Beta Testing

[Ellatrue]

Considering how widespread many of these OFB bug reports seem to be, I can only ask: Does EA do any beta testing AT ALL? And if not, why not?

I mean, especially with the expansion packs, it really does come down to customer loyalty to find people who are willing to buy each new release. Do they really expect people to keep coming back after repeatedly breaking their game?

[Motoki]

LOL do you really need to ask that question? 

My feeling is both through playing the game and noticing obvious problems and bugs and from the fact that these Sim games have not been leaked early onto filesharing like a lot of other games tend to is that no the don't do any beta testing. At least not large scale outside beta testing. They most likely do a limited beta/alpha with people they have there, but I wonder if these people are testing by actually playing or just checking to see if things work. It does make a difference.

[Ancient Sim]

Well surely they realise that there are THOUSANDS of people out here who would gladly do it for them.  I'd prefer to be paid of course, but if it meant getting my hands on a new expansion much earlier, I'd do it for free.  Doubt very much that I'm the only one, either!

[ZiggyDoodle]

Sure they do - by selling the game to us, their Beta testers.  Then the EA minions eavesdrop on the various boards and eventually issue a patch.

[lefty]

Do they really expect people to keep coming back after repeatedly breaking their game?

Much to my shame, I'd keep buying them even if they were completely buggy, but only because we have such folks like Pescado and Jeff to fix thier half-assed job. I dunno about anyone else, but on the day of a expansion release I'm unbearable to everyone I know, all I can talk about is the new release, and I can't sit still till I have it in my sweaty palms and installed. It's that "something new" that keeps me buying them, even though I'm sure they will be bugged.

[Jelenedra]

I know what you mean. I had the flu and I dragged myself out of bed and drove all the way to my mom's house to pick up my mailed preorder the day I got it. (I live in an apartment with an itty bitty mail box, so packages go to the mom's)

[Motoki]

It's really the only successful life/world simulation game. The only other thing I can think of that is even remotely close is Animal Crossing. I know there's a couple of bad dating/sex sim games, but they're knock-offs that focus exclusively on the seedy element. And some of the online games let you buy a house, decorate it, craft and sell items etc but then you have to deal with other idiot players (imagine if you played Sims and the BBS kids were townies).

I've seen games that have bit of The Sims here and there and they claim to be influenced by it, but none of them pull it all together into one package like The Sims does. It's also a pretty rare game that appeals to both genders.

I definitely think there's a market out there for more Sims type of games, I mean hell look at how many people are paying for expansion packs, custom contents, shopping packs, strategy guides etc it's obvious this community has some money to burn, but until someone comes up with a comparable product I think we're kind of stuck with it.

EA/Maxis has an advantage too because they had the foundation of TS1 to build upon both in terms of code and features sets. Anyone else will have to start from the ground up.

[angelyne]

I think that Motoki hit the nail on the head.  There is no competition out there, and they have hordes of hooked customers. 

It was like that with online games too, I remember.  People were heavily invested into their game, so they were fanatically loyal to it.  But then there was little competition (I'm thinking MMORPG's).  People bitched endlessly about bugs, but that's as far as it went.   But the minute the latest and greatest is out, all those customers made the switch.  First it was (for me) Meridian 59.  (Wow has it really been 10 years), then the biggest thing was Ultima Online, then Everquest.  Now it's WoW. 

So if a company comes out with an alternative to the Sims, I can easily image a massive switch. 

One thing for sure, Maxis has one damn sweet concession going.  It must be a share holder wet dream.  They make their users pay for the privilege of beta testing their products, while charging them practically the cost of the original game.  They sell the game manual separately.  The expansions are getting smaller, with less content; because they are releasing the content separately and making you pay again for it.


Kaching Kaching Kaching

[Motoki]

More like Motherlode Motherlode Motherlode. 

[MissDoh]

hehe I was about to say the exact same thing Motoki. 

[Jelenedra]

Yeah does anyone else not give a flying flip about the next one?

