The Beta Confusion
It seems the term “beta” is getting tossed around a lot as of late by developers, publishers, gaming press and enthusiasts, and it seems to be getting painted as being an elite privilege that only the crème de la crème are given access to.
Sure, getting to play games like Gears of War 3, Battlefield 3, or Uncharted 3 (What’s with the slew of third-game-in-the-series trends this year? Sheesh!) before they hit retail shelves is a cool bonus, considering early access to games used to be a press-only privilege. But are developers giving themselves and the testers, enough time to get accurate feedback and fix serious bugs before releasing to stores?
