couple bucks for beta access?
zastels
Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
Join Date: 2003-11-29 Member: 23731Members
Hey UWE I'm in a predicament right now, and I've got a simple solution but it's out of my hands. Basically there are a lot of people I want to show this game to for purposes of modding and map making, and there is a $35 barrier to have someone gain access to the mod tools essentially. There are also just friends I'd like to play the game with, but again $35 and its a gamble with pc hardware and them liking the play style and a constantly changing beta.
Maybe right now this isn't the best time to increase the tester base size, but I feel that as a mapper doing my best to have something for the summer deadline, I'm having issues with getting people access to the tools so that we can work together.
What I'm about to propose is radical, but it is entirely possible of working. You can make some serious dough while bolstering your tester crowd with genuinely interested people.
Okay so, you make a video and you make a pledge. You'll grant beta access for a donation of $2 or more. The beta will last x amount of months or more. The money goes into helping specific causes which you mention. Say for example, you need to hire someone for development. Just go grass roots, use Reddit, say you want to start a new movement, where independent developers can have people test their product, and if they enjoy it, invest in its future out of donation. The end result is say, 100,000 donations, that's 200,000 profit, plus any amount donated over $2. You got to be able to portray your game as being beautiful, competitive, unique, with real communication and strategy employed not matched by any other fps. Just milk it real hard.
Give this special for a few days, whatever you feel is best. Eternal gratitude to everyone. You also get to make a fun new office video.
Maybe right now this isn't the best time to increase the tester base size, but I feel that as a mapper doing my best to have something for the summer deadline, I'm having issues with getting people access to the tools so that we can work together.
What I'm about to propose is radical, but it is entirely possible of working. You can make some serious dough while bolstering your tester crowd with genuinely interested people.
Okay so, you make a video and you make a pledge. You'll grant beta access for a donation of $2 or more. The beta will last x amount of months or more. The money goes into helping specific causes which you mention. Say for example, you need to hire someone for development. Just go grass roots, use Reddit, say you want to start a new movement, where independent developers can have people test their product, and if they enjoy it, invest in its future out of donation. The end result is say, 100,000 donations, that's 200,000 profit, plus any amount donated over $2. You got to be able to portray your game as being beautiful, competitive, unique, with real communication and strategy employed not matched by any other fps. Just milk it real hard.
Give this special for a few days, whatever you feel is best. Eternal gratitude to everyone. You also get to make a fun new office video.
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
NS2 is in a Beta. If you start offering access for a couple of bucks, then everyone and his mum will want a slice of the action, and NS2 is not ready for that sort of coverage yet.
I'm already programming mods. One of my friends is one of the greatest programmers I know, and I'd love to get him on board with my mod, but access to NS2 beta is a GIFT to those who want to support and help NS2 grow by paying the full price in advance. He didn't play NS, and currently has no interest in buying NS2. This is fine, because as good as a programmer as he is, ultimately this is a beta test of the NS2 game.
If your friends do not want to support NS2, because they don't know enough about it, then that's fine, let them wait until release and join in after v1.0 with everyone else :)
This is not going to happen, no matter how many threads you start and no matter how much you change the price. You started off at free, now your at $2, when you hit around $35 as your suggested price, UWE will probably go for that :)
Basically what the bird says is that UWE should do exactly what every other company does.
ok.
well, you should mention to your friends that they can get a refund if they are unhappy with the game for some reason. i figure certain people might still hesitate though.
edit: here's an idea: temporarily change your steam password and allow them to install ns2 on their computer using your account. this way you can offer them a limited time to try out the game which should help them decide wether they want to buy it or not.
This kickstarter stuff might be a good idea if you want to start a project but dont have any real start capital.
But that is not the case for ns2, they are fluid enough to finish the game... and if they would suddenly need money there are tons of better things they could do.
There are already plenty of players for data and feedback, and there are lots of talented mappers and modders that can afford 35$ if they seriously want to create something for this game...
I guess there might be free weekends after the game got gold and maybe also some special deals, but for now i dont see a reason why uwe should do something crazy like that only so that a ton of random... can check out a beta/early access of the game more or less for free.
If ppl cant afford 35$ there might be more important things to do than gaming, if they are not sure if its worth yet... well then they are not ready to check it out yet.(they dont want it badly enough)
Also as long as its not on steam getting a refund is not really a big deal.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->temporarily change your steam password and allow them to install ns2 on their computer using your account. this way you can offer them a limited time to try out the game which should help them decide wether they want to buy it or not.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This.
PS:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->UWE should do exactly what every other company does.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I think you didnt look closely enough how companys use kickstarter...
