any better nor precise.

With that said... if this thread is about Diablo, then your real answer is marketing.

 

[LazyParrot]

If an AAA game has a public "beta test" it's generally not really about testing at all, but about marketing/advertising.

 

[hemo memo]

Public beta test = marketing

Didn’t Call of Duty lock the beta test behind pre-orders? Imagine if Apple locked the public beta test of its latest OS behind an iPhone pre-order.

Again, “beta test” for games is just marketing/advertisement.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

FOMO and Hype.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I guess that’s the main reason I prefer demos over betas, but I understand their purpose. I suppose betas are like samples and they collect player’s feedback from them without overcrowding the servers with a work-in-progress product.

 

[KungFucius]

Because it's marketing, not a real beta.

Especially if you're talking about Blizzard.

For the most part, but on PC it gives them some data across varied system configs. They only really need this for a gross reality check. Does it work across a reasonable sample of user owned HW that meets the minimum spec? I'd certainly want an answer to that if I could get it and create hype about my product at the same time.