Developing a video game is not a simple process. It requires tens of thousands of man-hours, an outrageous amount of money, and sometimes multiple development studios to create a game. There is so much going on behind the scenes of each video game these days that it can really make your head spin. The average development time for a video game is usually two to three years and that’s only if the publisher, the company giving the money, sees the end result as profitable. After all, the video game industry is run by businesses trying to make more money than the other guy.
Each video game goes through a lifecycle of development but when the game is actually playable and presented to the public, it is in the form of Alphas and Betas. Alphas are the rough draft version of an essay. Elements of a great game are there but it has some glitches and bugs. Betas are more refined versions of the game and are sometimes released to the public as treats to satiate their cravings for their most anticipated games. Betas still have bugs and glitches and only a select number of gamers are allowed in betas. Demos are released to everyone and, like alphas and betas, they usually give a demonstration of what the full game will be like. It is still important to remember that all three of these stages of a game’s lifecycle are unfinished products. The real gray area is between betas and demos. Demos are more polished than betas but this can cause confusion between those making the game and those playing the game.
This confusion can cause a backlash between the community and those behind the scenes of a game. On Sept. 29, the public beta for Battlefield 3 began and it was met with mixed reception. One week later, Kotaku revealed that Daniel Matros, global community manager for the developer of Battlefield 3, called out many of the public beta’s complainers. “The vibe I'm getting now is just that tons of ungrateful people don't understand how much work we are putting on this game how many overtime hours we are doing and also how many meetings we are in to ship a game like this.” He further explained that, “lots of new things have been added in closer to launch. Our rank progression system as well as customizations have made their way into the beta and it’s very important for us to test these things before we launch. That is the purpose of the Beta…”
Video game development is not some magical event. It takes a lot of time and effort by hundreds of people to make the games that we play. And for that I am grateful. With regards to Mr. Matros’s complaints, I think they are perfectly warranted. Betas are not the finished product of a game but they are meant to give players a taste of what the game has to offer. So complaining about an unfinished product is just silly. Leave your comments about video game development below or send me an email.
