game release terminology question

[Guest]

So, I've head the term "beta" refereed to a lot with regard to game release editions. It used to indicated an unfinished product, as I understood it. Players playing beta releases would play for free, to product test the game.

 

Now it seems like games are being sold while still in their "beta" phase. If they are selling, doesn't that make it a finished product?

 

I'm not sure I understand the terminology if beta refers to a finished product.

 

Can someone explain this?

[xipetotec]

A beta release is a release that has most of the core mechanics of the product finished and usually the product is "usable" to a large degree. However there is still polish and features left to add in before the final release.  Its become pretty common to let people who have pre-ordered games to play the game in its beta state.  You see this mostly with multiplayer games where the dev team wants to get the balance right and stress test the servers with heavier loads than can be done with in house testing.

[Duckman]

Once upon a time beta referred to a release which was largely functional but needed testing, polish and perhaps additional features before it could be commercially successful.  Over time this has degraded due to 1) the ready distribution mechanism of internet downloads, 2) the gaming community and its idiotic, sheep-like acceptance.

 

To me, the term now means "good enough that the publisher (or sometimes the dev) is going to make a cash grab now before 1) the users figure out how badly this was designed or 2) the money runs out and we have to lay off the devs."  It is not always the deathknell of the project but it is a sign that development is either being slowed or eliminated and that this product should be considered the end-state with any new features, skins, content, etc. being relegated to paid DLC or a future expansion.  This is not always the case but since the community accepts it publishers and devs are finding that it is the most lucrative path open to them in late stages of development after the initial funding has been exhausted.

 

I work in the software industry (although not in gaming) and could go on about this ad nauseum but that pretty much sums up the sentiment.

[Guest]

Thanks.