Would you pre-purchase SOW now to be a part of the Beta team?

[Splitter]

I've done open and closed beta testing....REAL testing, not just playing the game lol. It's not all it is cracked up to be. It's not all that "fun" when done properly.

No need for beta testing for this sim, IMHO. They will do their own internal beta testing, get it as complete as possible, and release the game. Additional bugs will pop up (they always do, even after wide beta testing) and they will quickly fix the bugs.

Public Beta testing is only really worth anything when the developers rush or have a history of not patching their games efficiently. Oleg and crew enjoy the exact opposite reputation. While we will find bugs int he game, they will get patched (if possible).

I too have been burned many times on software where I did not do proper research. As a matter of fact, I typically WILL NOT buy a game that does not have a free demo. I bought X-Plane because it had a good, free demo limited to 10 minutes of flight time.

Demos are for marketing. Betas are for working out bugs. I'm ok with this sim being released without a beta because I have confidence in the development team long term. Why? Because not only do they have a history of good patching, they stay in contact with the zealots in the community dedicated to their previous game.

Plus, this is not a huge company. EA screws buyers of new games on a regular basis but they are so large they can absorb the hits. My guess is that a LOT is riding on the success of this title....they will do everything possilbe to make it successful.

So saying, there really does need to be a good demo down the road to expand sales. Demos tend to answer the two most basic questions: how will it run on my computer and might I enjoy the game?

Splitter