Pay to Beta test?

[A Walrus]

So now we pay the developer to work for them for free? Beta test is to test for bugs before release, either that or early access to play in a bugged game. Sounds pretty rewarding. Soon we have to pay to go to work, to make enough income to pay our employer to do more work for them.

I remember the days you requested a free invite to play the beta and test it for bugs. People actually played the game to find the bugs to make the game better before release.

Now we get released games that are filled with bugs and exploits while the sweaty ones prepare negative reviews thinking they are playing a fully released game, then review bomb the game, day 1 on Steam and the devs wonder what happened, lol.

[Raybeze]

this is how every Hi-Rez release has been handled and it's worked out great for early adopters, i personally love getting all characters for a fair price as a casual player.

[TwoDucksOneAnus]

You're paying for the god pack and getting the ability to play pre-release if you'd like. I'm confused why this is controversial.

[Ziros]

You are paying for a Beta Tester title and everything else is free

[Phat Phyuck]

Smite 1 did the same thing. There are also a ton of early access games on Steam that essentially do the same thing. No one is forcing you to pay for a unfinished product. Just wait until its released and F2P if you don't want early access.

[A Walrus]

I'm not questioning the extra stuff that's given with the price tag. The beta should be free, and the game should cost the money. Give us a quality game, and without a doubt I'd be willing to pay. This would give more incentive for players that enjoy the game to actually beta test for bugs.

Just look at the quality of games we have these days that have pay to beta test model. Nobody cares about the testing, they just want a head start and skill advantage.

Back in the mid to late 2000's you had to be invited for beta test and only a limited number of selected players would get invites. This made the player feel more involved in the development, and bugs would actually get reported and fixed. The dev's would even have the beta test gamers names put in the credits as a small token. The quality of a game at its worst was way better over the quantity of nonsense flooding the market, even with the best AAA titles with subpar quality IMO.

This would also put a paywall on cheaters, rather than a free game where they can just make a new account like some other game titles we know all too well, now they have to buy the game over again.

This style of pay to play early seems like too much of a cash grab guarantee. I don't feel we should be paying to play early. The extra items, sure pay for those if you want.

[BlueBawlz]

Originally posted by Raybeze:

this is how every Hi-Rez release has been handled and it's worked out great for early adopters, i personally love getting all characters for a fair price as a casual player.

actually no it hasnt. they had many failed games before smite. Globa agenda, tribes, ect ect have faild. smite was f2p when released but all of there buy first then we make it free later has failed.

[Raaban]

You dont have to pay. Pay gets you guarantee to Alpha test, you could still apply to Alpha test for free aswell wait 3 months and play the game for free.

[Raaban]

Can I still participate in the Closed Alpha Weekend Test Period even if I don’t purchase a Founder’s Edition?

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Yes, keys for Closed Alpha Game Access will be made available from time-to-time via giveaways on social media as well as sent to select players that have signed up for Alpha access via our website, but purchasing a Founder’s Edition is the only way to guarantee game access for SMITE 2.

NOTE - Xbox players will also need to have an active Xbox Live Gold/Game Pass Core subscription in order to participate in Closed Alpha Weekend Tests regardless of how access was obtained (via a Founder’s Edition or a key giveaway).

[Mikael_Mosh]

WTF man... You pay for god pack, and it is actually Alpha granted for Founders pack, not beta!