Why is Halo 3 beta so short?

By Tom Bramwell Published 23 April, 2007

Bungie explains.

Bungie admits that it's been pestered quite a lot recently about why the Halo 3 multiplayer beta set to launch in less than a month is just "three short weeks long".

Inevitably, it says it's down to getting the actual game ready. "The number one reason is that the longer we're spending resources taking care of the beta, the less time we're applying what we've learned from it to the final game," says web hero Frank O'Connor in this week's Bungie website update.

"And statistically, three weeks is going to seem like a pretty long time when you look at the hours you log on the game," he adds, confidently.

"The reasons you're getting three maps is similar, but has as much to do with our normal production schedule as anything else. It's easier to think of why you're not getting the rest of the maps. They're not done yet. All are geometry complete, but they're being polished and tuned for graphics and gameplay ‘til the last minute. You could say that the maps you're playing are the best balanced and most complete so far.

"But they will change slightly, maybe noticeably when the game finally ships in fall. So by all means, learn ‘em well next month, but don't get used to anything you see in there. Objects may have shifted while in flight."

We're also told to expect a full FAQ on the Bungie site when the beta goes live on 16th May, or possibly the day before.

Meanwhile, the developer has apologised to anybody who had problems getting hold of last week's Halo 2 maps. And if you're still having problems, you shouldn't for much longer, with most players able to grab them on Friday although "a few of you might have to wait until Monday". "And again, oops, our bad."

For more on Halo 2 and 3, say "8/10" in the comments and see where it gets you.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Yaster #1 5 years ago

    OMGZ how dare you give Halo 8/10 you Sony fanboys

  • bunglebonce #2 5 years ago

    8/10

  • bioreit #3 5 years ago

    Wow, that really is like catnip for you guys, isn't it?

    /jesting

  • Cloudane #4 5 years ago

    I played Halo on Co-Op yesterday - on Legendary of course - and is still the best console FPS ever made.

    It breaks my heart to know that Eurogamer gave Halo 8/10 in first place.

  • Beano #5 5 years ago

    "The number one reason is that the longer we're spending resources taking care of the beta, the less time we're applying what we've learned from it to the final game"

    And number two reason is that they don't want people to get tired of the game before release ;)

  • fergal_oc #6 5 years ago

    Giving such excuses smacks of this beta being a marketing only endeavour. If this beta was planned with a testing strategy in mind then he could've easily said: "we selected X map because it allows us to test Y" etc

  • IAmBatman #7 5 years ago

    I thought it was fairly obvious it's a stress test, not a gameplay test? Like Bungie care what a bunch of over-excited amateurs think is wrong with their game beta.

  • Nikanoru #8 5 years ago

    I played Halo on Co-Op yesterday - on Legendary of course - and is still the best console FPS ever made.

    It breaks my heart to know that Eurogamer gave Halo 8/10 in first place.


    Yep, those are some rose-tinted glasses if I ever saw any.

  • fergal_oc #9 5 years ago

    disc, mate you yourself have just highlighted a limited test

  • Climhazzard #10 5 years ago

    I still cant download the maps, mainly due to the fact i dont have a credit card, it sucks.

  • Hughes. #11 5 years ago

    Wyth allan o ddeg.

  • belziah #12 5 years ago

    Marketing at its finest!!!

    Top move MS.

  • ChrisBravoTown #13 5 years ago

    "Wyth allan o ddeg."

    Wyt ti yn gall? Mae o werth 9 o leiaf.

  • Lukus #14 5 years ago

    Hey does anyone else think Halo is rubbish?

  • Nova5lag #15 5 years ago

    8/10... lucky to even get that.. Probably only scored an 8 for the co-op which was the best thing about it. You could forget all about the dull repetitive nature of the game by sticking nades to your mates back. hahaha.

  • Xerx3s #16 5 years ago

    And there the haters where...

  • Yossarian #17 5 years ago

    oh it's this thread again

  • kangarootoo #18 5 years ago

    Pedantic as this is, a beta is supposed to be content complete. So this is simply not a beta, its a demo of some sort (an alpha perhaps, only less broken?).

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 5 years ago

    Halo?
    EG?
    Comments?

    FLAME ON!!!

  • Machetazo #20 5 years ago

    When's the Shadowrun demo coming out?
    (Sorry, but that'll probably be playable for a long time, like forever...)

  • gingerlink #21 5 years ago

    @kanga

    from wikipedia:

    "A beta version is the first version released outside the organization or community that develops the software, for the purpose of evaluation or real-world black-box testing. The process of delivering a beta version to the users is said beta release."

    it is not nescessarily a feature freeze, only if the devlopers say there will be, which they havn't, so there...

    lousy typos...
    Edited by gingerlink at 23/04/07 @ 16:56

  • DUFFKING #22 5 years ago

    This isn't much of a beta anyway considering they've been beta testing since before 2007 and this is more of a stress test and hype machine than anything else.

  • miiiguel #23 5 years ago

    Halo 2 is the 2nd most played game on Live. Shiiit, no other game lasted these many years..., me thinks.

  • kangarootoo #24 5 years ago

    @gingerlink

    Ooh, thats interesting. I never for a second thought to check something like wiki.

    My definition of beta is the definition that is used in game dev (which is that all game content and core mechanics are present and the game can be played right through). I do indeed stand corrected :)

    @DUFFKING

    I would say (now that I am backpedalling after gingerlink's correction) that testing the online aspect of a game externally could still be described as beta testing, as you can never properly stress test internally.

    I do agree about the hype machine aspect of it too though ;)

  • Carrybagma #25 5 years ago

    Have they run out of ideas for imaginary weapons and vehicles now? There hasn't been one in ages. Maybe Valve spoiled the idea.

  • Carrybagma #26 5 years ago

    Silly me. This really belongs here:

    We three kings of Orient are;
    Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
    Gears of War, Halo and Quake Wars,
    Exclusively on XBOX 360.

    O star of wonder, star of light,
    Star with royal beauty bright,
    Bungie leading, Halo3 proceeding,
    Guide us to thy perfect light.

    Christmas is scrapped. From now on, we celebrate the release of Halo and it's sequels. We celebrate the happiness that Halo has brought to all the people of the world. We remember the sacrifice that Microsoft made in sending it's only son into the world. Be good, children, and say your prayers every night. Then, when HaloTime is here and the snow is falling, perhaps the big jolly Master Chief will come and leave a sticky plasma grenade in your stocking.

  • IAmBatman #27 5 years ago

    > My definition of beta is the definition that is used in game dev

    No, your version is the definition used in _some_ games dev.

  • SomaticSense #28 5 years ago

    Mostly going to be using this to see kind of what to expect in the single player game, even though it will probably only be a minor insight. I couldn't give a shit about the online whatsoever (bad experiences of Halo 2, with twatty Yanks and gobby little kids).

    Oh, and...................... 8/10

  • gingerlink #29 5 years ago

    hell yes it's a hype machine...




    and an easy way to sell crackdown...