Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

What's a "beta" patch?

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> What's a "beta" patch? Page: [1]
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 6:00:38 PM   
BoredStiff

 

Posts: 237
Joined: 6/18/2007
Status: offline 		So, what exactly is a "beta" patch?

Having played computer games for over 20 years, I obviously know what a patch is, but what is the idea behind a "beta" patch?

_____________________________

BoredStiff

[Link and Avatar removed by Moderator]
Post #: 1
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 6:40:52 PM   
sterckxe


Posts: 4605
Joined: 3/30/2004
From: Flanders
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BoredStiff
So, what exactly is a "beta" patch?

Having played computer games for over 20 years, I obviously know what a patch is, but what is the idea behind a "beta" patch?


Say the developers have made a patch. First it goes to their beta testers for testing, but if it looks like it's good to go they can broaden the number of eyes having a look at it by releasing this "unofficial/beta" patch to a larger audience. At Matrix this is done so that everyone who has registered the game can download this beta patch. Contrast this to an official patch where there's no limitation as to who can download it. The beta patch also comes with the caveat that it's actually beta code, which means that if it reformats your drive and eats your keyboard you can't complain

For some people it's a good first step to find out if they would like being a beta-tester, others avoid beta patches as the plague - it's all up to you.

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

(in reply to BoredStiff)
Post #: 2
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 6:44:55 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline 		A Beta patch is better than a worsa patch

< Message edited by Punk Reaper -- 3/7/2008 6:46:10 PM >

(in reply to sterckxe)
Post #: 3
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 7:32:05 PM   
BoredStiff

 

Posts: 237
Joined: 6/18/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: sterckxe

Say the developers have made a patch. First it goes to their beta testers for testing, but if it looks like it's good to go they can broaden the number of eyes having a look at it by releasing this "unofficial/beta" patch to a larger audience. At Matrix this is done so that everyone who has registered the game can download this beta patch. Contrast this to an official patch where there's no limitation as to who can download it. The beta patch also comes with the caveat that it's actually beta code, which means that if it reformats your drive and eats your keyboard you can't complain

Thanks, that's what I thought.

quote:


For some people it's a good first step to find out if they would like being a beta-tester, others avoid beta patches as the plague - it's all up to you.

I'm probably in the latter group.

_____________________________

BoredStiff

[Link and Avatar removed by Moderator]

(in reply to sterckxe)
Post #: 4
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 8:24:00 PM   
Marauders

 

Posts: 4428
Joined: 3/17/2005
From: Minnesota
Status: offline 		Sometimes developers release beta patches to allow the community to have a look at upcoming features.  For games that have quite a bit of user adaptability, it is sometimes helpful to get the patch out ahead of the regular release.

Developers will also release a beta patch to allow the larger numbers of users to find bugs that a small team of beta testers may not.  This is similar to having an open public beta for MMORPGs.

A beta patch is not considered a finished product.

(in reply to BoredStiff)
Post #: 5
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/7/2008 8:35:03 PM   
sterckxe


Posts: 4605
Joined: 3/30/2004
From: Flanders
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Punk Reaper
A Beta patch is better than a worsa patch


ROTFL

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

(in reply to PunkReaper)
Post #: 6
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 1:45:53 AM   
mack2


Posts: 243
Joined: 6/29/2007
Status: offline 		Most beta patches are release because a company's testing is too slow and the people who have bought the game have grown impatient.

(in reply to sterckxe)
Post #: 7
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 2:38:21 AM   
jwarrenw13

 

Posts: 1897
Joined: 8/12/2000
From: Louisiana, USA
Status: offline 		They're easy to recognize. They look like this.


(in reply to mack2)
Post #: 8
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 3:19:55 AM   
plund

 

Posts: 72
Joined: 11/1/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BoredStiff
quote:


For some people it's a good first step to find out if they would like being a beta-tester, others avoid beta patches as the plague - it's all up to you.

I'm probably in the latter group.


definitely in the second group

(in reply to BoredStiff)
Post #: 9
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 5:19:02 AM   
jdonaldson512.

 

Posts: 3
Joined: 9/18/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Marauders

Developers will also release a beta patch to allow the larger numbers of users to find bugs that a small team of beta testers may not.


And some just don't have anyone willing to do betatesting so they hope that their general customer base will be naive enough to do it for them.

(in reply to Marauders)
Post #: 10
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 5:55:00 PM   
TonyE


Posts: 1551
Joined: 5/23/2006
From: MN, USA
Status: offline 		And sometimes the patch is good enough for release but Matrix doesn't have a slot to release it officially so the developers release it as a beta patch anyway .



_____________________________

Sincerely,
Tony Eischens
Harpoon (HC, HCE, HUCE, Classic) programmer
HarpGamer.com Co-Owner

(in reply to jdonaldson512.)
Post #: 11
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/8/2008 6:04:31 PM   
BoredStiff

 

Posts: 237
Joined: 6/18/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: TonyE

And sometimes the patch is good enough for release but Matrix doesn't have a slot to release it officially so the developers release it as a beta patch anyway .



Slot?

_____________________________

BoredStiff

[Link and Avatar removed by Moderator]

(in reply to TonyE)
Post #: 12
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/9/2008 12:59:42 AM   
TonyE


Posts: 1551
Joined: 5/23/2006
From: MN, USA
Status: offline 		Slot:  Matrix doesn't have the manpower (for the marketing drivel postings and whatever else happens) or desire to release a patch for every title on the same day.  Space them out on a schedule and it appears something new is happening every day/week/month.

_____________________________

Sincerely,
Tony Eischens
Harpoon (HC, HCE, HUCE, Classic) programmer
HarpGamer.com Co-Owner

(in reply to BoredStiff)
Post #: 13
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/9/2008 5:21:19 AM   
Zap


Posts: 3639
Joined: 12/6/2004
From: LAS VEGAS TAKE A CHANCE
Status: offline 		A welcome to the new members jdonaldson512 and plund. Keep on a posting.

_____________________________


(in reply to jdonaldson512.)
Post #: 14
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/9/2008 5:45:14 AM   
Halsey

 

Posts: 5069
Joined: 2/7/2004
Status: offline 		beta=experimental

At first when I saw this posting, I thought it was a "who's buried in Grants tomb" question.

_____________________________


(in reply to BoredStiff)
Post #: 15
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/9/2008 6:27:49 AM   
Neilster


Posts: 2890
Joined: 10/27/2003
From: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Status: offline 		It's something you sew while enjoying your video recorder's superior quality to VHS.

Cheers, Neilster

(in reply to Halsey)
Post #: 16
RE: What's a "beta" patch? - 3/9/2008 4:05:22 PM   
PunkReaper


Posts: 1085
Joined: 8/23/2006
From: England
Status: offline
quote:

So, what exactly is a "beta" patch?


Meet our latest patch





Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Punk Reaper -- 3/9/2008 4:11:34 PM >

(in reply to Neilster)
Post #: 17
Page:   [1]
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> What's a "beta" patch? Page: [1]
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

1.563