More content for kiddy beds? Yeah sure that's great. I already have a racecar bed.

[MissDoh]

I read this so many times... actually it comes up everytime there is a new expansion out.

Now my question is, are we all masochists or what? (I include myself by the way  )

We all know it will be buggy the only thing we don't know is up to which point... But I guess we like it that way, it gives use something to talk about... Seriously we cannot really do anything about it except mass complaints to MAXIS/EA.

They will take every penny out of our pockets if they can for sure, their purpose as a company is to make money.  

The only thing I will not buy is their new "pack" which I find useless.  I don't have any custom objects in my game so to be able to only add objects no new interactions or ways to play do not attract me one bit.

Now what will be the next expansion that we will complaint about?

There is a chat event tonight about OFB on the official site.  Feel free to take part of it and ask your questions....  

[Jelenedra]

Yeah I ALMOST held out on the whole holiday pack thing. Then I read that Santa comes, so I broke down and bought it because I missed that bit from the Sims 1.

[Pegasys]

I was thinking today it probably boils down to deadlines and EA's unwillingness to shift the deadlines. I have this scenario in my head that there were *other* showstopper bugs that they were feverishly working on, and they might have gotten those worked out, but ran out of time to do a final fullscale beta testing and hey, they said March 1st, it's gotta be March 1st. Have they ever delayed a product? I'm curious, has any game company ever delayed a product after the release date was announced?

[Jelenedra]

Obilivion. Twilight Princess. Nightlife.... 

Resident Evil. Onimusha 3....

[Ruann]

I'm sure they have a dedicated group of beta testers who work 16 hours days 6 days a week and are only paid for 40 hours a week.  That is the way that EA (and many software companies) operate, after all.

[Simsbaby]

Doom Forever? That one has been delayed for over five years I think.

[Jelenedra]

Any and all wrestling games. Up to and including Wrestlemania 21 and it STILL didn't work.

[Motoki]

I was thinking today it probably boils down to deadlines and EA's unwillingness to shift the deadlines. I have this scenario in my head that there were *other* showstopper bugs that they were feverishly working on, and they might have gotten those worked out, but ran out of time to do a final fullscale beta testing and hey, they said March 1st, it's gotta be March 1st. Have they ever delayed a product? I'm curious, has any game company ever delayed a product after the release date was announced?

Game companys delay games all the time and people moan but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I think with EA they're a lot more rigid about it. When I was in the Ultima Online beta the head developer out and out said that the game was not ready but they were told by EA they had to release.

Oh and Jelenedra Oblivion is supposed to ship next week so cross your fingers! I think I will most likely dissappear for a good while once I get that game.

[TaWanda]

I'm curious, has any game company ever delayed a product after the release date was announced?

According to experts (my kids  )  it's the rare game that doesn't get delayed. I have been listening to whining and moaning about the newest Zelda and Final Fantasy games for months, apparently the Zelda game may be delayed by almost a year 
 I don't know, I only play SIMS

[Jysudo]

I think that Maxis know that JMP, TJ, Numenor and the rest of the awesome modders will fix their game for them. So they are getting these modders to do it free of charge for them. Its disguisting. I doubt they have a single beta tester.
It seems more like the alpha version of the game.

If you ask me, even SimPE developers are more professional than evil EA/Maxis. You don't even see that many bugs in SimPE (or at least I didn't).

I think they know we are hooked.The Sims is a big massive cash cow. and they are just taking their time to milk its worth. Because a lot of people out there are completists. They all want complete collections of their game so they will buy anything Maxis throws out. I bought the Xmas pack because its Christmas and its a cheap present for myself but no way am I going to buy those darn shopping packs. Its an awful waste of money and I rather throw my $ to TSR or some other pay site or even make a donation somewhere and the money will be better spent.

I am very angry with Maxis. I have too many problems with OFB and the damn patch is not even out yet. Everyday, I check various sites/ forums for bandaids and fixes to fix OFB bugs, thanks to Maxis.

You didn't even get 10% of all these problems with other games...