Planet Zoo - Beta Dates Announcement 🐯
- Thread starter Bo Marit
- Start date
It's awesome that some of you are super eager to play Planet Zoo as soon as and as long as possible! The beta schedule for Planet Zoo is to give you the best version of the game, so your experience isn't being spoiled by any nasty issues that could have been solved with a bit more focus and gives our developers time to implement feedback and reports ready for launch. It ensures you still get to enjoy a full two weeks of Planet Zoo gameplay and everyone can experience the full launch of the game in the best possible shape.
There was no official date of beta man
and people please stop crying. How old are you anyway? we all gonna play the game sooner the later and its gonna be the best zoo game since zoo tycoon. Frontier has done such an oustanding job so far. Dont spoil it with your not fair and misleading whining.they said summer release but then took it down - that's why its so frustrating because they claimed something that isn't true
Put another way - Holy we're not ready, just give them something, even a small nugget for a couple of weeks, just to keep them happy for now
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Okay, I think everyone needs to take a second to breath and understand a few things. First summer in the Northern Hemisphere runs from June 21-September 23, not on when school is out, so technically speaking Frontier is releasing the Beta, one day after summer ends.
Secondly, we are lucky to get a Beta like this. Tons of companies have closed Betas, either for creators, or just for a special pre-selected group who have to sign NDAs and the like.
Third, I don't doubt it was their intention to get it out in the more "traditional summer" (June-August), but as we all should know, games are not easy things to make, and projects are put behind by issues that come up. I would much prefer a much more stable Beta that doesn't crash every time I try to play, that comes out later, than a Beta full of bugs that makes it frustrating to play.
Finally, and not to sound like a broken record, but we are lucky to get a Beta. It's for two weeks, and when the Beta closes, there is a month for the Frontier Devs to fix absolutely everything that everyone found out so it is as stable as possible for November 5th.
On a personal note, seeing all this whining is sad, maybe I am just used to this kind of thing with any kind of software release, but I think we have been incredibly lucky to get a new zoo game, and are lucky its from a studio with experience with animals like Frontier, along with the skill to pull everything else this game will have together into one neat package that you don't need a super computer to run. Was I disappointed? Ya, for about a heartbeat, then I moved on and rewatched the trailer with the new animals, images and screenshots. I was honestly more disappointed reading the Forums this morning.
Thank you to the Frontier Community Team, and to the Development team. I know you all have been working incredibly hard to get this game ready for everyone, and I appreciate the hours (and likely overtime hours and crunch) that you have, and will put in for us to have such an amazing game.
Secondly, we are lucky to get a Beta like this. Tons of companies have closed Betas, either for creators, or just for a special pre-selected group who have to sign NDAs and the like.
Third, I don't doubt it was their intention to get it out in the more "traditional summer" (June-August), but as we all should know, games are not easy things to make, and projects are put behind by issues that come up. I would much prefer a much more stable Beta that doesn't crash every time I try to play, that comes out later, than a Beta full of bugs that makes it frustrating to play.
Finally, and not to sound like a broken record, but we are lucky to get a Beta. It's for two weeks, and when the Beta closes, there is a month for the Frontier Devs to fix absolutely everything that everyone found out so it is as stable as possible for November 5th.
On a personal note, seeing all this whining is sad, maybe I am just used to this kind of thing with any kind of software release, but I think we have been incredibly lucky to get a new zoo game, and are lucky its from a studio with experience with animals like Frontier, along with the skill to pull everything else this game will have together into one neat package that you don't need a super computer to run. Was I disappointed? Ya, for about a heartbeat, then I moved on and rewatched the trailer with the new animals, images and screenshots. I was honestly more disappointed reading the Forums this morning.
Thank you to the Frontier Community Team, and to the Development team. I know you all have been working incredibly hard to get this game ready for everyone, and I appreciate the hours (and likely overtime hours and crunch) that you have, and will put in for us to have such an amazing game.
Gosh, more marketing speech without adressing the issue. I thought I was at Frontier, not that company with the life simulation game. NOW I'm worried about the game. The first time ever, actually. Parallels are forming. Creepy. shivers
I fully understand picking Sept. 24 to release a solid beta. I'm ok with that.
But why not let it open until full release?
We could enjoy the game and experiment with it, manage our hype until release, and it would also help to build up additional hype for the game up until full release because of the community releasing videos and streams directly before full release. It's a win-win situation in my opinion to let the beta run up until full release.
As you see: the hype is strong in this one
I'm worried how to survive the timespan between Oct. 8th and Nov. 5th Geez louise, guys... Why the sour remarks? This is supposed to be good news, not bad.
And can we please stop this stupid moaning and arguing? It's a waste of energy and a nuisance.
And can we please stop this stupid moaning and arguing? It's a waste of energy and a nuisance.
To Rob At Work: Do you mind keeping your sour and sarcastic remarks to yourself? You're sounding like some provocateur who wants to spread nothing but hatred.
Forgive me for being a Nosy Parker, but may I ask you some questions:
1. What's your grudge towards Frontier?
2. Why do you need to be bitter?
3. Are you being serious or are you just fooling around?
I don't want to start an argument with you, and I certainly do NOT wish to abolish your freedom of speech. What I'm most concerned is your method of delivering your worries. Half of a good communication is how you communicate. That's just my opinion...
