NDA == I got a shitty game ???

[Darkwater]

I think NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements for any of you wearing an asshat at the moment ) are a totally stupid freaking idea for a mmorpg, especially when it gets near release.

I mean, I understand the argument that you don't want your competitors to see your new and cool ideas (yeah right!) early on in alpha and early beta when the game systems are barely in place. But so many of these games hold off on lifting the NDA until like a week or two before the release date of the game. How long was it for HZs? A few days, or a week? I just checked.. Dec 3.. and it was released in EU Dec 5.. hmm I wonder why?

There's only one reason that I can think of to maintain the NDA that long on a game, and it ain't because you're afraid that someone else will steal your idea for something, code it and ship it in their game within a few weeks. Flat out its because you think your game is a piece of shit that no one will buy if they knew the truth about it when it gets released. So the only thing you have left to sell is the hype around the game you built up while everyone was left in the dark.

I'd say lift the NDA at least a month in advance of your release date to give everyone a long, honest chance to see if they would like the game you're selling before some little kid spends the allowance he's saved for 3 months to buy it only to find out it sucks hard.

[Admin]

One of the big moans I heard from the beta slambois from Hz was that they were told they weren't testing the gold release, and that the gold release was much better, which proved not to be the case (to put it politely).

If this is the case, WTF? I mean you wouldn't lift the NDA if the beta testers weren't playing the gold game, but, er, why weren't they?

In Ryzom, beta testers were told that the reason that there were no story quests in game was that they were being saved for release, so the beta testers would have something to do etc. We will see if this was true in the next few days.

so I can see why you wouldn't release the NDa if the game being tested wasn't gold, but otherwise, yeah., go for it.

But if you only have in-house testing of your gold product, you're gonna be releasing buggy crap for sure.

[Darkwater]

I dunno if I buy that excuse though. If you're holding back a little bit of content or a few quests or some such thing, then it really shouldn't impact on people's opinions of the core gameplay that most affects people's opinions of it. As such, I don't see why you would need an NDA to shut the beta testers up so they can't speak of their opinions of the game to whomever will listen.

WOW's doing that too, as they won't be releasing alot of the epic content until after release. But they haven't had a NDA since day one, so everyone is aware of the situation and can find out if the game is right for them or not.

[Admin]

But if you look at all the shitting going on about WoW, I'd question if it was such a great idea.

Also, what can you really learn, without playing yourself? I think you just end up telling yourself what you want to hear, because its impossible to make sense from so many voices.

I hear two sides on the WoW debate, and depending on whether you're looking forward to the game, those opinions are described thus:

"Lots of people say its boring and childish and lacking depth or charm - its cartoony crap for children"

or

"Those who slate the game are bNet kiddies. I'm glad they don't like it - it will be great"

Personally, if I can't play it myself i'll rely on the mags. I wish I'd listened to them about Hz.

[Darkwater]

Yeah but if there is no NDA, at least you can read up what different people like and don't like. If what people like are the things that are important to you, then at least you have an idea if the game is for you or not.

Also, you can find out if the actual game has all the content and features that they've hyped it would have for years. Horizons is a glaring example of this, but its certainly not alone for commiting this.

You can also generally find out if the game is worthy of release, or if most the testers think its not ready yet. I'm sick of paying for beta. If a game is laggy or has crappy DB lag, elastic banding mobs, ect, you can find this out for the testers.

ect.

[The Blackrose]

Algenon said:

One of the big moans I heard from the beta slambois from Hz was that they were told they weren't testing the gold release, and that the gold release was much better, which proved not to be the case (to put it politely).

That is 100% correct. All throughout the content and stress tests, we were told that we were not playing the final version, per se. They boasted that they had things finished, tested in house, and ready to go.

I threw the bullshit flag early, and am glad I did. When we were coming to the release date, we were wondering when the devs would drop the NDA. Monika totally dodged my question to her when I asked when in one of the Rants thread.

The NDA was dropped at release... Personally, that shit is just a bad PR move.

EDIT: Spelling mistakes... I was using a laptop earlier.

[Shawn]

"One of the big moans I heard from the beta slambois from Hz was that they were told they weren't testing the gold release, and that the gold release was much better, which proved not to be the case (to put it politely)."

I didn't throw in the Bullshit flag, I fell for that line hook, line and sinker. I had no reason to distrust AE at that point.

[rexxlaww]

Shawn said:

"One of the big moans I heard from the beta slambois from Hz was that they were told they weren't testing the gold release, and that the gold release was much better, which proved not to be the case (to put it politely)."

I didn't throw in the Bullshit flag, I fell for that line hook, line and sinker. I had no reason to distrust AE at that point.

Im with you on that one Shawn. And I was in the beta pretty early.

Some games that have NDA's, turn out to be pretty good. Diablo II closed beta had a REAL stiff NDA, and I think that game did okay, didnt it? The Expansion did too. Im frankly suprised at the NDA Blizzard has up now for WoW. Its a big change in ops for them.

[Shawn]

Darius and I are forming a guild for WoW.