In the wake of Bethesda’s pre-emptive Fallout 76 apology letter overnight, Rockstar has issued a statement of its own, explaining that “there will inevitably be some turbulence” when Red Dead Online releases next month. The multiplayer component of Red Dead Redemption 2 will go into beta for everyone who owns the main game in November, but the publisher wants your help “fixing teething problems” and transforming the mode into “something really fun and innovative”.
We suppose it’s good that the companies are being upfront, but we do find this kind of correspondence for full-priced products a bit strange. We suppose in Red Dead Redemption 2’s case it’s not as bad as Fallout 76 because there will still be a highly polished single player campaign on offer, but how do you feel about publishers effectively asking players to help bug test their games? It’s a bit weird, right?
[source rockstargames.com]
Comments 28
I'm only buying it for the single player, so as long as that works all is good 😁
Companies have been doing this for years, no? 🤔 The whole purpose of a beta.
@daveofduncan It's getting worse, though. We're doing it in full-price products now. And I hate the language they use.
"We look forward to working with our amazing and dedicated community to share ideas, help us fix teething problems and work with us to develop Red Dead Online into something really fun and innovative."
Just rubs me the wrong way.
Shouldn't they be hiring testers for this?
You would think that after successfully running GTAV online for so many years they would have a great understanding of what is required to make the online portion work. I am not under any illusion that there wont be any need to make tweaks but that is understandable.
@WanderingBullet You can't test millions of people playing at the same time.
@WanderingBullet they should, but why shell out cash for testers when they can make money off of the poor schlubs that buy the 'full game' to beta-test the multiplayer features?
Sound business practice, I say
@Splat “fixing teething problems” and transforming the mode into “something really fun and innovative”.
I don't know if this is mainly to do with millions of people playing at the same time. I mean a lot of popular online games have this issue. Seems like this has more to do with fixing serious bugs and have consumers give them feedback and ideas on improving the online mode.
@get2sammyb Well you wanted "Early access", here's your early access, b/c these games are clearly releasing early.
Of course once every company does it they don't need to call them "early" anymore, it's just how games release these days, in beta or alpha, nothing is ever done at release anymore. Nothing. Game+, photo mode, patches and updates and DLC oh my. It's all beta.
I think all of this is a direct response to NMS, cut down on the death threats. Criticism is one thing, death threats are another, and I think NMS set the bar.
Games are always getting refined over time. So no I do not have issue with it.
@Neolit someone hire this guy!! He knows whats up 😺
"but how do you feel about publishers effectively asking players to help bug test their games? It’s a bit weird, right?"
We've been living in a "release now, fix later (maybe)" culture for almost a decade now. Companies coming out and openly admitting we are paying beta testers doesn't make it any better, and it's only going to get worse from here on out now that they are "owning up" to it.
I dont mind a few inevitable teething problems as long as it doesn't delete online characters again like at the launch of GTA Online. That took the wee.
Will keep playing the sp for a long time and only jump into mp once its fully ready. Its very different from F76 which is mainly a mp game if I'm not mistaken.
The same thing happened with GTA Online. They said basically the same message.
I can understand it.. especially if the Online portion is huge like GTAO - theres no way to test it properly before it goes live.
I understand that it's a bit odd but compared to fallout 76, I don't mind.... I know I'm getting a great (hopefully) single player game with it. Bethesda is literally making people pay to test their games 🤔
@sham8nix
It's not just that it's likely to be great but it's to the scale of the other huge sp games out there and certainly worth it even without mp.
Flipping heck, you are paying for a product that won’t be finished and are now being asked to fix bugs with your spare time and people think it’s ok? Only in gaming I swear.
No, it's not weird. Let's put it right Rdr2 is a single player game and totally worth that full price on release and maybe even long after release. Online part is free bolt-on, you not paying for that. You can pay, however, if you wish by using MT later on, but it's only up to you how will you support online component - dedicating your precious time or precious money. I'm on first side of it, never used Mt's in any game. Level 1007 in GTAO (most of it by winning races on double RP).
We are already "bug-testing" and “fixing teething problems” with every game we buy, since a modern game is a work in progress, always updating and patching (including hits like God of War and Witcher 3). So there's nothing new about this in practicality,
I think if you're gunna let this approach annoy you, you have to take a step back and have another look.
They are being open about it, yes they are covering their own butts in the process, but if you're on the fence it gives you ample chance to get off. (Wait, sorry, that's stay on, right?) And people always moan about lack of communication with these service games.
So come on, quit your silly moaning. It's only a good thing.
meh better to at least try to be transparent than to not
Not weird at all, but maybe should release beta for multiplayer a month before game release to get started on the fixing & ironing.
I'll get it only for the single-player and what I already dislike is the fact that they will fix single-player bugs and add multiplayer content all in the same patch. (GTA 5 has 20 gb of patches...)
Why on earth can't we have separate installation files for single and multiplayer?
I'll get it only for the single-player and what I already dislike is the fact that they will fix single-player bugs and add multiplayer content all in the same patch. (GTA 5 has 20 gb of patches...)
Why on earth can't we have separate installation files for single and multiplayer?
I'll get it only for the single-player and what I already dislike is the fact that they will fix single-player bugs and add multiplayer content all in the same patch. (GTA 5 has 20 gb of patches...)
Why on earth can't we have separate installation files for single and multiplayer?
@JJ2 Yeh it'll definitely be worth it without the mp...
@sham8nix
Did you see Kotaku is all out against R?
With the excuse of the 100hrs /w fake news blown out in most of the press, Jason went to report on R work condition. The thing which is dishonest is people assimilate RDR2 development team to all the fuss while Jason report is based on 90 employees or former employees half of which are former employees who have nothing to do with the RDR2 devs who got the flak n the first place.
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