"Prominent forum users"

"

coolguy wrote:

I am confused about why it is preferable to "make it easier for prominent forum users to get in" to a closed beta.

If they are "prominent forum users" who do not already have beta access, what are they going to talk about on the forums?

I can see why you would want to reward someone who is interested in your game. But, it seems like you would just end up rewarding people for spamming your site with useless posts.

"

Sibcoe wrote:

As a community member I think it is hard not to get excited about something you are pretty sure you are going to love. It canbe hard to see people with a "mild interest" pass you by on the beta bandwagon. However, as Pyro rightly stated and others have noted, beta is a good chance to drum up interest from various sections of the gaming world, to grow the hype and scope of reach to other gamers. Of course, it is about testing the game, but doing so with a diverse audience is usually preferred and wise. We would want gamers who say" hey I'm not really sure this is a good game" to check it out and submit some bugs etc, as they have different eye.

On the flip side, but not enrolling your most avid supporters who do their best to build your community, you risk leaving them out in the cold of the experience of beta, which is a great community and friend building experience that lasts well into production. It makes new ties and strengthens the community core.

It is hard to balance, and not a job I envy. I hope we all get to play soon, myself included. In the meantime, I think it's time to throw on some BBQ and grab a beer.

Peace.