Game Preview / Closed Beta

Old Duck · May 7, 2017

I'd love to hear from anyone who was around during the original Xbox release of Elite Dangerous regarding the following. According to this article, there was a "Game Preview" of ED before its public release. This practice is fairly common for big multiplayer games on the PS4, usually under the heading of "closed beta." It makes me think that Frontier may indeed offer a preview / beta of ED on PS4 before it goes retail. Surely they would want to test the interface between PSN and their own servers on a large scale before releasing ED to the public at large.

I have a couple of questions regarding how they did this on Xbox. First, if you paid for the game preview, were you "upgraded" to the finished game, or did you have to buy it anew? Second, how much time passed between the preview release and the public release?

I think those of us living in these forums would make great beta testers, since we've been studying this game for weeks while we wait for the release. We could actually go out and do things fairly quickly compared to the average PS4 gamer with no idea what ED is. Most of us would be thrilled to help Frontier test this product (hint, hint).

Presto_NL79 · May 7, 2017

Where do I sign up?!

stormyuk · May 7, 2017

The GPP on Xbox (Game Preview Programme) for Elite Dangerous was a paid event. Sony do not have anything equivalent, only FTP or Free Beta's. Very unlikely to happen with Elite Dangerous on PS4.

Old Duck · May 7, 2017

stormyuk said:
The GPP on Xbox (Game Preview Programme) for Elite Dangerous was a paid event. Sony do not have anything equivalent, only FTP or Free Beta's. Very unlikely to happen with Elite Dangerous on PS4.

Answer my first question if you can, please. The reason is that if GPP payers were upgraded for free to final version, then it's the equivalent to a free beta when all is said and done. If they had to pay twice, then I'm not interested. Regarding the free beta, it's "free as in beer", not "free as in freedom". Closed betas are common (they use a key for access). Regarding likelihood - my motto in life is, "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Here's to hope!

acidburn2k20 · May 7, 2017

id sign up in a heart beat, im hoping for a pre order that includes free beta version to try while waiting for full game. but im probably day dreaming

Airwave · May 7, 2017

The preview program happened 4 month before launch on XBox in June 2015 the game launched in Oct 2015

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite:_Dangerous

Old Duck · May 7, 2017

Airwave said:
The preview program happened 4 month before launch on XBox in June 2015 the game launched in Oct 2015

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite:_Dangerous

Hmmmm...... Maybe I don't want a preview / beta after all!

stormyuk · May 7, 2017

Old Duck said:
Answer my first question if you can, please. The reason is that if GPP payers were upgraded for free to final version, then it's the equivalent to a free beta when all is said and done. If they had to pay twice, then I'm not interested. Regarding the free beta, it's "free as in beer", not "free as in freedom". Closed betas are common (they use a key for access). Regarding likelihood - my motto in life is, "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Here's to hope!

Sony offer no similar scheme. Its not possible on PS4 unless Sony introduce a scheme similar to GPP. Free closed betas are not how FDev do things I am afraid. Even the PC beta is paid open beta. Little hope for this. All we can do is wait for release. Which is Q2.

No time for a beta anyway.

Snowymonk · May 7, 2017

stormyuk said:
Sony offer no similar scheme. Its not possible on PS4 unless Sony introduce a scheme similar to GPP. Free closed betas are not how FDev do things I am afraid. Even the PC beta is paid open beta. Little hope for this. All we can do is wait for release. Which is Q2. No time for a beta anyway.

Sorry StormyUk, but it is possible. I managed to get into the closed beta for World of Tanks when it came to PS4. It was a small, apparently non descript link in one of their web pages, asking for ongoing feedback on game development.

When I was successful accepted into the beta, I was sent a link to a WoT beta games icon, from the American Store, which I downloaded to the PS4. It was separate from the actual WoT game when it was launched.

It is possible to do, but will require FDev to want to do it.

mark_t50 · May 7, 2017

Hi, I was in the Xbox GPP and can confirm that you paid once for the game in the GPP and received access to the full game at no further cost once it came out.

I'm hopeful we get a beta of some sort on PlayStation, heck, I recently paid for access to the Marvel heroes Omega beta on PlayStation so a paid beta that leads to full access to a game once it releases can be done.

I must be slightly mad, I've bought Elite Dangerous 3 times on PC, Once on Xbox, and I'm sat here dying to play on PlayStation, so if there is a beta I'll be there in a heartbeat &#55357;&#56842;

iadesdragon · May 7, 2017

stormyuk said:
Sony offer no similar scheme. Its not possible on PS4 unless Sony introduce a scheme similar to GPP. Free closed betas are not how FDev do things I am afraid. Even the PC beta is paid open beta. Little hope for this. All we can do is wait for release. Which is Q2. No time for a beta anyway.

Which is when paid beta starts if there is no beta whatsoever :-(

Old Duck · May 7, 2017

iadesdragon said:
Which is when paid beta starts if there is no beta whatsoever :-(

It took me a couple of reads to get what you're saying. Ha! I like it, dry humor.

