Thoughts on you being a free qa tester?.

[Ramstar]

EDIT

Trying this a different way because it seems this is going in the direction of 'that is EA'.. OP updated.

I fully understand what EA is and it's definitions and that we make choices to buy them blah.

FROM A CONSUMER ETHICS POV
- What would be the issue if EA logic was really a free demo like Vein?



ORIGNAL POST
--
I think there should be more game 'demos' like vein so everyone is working for free until a point where paying for it is acceptable.

I get EA games are mostly about the title. I get helping indie devs and making suggestions for improvements. I get indie devs don't have the resource or scale labs to properly test their game so kind of falls on us gamers but where is the balance.

The logic of paying for the game is to fund development time, but we are working for free whilst paying for the privilege.

Thoughts?

[Wayward]

So what is it you're asking for, exactly? Even after your edit, it's not really clear.

The game you mentioned is not early access, it's just unreleased with no release date yet. Yes, it has a demo you can download. Developers already have the option to make demos for their games (including demos for unreleased games), if they want to. So there is your answer. Not every game developer is going to do this, but they always have the option, and Valve will not force them.

[Sasori Kigaru]

引用自 Ramstar：

EDIT

Trying this a different way because it seems this is going in the direction of 'that is EA'.. OP updated.

I fully understand what EA is and it's definitions and that we make choices to buy them blah.

FROM A CONSUMER ETHICS POV
- What would be the issue if EA logic was really a free demo like Vein?

I apologize if I'm not answering the right question but its a bit hard to grasp what it is you're asking since Early access games and Free Demo games are very very different things.

Due to them being so different, if one "becomes" the other then you essentially just lose what the other offers which is what my issue in particular would be. I want the option to either look for free demos if I'm interested in any OR look for early access games.

[crunchyfrog]

Not even remotely a new concept as this has existed for many years.

It's not a problem frankly, and not exploitative or wroking for free simply because there's no hidden agenda, and everyone knows the terms up front.

So you're WILLINGLY going into testing a game and your benefit is getting to play the game. If that's what you want go for it. If you don't, then don't.

It's as simple as that.

[D. Flame]

I will test a game for free for free. I will not test a game for free if there is a fee to me.

[Crazy Tiger]

Anybody who thinks Early Access is "qa testing" has no idea what they're talking about.

Also, "consumer ethics", and "ethics in general", are subjective.

And when the premise of the thread (EA being testing) is based on a very false statement, there is little to discuss further.

[Lithurge]

I'll point out that Baldur's Gate 3 still had a ton of bugs (and polish needed) even after it came out of EA. I didn't pick it up until the official release and stopped playing once I reached act 3 because there was so much patching being done for that part.

The reality is EA as QA is not the problem it's the demands and needs of more and more complex games being released in shorter and shorter timeframes.

[J4MESOX4D]

What the hell does QA testing have to do with early access purchasing on Steam? One is a professional capacity providing technical support and solutions back to the developers usually on a curated checklist, and the other is simply providing paid access to games early where users can provide their own independent feedback to bugs and other issues.

People buying into early access are not paying to become QA testers. That's like me buying Car Mechanic Simulator and then going to my local garage trying to give expert advice.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

this (OP) is another example of an easy phrase over the difficult truth.

We're seeing these crop up more and more, in all aspects of life, not just gaming.

it worries me.

[Maria]

OP def not serious about their suggestion. No need to think too hard about it.

引用自 -OrLoK- Слава Україн：

this (OP) is another example of an easy phrase over the difficult truth.

We're seeing these crop up more and more, in all aspects of life, not just gaming.

it worries me.

Nah, to lump this cheap jester farming thread to those people would be an insult to them.

[ReBoot]

Buying an unfinished game is voluntary. If you feel like you're doing unpaid QA work (and don't want to do just that), don't buy into EA. It's THAT simple.

[miakisfan]

引用自 Ramstar：

EDIT

Trying this a different way because it seems this is going in the direction of 'that is EA'.. OP updated.

I fully understand what EA is and it's definitions and that we make choices to buy them blah.

FROM A CONSUMER ETHICS POV
- What would be the issue if EA logic was really a free demo like Vein?



ORIGNAL POST
--
I think there should be more game 'demos' like vein so everyone is working for free until a point where paying for it is acceptable.

I get EA games are mostly about the title. I get helping indie devs and making suggestions for improvements. I get indie devs don't have the resource or scale labs to properly test their game so kind of falls on us gamers but where is the balance.

The logic of paying for the game is to fund development time, but we are working for free whilst paying for the privilege.

Thoughts?

If I were to agree to be a free QA tester I would prefer it to be for RPGs and Strategy games only.

Having played localized NISA games I think saying only EA games need QA testers you have no idea about the problems in gaming as a whole.

I point you to the number of NISA games I have previously played ... some of which had game breaking bugs.

There is a constant complaint about Bethesda games and how they aren't finished.

I think some people who only focus on one game company isn't doing the the game industry any favors. EVERY company can and should do better developing games.

Part of the problem is they have a limited time to develop games. There shouldn't be a time limit on making a game. It doesn't help that some of the gamers are incredibly impatient when it comes to wanting a game playing ASAP. That isn't the smartest thing in the world.

There is no middle ground. Both the developers/publishers AND the people who play games are to blame in some cases.

Good luck getting either to admit to being the problem, though.

BTW I have and use the EA App. If you don't like that too bad for you. I do like some EA games (mostly the Bioware games) and I don't see them being as big a problem other people do. I'm not missing out on what I love because someone is taking a piss fit about EA again (for the umpteenth time from what I've seen, too).

If you don't like something simply don't use it.

[eram]

what games are you getting for free to test?
i think he means paid tester cos he had to buy the game 1st

[Rin]

We should have a donkey award.

[The nameless Gamer]

I am not putting an equation mark between early access and QA testing. First of all, I'm not obliged to play-test the game for 8 hours a day. Secondly, early access purchases usually come at a lower cost than the 1.0 release. I can't say about the others, but I personally opt into early access if I want to experience the game's growth, not just the complete game.

[crunchyfrog]

引用自 The nameless Commander：

I am not putting an equation mark between early access and QA testing. First of all, I'm not obliged to play-test the game for 8 hours a day. Secondly, early access purchases usually come at a lower cost than the 1.0 release. I can't say about the others, but I personally opt into early access if I want to experience the game's growth, not just the complete game.

I think it's fair to say that my equation in getting into Early Access is perhaps a good baseline.

One of course should never buy into Early Access expecting any sort of game at the end, as that's not what it's about.

So I only buy in when AT THE POINT IN TIME of purchase, there's enough I want to do there and then. So if it does go tits up, I've got enough for what I paid/