Thanks.
Forgive me for being a Nosy Parker, but may I ask you some questions:
1. What's your grudge towards Frontier?
2. Why do you need to be bitter?
3. Are you being serious or are you just fooling around?
I don't want to start an argument with you, and I certainly do NOT wish to abolish your freedom of speech. What I'm most concerned is your method of delivering your worries. Half of a good communication is how you communicate. That's just my opinion...
Thanks.
In one word - Experience
Can we stop arguing? It’s okay for people to be disappointed, it’s okay for people to feel neutral or good about the news. People who are disappointed (like me) just need to sulk a bit and express their emotions and disappointment but we’ll get over it. I don’t think anyone expects the beta to be released sooner now that we got the date, we only just want to let frontier know that we hope they’ll communicate more with us about these type of things (and to do so timely). If they could extend the beta that would be much appreciated but I don’t think anyone really expects this to happen.
I got my lesson learned and will definitely try to lower expectations or to remind myself unexpected news can be added in the future. In retrospect, even if all the news was given to us weeks ago I would still have ordered the deluxe version, it’s just my own hype that made me disappointed and now I have to deal with it.
Now just one more question to the developers, will the steam workshop work for the beta? I don’t expect so but it would be nice if we could already save some of our buildings or climbing posts.
I got my lesson learned and will definitely try to lower expectations or to remind myself unexpected news can be added in the future. In retrospect, even if all the news was given to us weeks ago I would still have ordered the deluxe version, it’s just my own hype that made me disappointed and now I have to deal with it.
Now just one more question to the developers, will the steam workshop work for the beta? I don’t expect so but it would be nice if we could already save some of our buildings or climbing posts.
The Steam Workshop will not be active for the Planet Zoo beta.
Care to elaborate?
I think it's fair to say that game development isn't the smooth ride one hopes it might be. Things change, something breaks and stuff takes longer. A beta is basically Frontier saying 'Ok, we think we got it. Can you try and break it?' and not a done-and-polished early access version of the game. I mean sure, it's nice you get to play it early. But a beta in itself should not be seen as an early access.
For example, the animal transferring in franchise mode probably works at the office. People there are all in the same space and their testing computers are likely to be somewhat the same. But how will this run with people who are miles apart and with very different specs and internet providers and all those other variables you can think of? This is where a beta comes in.
Yes, of course I would have LOVED and preferred to have acces to the beta NOW (yesterday even!!). I too think it's 'late' and am somewhat bummed that it's a limited run instead of open til say.. a week before launch. But I had to remind myself just what this beta actually entails and not what I would've ideally wanted it to be then I watched the trailer again and gosh.. the hype is real! I've been waiting for so long for a great new zoo game and ever since Frontier made PlanCo I was hoping they'd make a Zoo version.
Favourite animal from the trailer.. difficult to say. I think the Ostrich! I loved the details on it and the mating dance you see in the trailer! However the baby warthogs are sooo cute too.
Eagerly awaiting the first livestreams, this is going to be a great week and I can't wait to join in on the 24th. Thanks again Frontier, I do believe you're trying to give us an amazing Zoo experience!
For example, the animal transferring in franchise mode probably works at the office. People there are all in the same space and their testing computers are likely to be somewhat the same. But how will this run with people who are miles apart and with very different specs and internet providers and all those other variables you can think of? This is where a beta comes in.
Yes, of course I would have LOVED and preferred to have acces to the beta NOW (yesterday even!!). I too think it's 'late' and am somewhat bummed that it's a limited run instead of open til say.. a week before launch. But I had to remind myself just what this beta actually entails and not what I would've ideally wanted it to be
then I watched the trailer again and gosh.. the hype is real! I've been waiting for so long for a great new zoo game and ever since Frontier made PlanCo I was hoping they'd make a Zoo version. Favourite animal from the trailer.. difficult to say. I think the Ostrich! I loved the details on it and the mating dance you see in the trailer! However the baby warthogs are sooo cute too.
Eagerly awaiting the first livestreams, this is going to be a great week and I can't wait to join in on the 24th. Thanks again Frontier, I do believe you're trying to give us an amazing Zoo experience!
Y'know, I personally am fine with folks who are quite disappointed IF they decided to keep it to themselves or at least not go sulking for a long time. My concerns is more to those who just can't let it go and spend the rest of their lives complaining about it like jerkfaces.
Hi Paul. I think you and Bo are good community managers and most of the time you guys do an excellent job. Unfortunately, you do share a knack for exactly missing the main point of people's criticism sometimes.
I'll just spill the beans. There are two questions that people want to see answered:
1. What exactly happened with the 'summer beta release' (mis)information? And no, Bo did not answer that question, she sidestepped it.
2. What is the actual reason for making people unable to play the beta in those last few weeks before the full release? It is not at all obvious or intuitive why this should be the case. A blanket statement that 'it is the best way to X' does not answer the question.
So here are two points with regards to which people's expectations were frustrated. Frustrated expectations arouse questions. The reason people want to know the answers to these questions is not necessarily rational, it is relational. They want to confirm that they can trust you. Continuously missing their point is counterproductive if you want to build a business relationship with them.
Edit: I should've ended with: thanks for coming to my TED talk.
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