Support NeoGAF

[BladeoftheImmortal]

I do this with a lot of things. They call it a preorder bonus. Not a purchase bonus.

Actually when nuts and bolts came out. I preordered just for the copy of banjo that came with it. Then cancelled my preorder.

 

[TGO]

No, it's wrong to request payment up front for beta Access thou.
I think one Ubisofts games Did that with certain retailers.

 

[Metfanant]

That's exactly what this is there for. You're not "stealing" anything. A "beta" (demo or whatever) exists for this exact reason.

beta and demo shouldnt be interchangeable though...a beta SHOULD be used to gather legit data regarding the game...

however, if more pubs/devs released demos...this wouldn;t be a problem at all

 

[Omnii-chan]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

This. They get data from beta's, we get to try the game. We are helping each other out. Locking it behind pre-orders is counter-intuitive.

 

[AtomskEater]

I'm gonna say no, especially if you actually were interested in buying the game until you played the beta/demo.

 

[Strakt]

Nope bc i still hit the preorder button... Just end up cancelling it a week after.

 

[Gator86]

If Sony and others would set up reasonable return policies I wouldn't do this. Don't try to fuck your customers over and they won't do the same to you.

 

[kraspkibble]

I don't care. I've done it for Destiny 2 twice. Got into the PS4 beta early and will get into PC early but I'm not actually buying the game until it launches (not sure if I'll go PS4 or PC yet. Waiting on PC beta to decide).

If Amazon or Bungie cared so much they'd put a stop to it. Require payment at time of ordering or if you cancel the order and get a code then you need to still pay a % of the order price. I don't know.

The way I see it is they just don't care. Sure there are people who will pre order and cancel but there are many more people who will preorder and not cancel. That's where they make their money. They don't mind a few people (relatively) cancelling. They are gonna keep pushing this preorder bullshit until people wise up.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

First post wins again!

 

[LiK]

Well, if you happen to hate the Beta, you should be able to cancel anyway so that doesn't matter at all. Locking betas behind preorders is really lame anyway.

 

[KHlover]

It doesn't cost amazon anything to cancel my preorder and the devs can create unlimited keys, not like I'm taking a spot from anyone. Why should I feel bad, there's literally no party hurt here.

 

[Justinh]

Not a beta in my case but a full game, so I almost kinda feel bad about this:

I preordered Fractured But Hole earlier in the year, but then it got delayed again indefinitely and I asked for a refund. Even though they said "no refunds" when you buy it Ubisoft still gave me one.

Just like... a week or two ago they sent me a code for the preorder bonus (Xbox One version of Stick of Truth). I redeemed it because of course I did.

I don't feel like I did anything wrong since it's not like I preordered for the game or got it months ago when I actually had it preordered, but I still feel weird because I kinda feel like I got over on something.... unless they come back and try to charge me for the game they gave me. Didn't like... Best Buy charge for cancelling preorders after they sent a beta key or something?

 

[hydruxo]

Nah I don't feel bad about it. They keep doing it so I'm gonna keep getting free beta keys.

If the beta is good, I'll buy the game when it comes out.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

Not a beta in my case but a full game, so I almost kinda feel bad about this:

I preordered Fractured But Hole earlier in the year, but then it got delayed again indefinitely and I asked for a refund. Even though they said "no refunds" when you buy it Ubisoft still gave me one.

Just like... a week or two ago they sent me a code for the preorder bonus (Xbox One version of Stick of Truth). I redeemed it because of course I did.

I don't feel like I did anything wrong since it's not like I preordered for the game or got it months ago when I actually had it preordered, but I still feel weird because I kinda feel like I got over on something.... unless they come back and try to charge me for the game they gave me. Didn't like... Best Buy charge for cancelling preorders after they sent a beta key or something?

Sounds like it wasn't your mistake. You did nothing wrong. I mean what were you supposed to do? Just not use the code?

 

[Pegasus Actual]

They're just harvesting the money from people who pre-order and then forget to cancel before they get the beta key. I mean if you're not looking to buy the game from them in the first place then it's only upside for them that you're in that position. I'm grabbing a PS4 beta code out of Amazon right now for the newest COD and it's getting cancelled as soon as I get it. I'm going to get the game digitally on Xbox as an Xbox One X launch title if you will.

 

[katsais]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

x1000

Until this changes, I'll keep pre-ordering and cancelling, if I don't like the beta (like I did with Destiny, and Call od Duty, I'm looking at you.)

 

[RecRoulette]

Nah, companies love to push their inflated pre-order numbers anyway

 

[barneystuta83]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

Spot on first post.

Plenty of games offer a free open Beta these days, with some offering exclusive access for a few days for those that pre order.

That feels like the fairest way to me.

 

[Marcel]

I've pre-ordered for DLC/betas/trade-in bonuses at Gamestop and Amazon, cancelled later and kept whatever they were multiple times. Catch me if you can, MoralGAF.

 

[renzolama]

In the grand scheme, I think it probably sits pretty low on the severity list of "wrong" actions one can take over a lifetime.

 

[Van Bur3n]

It's... morally questionable at best, no matter what excuse is used to justify it (see first reply).

Will somebody think of the big corporations!

 

[Stiler]

In this day and age, no.

We used to get Demo's, beta's used to be something that you signed up for and actually went in expecting to test a game earlier in development.

These days we have no demo's mostly and beta's are for the most part what "demo's" were back then.

The fact that publishers use beta's to get pre-orders/early sales should tell you that they don't really expect any real testing or issues.

The main thing they get from them these days are load tests on the servers and see how well a large amount of people affect the servers and game.

