So while searching for my favorite-ever Vault-Tec shirt because I want to wear it to Comic Con this weekend, a thought popped into my head, and I'm curious to see what you guys think (weight in on the poll above).
Minecraft, as many of you know, was able to be bought during alpha and beta development periods before being released as a fully developed release with incremental, ongoing updates, not at all unlike many, if not all MMOs that are played (WoW, MapleStory, RuneScape, just to name a few). The "play while we add content" idea is not at all unusual for MMOs, and though a game that's not imperatively multiplayer based is a bit less common to accept that model, it still works fine.
However, would you consider yourself to have been an Alpha or Beta tester had you bought in during those periods, or just an "early adopter"? For other games and software in general (hell, even hardware) where the developers run FREE open and closed beta tests, it's not unusual to hear someone refer to themselves as a Beta tester for that product. People who bought in early for Minecraft, however, seldom refer to themselves as such.
I bought it during early Beta, and all I ever really say is "I've been playing it since early Beta".
What do you guys think? If you purchased Minecraft in its Alpha or Beta phase, or any of the other games following its release model, would a player be able to refer to themselves as a Beta tester, or are they just an early adopter?
Minecraft, as many of you know, was able to be bought during alpha and beta development periods before being released as a fully developed release with incremental, ongoing updates, not at all unlike many, if not all MMOs that are played (WoW, MapleStory, RuneScape, just to name a few). The "play while we add content" idea is not at all unusual for MMOs, and though a game that's not imperatively multiplayer based is a bit less common to accept that model, it still works fine.
However, would you consider yourself to have been an Alpha or Beta tester had you bought in during those periods, or just an "early adopter"? For other games and software in general (hell, even hardware) where the developers run FREE open and closed beta tests, it's not unusual to hear someone refer to themselves as a Beta tester for that product. People who bought in early for Minecraft, however, seldom refer to themselves as such.
I bought it during early Beta, and all I ever really say is "I've been playing it since early Beta".
What do you guys think? If you purchased Minecraft in its Alpha or Beta phase, or any of the other games following its release model, would a player be able to refer to themselves as a Beta tester, or are they just an early adopter?