focus-group-testing
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Who wants to be in a seekret beta test? [Updated, closed]
Normally on Massively we love offering you giveaways and beta keys and all sorts of goodies for reading our site. And, normally, we tell you where all of these fantastic prizes and keys are coming from. Companies love that we, essentially, promote their games, and you guys love having the chance to check out new games. It's a win/win. Today's beta opportunity is a bit different. Very different, in fact! Today's post is regarding a super seekret beta test that we're not allowed to name in public. Shhhhh. What we can tell you, though, is that the game is from a prominent game developer, and the company is looking for 100 volunteers to provide feedback on the game during a focused testing phase this weekend. Currently, gamers from the United Kingdom, United States, and Germany are eligible to volunteer. If you're interested in playing a mysterious game this weekend, send an email to sera@massively.com with the subject "Beta Test Volunteer." If you're one of the first 100 people to mail me, I'll respond back to you with a key to the test and instructions on how to download and play the game. Remember though: This is a serious test! The devs at this company are looking for feedback on their game, and they're hoping you're willing to give it to them! So if you're up for it, mail away! [Update: Bolded the e-mail address and the subject line, because apparently many of you did not see the requested subject line. I love you all, even when you send me e-mails with crazy subjects. ~Sera] [Update 2: Holy heck guys! I hit over 500 e-mails in 20 minutes. Looks like I have my 100 participants! Thank you for your interest!]
TERA FGT2 gameplay feedback detailed
TERA's official website has updated with the first in a series of 'postmortem' articles featuring player feedback and developer responses to the recently concluded second round of focus group testing. En Masse has collated a mountain of information from the 60-hour testing period and organized it into three broad categories (gameplay, Westernization, and technology), each of which will feature a postmortem article. The first article, focused on gameplay, expounds on everything from race/class combinations, to gear and itemization, to progression rewards. "Feedback regarding progression fell into four categories: equipment, items, skills, and gold acquisition. We asked testers whether they felt they received real and tangible rewards for their efforts, and feedback followed many of the same trends for each of the three categories. Gear was a hot topic: moving forward, TERA will feature more equipment items per level, new visuals for these items, and a wider assortment of item statistics. Gold seemed to be just about right, although testers noted that it was hard to tell for sure without a live, in-game economy," the article states. Check out the full write-up over at the official site.
Everything you ever wanted to know about TERA's testing but were afraid to ask
So your interest has been piqued in TERA. That's really understandable, considering the impression it left on us at the GDC and the jaw-dropping graphics it's put on display thus far. Based on that, it's quite possible that you signed up for the focus group testing when it was first offered. But simply signing up doesn't provide you with all of the answers to questions you need. Fear not, for if you were one of the many who signed up to test, an official sheet of information has now been posted. For those of us not taking part by choice or by poor luck, two of the most important pieces of meta-information are the fact that there will be an NDA in effect and there will not be enough spots for everyone who wanted in. One can also infer from the information about what's been added that the game is progressing nicely and still has a ways to go before launch -- yet it's still shaping up quite impressively. Those interested in finding out more can take a look at the full information sheet on the official TERA site, and keep your eyes open for more news here.