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=116860" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...=116860&hl=</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=116724" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...=116724&hl=</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=116705" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...=116705&hl=</a>
<a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=116649" target="_blank">http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/in...=116649&hl=</a>
I could look further to find more, but hey what's the point, it's up to you to investigate your own suggestions.
Do you have any idea of the potential damage to the games reputation if you let too many people play it before it is finished?
Lets give everyone a free copy of the NS2 beta.
Let's see it get ripped to shreds all over the internet by people who have no idea about alpha's beta's and anything else.
I'm sure you may be a perfect judge of people and only invite people who will have the utmost respect for the game and the development process, but everyone else is probably not as good as you, myself included, so there will be problems.
Of course, there isn't a reason things are done this way, it's just some sort of big business bull###### to keep the little man in his place right?
$35 bucks to get beta tools? People are expected to pay to give UWE their time developing?
Looking for a hand me out? You people are dense. Playing a beta and properly giving feedback is work. Hand me out for what? Work?
You are looking at this wrong. This is not a game for sale yet, this is a project in development, which we are donating funding to. This is an indie develpoment, and while highly unlikely, there is still always the possibility that everything could go ###### up and we see nothing. Remember that. That $35 is donation to UWE.
For your donation, they will give you access to the beta and tools, and access to the full game when/if it becomes available.
You are looking at this wrong. This is not a game for sale yet, this is a project in development, which we are donating funding to. This is an indie develpoment, and while highly unlikely, there is still always the possibility that everything could go ###### up and we see nothing. Remember that. That $35 is donation to UWE.
For your donation, they will give you access to the beta and tools, and access to the full game when/if it becomes available.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You talk nowhere. I know how things are. I'm suggesting a change.
Ya okay, the dev tools are a gift. A gift I sink hundreds of hours into to support UWE and I'm not payed for my skill and time.
I'm kind of not seeing the logic here.
You aren't paying for the mod tools, most people don't use the mod tools, you're paying for the game.
If you want to use the mod tools you can, but you aren't required to do so.
Are UWE using your code for NS2? Then they should compensate you. If you are modding and mapping for your own pleasure/enjoyment (ie - you have no contract of employment with UWE) then why should you be paid?
Unless something is going way over my head, this is the most ridiculous argument I have ever heard.
stfu ######
Not all however many thousands of people with beta access they shouldn't.
Actual in house testers do nothing but test, and do so exhaustively, if you were spending eight hours a day testing and writing extensive reproduction steps and suchlike, you might have a point.
LOL, I see you don't test NS2, you play NS2. If you tested NS2, you'd have a PLAYTESTER tag next to your name.
They gave you access to a beta, they did not make you a beta tester.
They gave you access to a beta, they did not make you a beta tester.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
i was a playtester i stopped because its dumb nub
it's not like you HAVE to do that. you can just play and have fun. the massive forum activity happens because people WANT to improve the game, not because it's their duty.
+rep? no i was doing it because they let me and it was pretty lame since they never even listened to me about anything. All u do is test if they fixed something or see if something they added was working.
That's what testers generally do yes. Deciding whether the game is good is not actually very useful, but someone who can mechanically test and document every new feature, that's useful. Of course it's also incredibly boring which is why nobody does it.
right and your point?
They need to open the beta up before release or have a demo before release so people can try the game before they buy. I have lots of friends that ive told them about the game and none of them will even pay $35 for it. I told them its has some unique gameplay and they still wont. So they need to allow people to try it before they buy it eventually.
They need to open the beta up before release or have a demo before release so people can try the game before they buy. I have lots of friends that ive told them about the game and none of them will even pay $35 for it. I told them its has some unique gameplay and they still wont. So they need to allow people to try it before they buy it eventually.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why does it have to be before release? Why can't they have a free weekend on steam once the game is released?
But until you actually show something other than just empty words, why is anyone going to go out of their way to help you out?
Ok fine do it on the release day. Don't do it after the release. If they do that after release all the people that buy it before the trial will feel cheated they didn't get to try it for free before hand.
Because ns2 is a india game and most people wont know this in till they will have already payed.
But until you actually show something other than just empty words, why is anyone going to go out of their way to help you out?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Zastels dont bother all the cool custom content that has already been made never even gets played anyways. If you are going to mod a game its best to mod for a game that has a large modding community. If u want to mod something like ns2 gameplay try l4d2 because the gameplay is kinda the same and there is a much more helpful community.
They need to open the beta up before release or have a demo before release so people can try the game before they buy. I have lots of friends that ive told them about the game and none of them will even pay $35 for it. I told them its has some unique gameplay and they still wont. So they need to allow people to try it before they buy it eventually.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why does it need to be before release? Demo would make more sense when the game is finished and polished and playable, or your friends could just wait for a sale or something.
i already said above fine do it on release. people that buy before the demo or trial will feel cheated they didnt get a chance to try before buy.