Open Beta Will Make or Break WAR

Posted by Stropp on April 3, 2008

The other day I posted about the number of Warhammer Online Beta Signup's that EA Mythic is expecting. Mark Jacobs is saying that they are expecting at least a million players to sign up for the beta. It's a pretty impressive number when you realize it's more than the total number of live subscribers for the top two or three pre-World of Warcraft MMORPGs.

It occurred to me today that this might also be a potential trouble spot for the Warhammer Online marketing team.

Tabula Rasa suffered from some poor press due to its beta. There were lots of comments by beta testers who had quit the beta a month or more before the final content was in place. A lot of these comments were very negative about the state of the game, and a lot said they wouldn't subscribe. It is very likely this negative press cost NC Soft a lot of launch day subscriptions.

A lot of this had to do with the fact that most of these beta testers weren't really beta testers. They were beta tourists. All they were interested in was having a free ride. When they found the beta, even the early beta, wasn't release ready they were disappointed - and loudly proclaimed their dissatisfaction.

Warhammer Online will face the same problems.

One advantage WAR will have though, at least I hope they will have, is that the game should be far more polished than Tabula Rasa was towards the end of beta testing.

But what about a million beta testers flooding the game?

Well, okay, there won't be a million beta testers until open beta at least. EA Mythic will add beta testers as they need them, and as the game is able to handle the load. But there will be server load issues. There is on any MMORPG.

If there are problems. The beta tourists will loudly and vigorously voice their distaste, disgust, and displeasure. Too much of this could hurt the launch.

Still, if EA Mythic handle the beta and launch well, and get their beta testers onside - including the tourists - the launch may well surpass World of Warcraft's.

I'm still waiting for my beta invite though. I wonder if I need a visa?