I was all glum after Stormy-McStormcloud rained on my parade. Thanks for the smile!

acidburn2k20 · May 7, 2017

well a little rain never hurt anyone, every cloud has a sliver lining. and to be honest the ps4 threads have been the best i've been on in a while, lets hope we keep up the good humor in the face of a long wait.

JDBooker · May 7, 2017

mark_t50 said:
... I must be slightly mad, I've bought Elite Dangerous 3 times on PC, Once on Xbox, and I'm sat here dying to play on PlayStation, so if there is a beta I'll be there in a heartbeat ��

At least I'm not the only mad one, i have done the same, 3xPC + XBox. And i recently bought a PS Pro to be ready for the release

stormyuk · May 7, 2017

Snowymonk said:
Sorry StormyUk, but it is possible. I managed to get into the closed beta for World of Tanks when it came to PS4. It was a small, apparently non descript link in one of their web pages, asking for ongoing feedback on game development.

When I was successful accepted into the beta, I was sent a link to a WoT beta games icon, from the American Store, which I downloaded to the PS4. It was separate from the actual WoT game when it was launched.

It is possible to do, but will require FDev to want to do it.

This was free though right? Free betas are supported by Sony, FDev don't do free betas (or at least have not in the past). This is the issue. Sony do not support paid betas unless its like early access for pre-orders and stuff (ie some games had like a beta if you pre-ordered the game for example). There is nothing like GPP on PSN though.

I guess if FDev decided to do a free beta or give us beta access for a pre-order.... I think we will see the game before this happens though.

iadesdragon said:
Which is when paid beta starts if there is no beta whatsoever :-(

True enough.

Lngjohnsilver1 · May 7, 2017

Cogent arguments for practicality or technical capability aside... it's late in the day for a PS 4 Specific beta i would think. If they were going to do this, it would have been done by now - and may already have been done by a group of invite existing PC developers. I believe, reading behind the lines on a couple of threads buried in the forums here, that FDev still have a specialist group of 'developers' and a 'developers board' hidden around here. Whether these are select kickstarters, or selected PC players I can only imagine but i feel there is more happening 'around here' than the usual 'salt' implies.

In short - i think they have already tried a PS4 run through - I imagine through some sort of emailed hidden link and access key system - but i am wearing quite the tinfoil hat while i am writing this....

stormyuk · May 7, 2017

Lngjohnsilver1 said:
Cogent arguments for practicality or technical capability aside... it's late in the day for a PS 4 Specific beta i would think. If they were going to do this, it would have been done by now - and may already have been done by a group of invite existing PC developers. I believe, reading behind the lines on a couple of threads buried in the forums here, that FDev still have a specialist group of 'developers' and a 'developers board' hidden around here. Whether these are select kickstarters, or selected PC players I can only imagine but i feel there is more happening 'around here' than the usual 'salt' implies.

In short - i think they have already tried a PS4 run through - I imagine through some sort of emailed hidden link and access key system - but i am wearing quite the tinfoil hat while i am writing this....

Yeh pretty much agree with that. Just hurry and release the game, I have nearly finished HZD. My Pro needs new meat.

Jwood13LC · May 7, 2017

Lngjohnsilver1 said:
Cogent arguments for practicality or technical capability aside... it's late in the day for a PS 4 Specific beta i would think. If they were going to do this, it would have been done by now - and may already have been done by a group of invite existing PC developers. I believe, reading behind the lines on a couple of threads buried in the forums here, that FDev still have a specialist group of 'developers' and a 'developers board' hidden around here. Whether these are select kickstarters, or selected PC players I can only imagine but i feel there is more happening 'around here' than the usual 'salt' implies.

In short - i think they have already tried a PS4 run through - I imagine through some sort of emailed hidden link and access key system - but i am wearing quite the tinfoil hat while i am writing this....

I agree with this as well. There is just not enough time at this point unless things are delayed which I do not believe at this point. I feel that at this point it's VR hanging this thing up. I do think the game is ready but they are close with VR and if this is the case this won't be released till E3. It will be that weekend after they show it off. If not, I believe it will be the next two weeks. Just my pennies which are actually worth one!

Ryverwynd · May 7, 2017

Sony allows paid betas. These come in the form of preorder codes that provide access to the beta as well. There is still plenty of time for FD to run such a program before release if they wanted to.

Old Duck · May 7, 2017

Jwood13LC said:
I agree with this as well. There is just not enough time at this point unless things are delayed which I do not believe at this point. I feel that at this point it's VR hanging this thing up. I do think the game is ready but they are close with VR and if this is the case this won't be released till E3. It will be that weekend after they show it off. If not, I believe it will be the next two weeks. Just my pennies which are actually worth one!

I've been secretly hoping that VR is why they may be waiting until E3. I can see Sony pushing Frontier in this direction, because PSVR needs a "killer app", and ED could easily fit the bill if done right. Now all that said, E3 is still over a month away. If Frontier [heart] wants to stress-test their network some weekend (and I've seen other weekend betas for just this purpose), SIGN ME UP! Surely you need some yankees to test things from across the pond

-- edit --

I made Frontier bold and included a nice heart [heart] so they can see how much I love them.