 

[Tohsaka]

No, it's not a physical product or full game and the keys are free to generate.

 

[shotgunbob04]

I don't think I've ever done this, but I'd have no problem doing it if a game came along that piqued my interest. It's just that most of the games that push this type of crap are not the best games. Might be a correlation there.

And like other people have said-- preorder betas are just demos / server stress-tests. Cancel away.

 

[jiiikoo]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

This. If companies do this, they should not be surprised people pre-order and then cancel just to get into the beta. Open betas should be the norm, not this shitu.

 

[Kindekuma]

Consider them more like the demos you could download for free or get in a magazine. Nothing wrong with wanting to try before you buy.

 

[Big Blue]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

I'm pretty interested to hear why people feel this way? You're not entitled to beta access.

With that said, I don't have a problem with the original prop. The trade is beta access for a pre-order not an outright purchase

 

[bosh]

Torn on this one.

On one hand companies (both game developers and retailers) look at pre order numbers closely and do determine business decisions for the future.

On the other hand locking beta/pre-order behind a demo isn't good either Its an opportunity for a player to see if the game is for them or not, not to secure a sale before.

I think having extra beta's for players that pre-order and one beta for those that did not pre-order is fair though.

 

[Bollocks]

Yes it's wrong, it's meant as a thank you for loyal fans.
Preordering just to get the preorder bonus and then cancel is akin to jumping the queue.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Yes it's wrong, it's meant as a thank you for loyal fans.
Preordering just to get the preorder bonus and then cancel is akin to jumping the queue.

It isn't a finite item though?

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

Bingo

 

[hitmon]

No, since you are helping them out by participating in the beta to stress their server and test their product.

 

[kikiribu]

No, I shouldn't have to preorder to test your game anyways.

If you're gonna put the effort into making what is basically just a demo (which most games should have but don't these days) and limit it to a select few, you're the one that's wrong.

All demos/betas should be free to try, not tied to preorders.

 

[Van Bur3n]

Yes it's wrong, it's meant as a thank you for loyal fans.
Preordering just to get the preorder bonus and then cancel is akin to jumping the queue.

It's meant as an incentive to make you pre-order their game. They. Are. Not. Your. Friends.

 

[Booker Dewitt]

Don't usually participate in betas at this point as I'd rather not give free testing, but naw. If a company offers a service, they should be aware of how it could work out.

No, it's not a physical product or full game and the keys are free to generate.

They are putting up a item on the network that is able to download, it's costing them money.

 

[ironmang]

I think that's a bit of a push to be honest. They don't owe anybody the chance to test the game by default.

They're giving the option to preorder -> code -> cancel. Testing their game is doing them and everybody who does buy the game a service anyways.

 

[secretanchitman]

Nope because locking betas behind pre-orders is a stupid business practice.

 

[tiebreaker]

No. But if you don't agree with the practice, then don't preorder and play the beta.

 

[RoadHazard]

Betas are nothing but glorified demos, so eh, whatever. Demos should be free.

 

[RoadHazard]

They are putting up a item on the network that is able to download, it's costing them money.

And they're getting paid with free beta/stress testing labor.

 

[ironmang]

No. But if you don't agree with the practice, then don't preorder and play the beta.

Why? A lot of the time I'll preorder then cancel but end up buying the game anyways. I just don't like having some pending charge for a couple months that I may forget about and end up costing me a car trip to return. If your game is good people will buy it and if they don't they contributed to your preparations for release.

 

[Booker Dewitt]

And they're getting paid with free beta/stress testing labor.

I was just saying that's its not free on their part.

 

[Kthulhu]

Probably but I ain't gonna knock the hustle.

Don't call it an open beta if it ain't open. How about that Bandai Namco?

 

[PaulloDEC]

This worked for me with Amazon a couple of times, is it a shitty thing to do?

It is shitty, but it's shitty in a very small, inconsequential way.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Beta of the same game? Not at all, if anything you are getting to try the game and no one could say it wasn't the case that you changed your mind. Beta of another game altogether? Maybe

 

[Nightfall]

I'm pretty interested to hear why people feel this way? You're not entitled to beta access.

With that said, I don't have a problem with the original prop. The trade is beta access for a pre-order not an outright purchase

Because nowadays most betas are just glorified demos. These so called betas often occur so late in the development cycle of a product that you can't honestly believe to think that they're still betas.

Demos died, betas rose.

And to lock demos behind preordering is just bullshit.

 

[Fliesen]

I'm pretty interested to hear why people feel this way? You're not entitled to beta access.

With that said, I don't have a problem with the original prop. The trade is beta access for a pre-order not an outright purchase

yup, it says "pre-order to receive exclusive beta access"

The beta is an incentive for you to commit yourself to a pre-order, which gets you one step closer to:
* purchasing it on that specific storefront / retailer
* purchasing it on that specific platform
* purchasing the game altogether.

You're rewarded for this first step - they're not asking / demanding of you to go through with the actual purchase.

 

[Melchiah]

Yes because people like you are why we can't have nice things.

Yeah. It used to be possible to pre-order games from the PSN store without paying in advance, but not anymore.

 

[RedAssedApe]

naw...they are using you to test their game for free

 

[Not Spaceghost]

It's wrong to lock betas behind pre-orders.

Yep, I was just on a nostalgia trip the other day with some friends about how during high school on friday right after school we'd sit and look to see if there were any interesting open beta's on fileplanet that we might be able to binge and we'd just end up playing that the whole weekend.

It's so lame that open beta's are locked behind pre orders. Beta's are supposed to be for inviting people to see what your game could be and to get a large group of people playing your game to see where the bugs are and what's lacking. Now they're just glorified early access demos.