New Closed Beta on Wed Feb 28

[CWLGAMER01 39]

I received one last evening (email - no code yet)....

[rawls 39]

Its not a beta test if its only 4 hours of which 2-3 hours are uploading the game! I call a beta test releasing the game code for a week or mopre for testing so that errors can be reported and removed. And anyway how can it be a beta when the game has gone gold? There is no opportunity for them to correct errors now.

 

No its just a simple 'release the game early to a few people for a very short time to get them enthusiastic so they can drum up some hype prior to release day'. Thats all it is. Best testing regime on earth is allowing the preordering public to play the full unlimited game before its formal release. This is why I will still be waiting for a week or two after release before I choose whether to buy. Once all the gushing subsides, thats when the truth starts coming out.

 

They are stress-testing their servers, again. It's only four hours long, because they want to encourage as many people as possible to log on and play at the same time. To me this makes sense to ensure a smooth release week. Here is a screenshot of the mail:

 

[nats 99]

Its not a beta test if its only 4 hours of which 2-3 hours are uploading the game! I call a beta test releasing the game code for a week or mopre for testing so that errors can be reported and removed. And anyway how can it be a beta when the game has gone gold? There is no opportunity for them to correct errors now.

 

No its just a simple 'release the game early to a few people for a very short time to get them enthusiastic so they can drum up some hype prior to release day'. Thats all it is. Best testing regime on earth is allowing the preordering public to play the full unlimited game before its formal release. This is why I will still be waiting for a week or two after release before I choose whether to buy. Once all the gushing subsides, thats when the truth starts coming out.

 

They are stress-testing their servers, again. It's only four hours long, because they want to encourage as many people as possible to log on and play at the same time. To me this makes sense to ensure a smooth release week. Here is a screenshot of the mail:

 

Ah right that kind of makes sense then, although it's a bit late in the day to find out if they can manage to cater for the intended numbers! And surely a limited beta test like this is not going to be very representative of the number of people playing the game on release day although I presume they can assess the impact using a sample audience.

 

I would have thought it would have been far more sensible to just say to all the preorder customers right you can start playing now but some features wont be available till the formal release day. That would be a far better test of their servers.

[strokesboy21 11]

spoke with someone at ea and said ill get a code later on lol fair enuff i just said i would cancel my preoder on origin 

[marquisite 2]

Who did you speak to?

 

I haven't preordered, but if it works this time (didn't in the first 2 beta's) then I will...

[rawls 39]

 

Its not a beta test if its only 4 hours of which 2-3 hours are uploading the game! I call a beta test releasing the game code for a week or mopre for testing so that errors can be reported and removed. And anyway how can it be a beta when the game has gone gold? There is no opportunity for them to correct errors now.

 

No its just a simple 'release the game early to a few people for a very short time to get them enthusiastic so they can drum up some hype prior to release day'. Thats all it is. Best testing regime on earth is allowing the preordering public to play the full unlimited game before its formal release. This is why I will still be waiting for a week or two after release before I choose whether to buy. Once all the gushing subsides, thats when the truth starts coming out.

 

They are stress-testing their servers, again. It's only four hours long, because they want to encourage as many people as possible to log on and play at the same time. To me this makes sense to ensure a smooth release week. Here is a screenshot of the mail:

 

Ah right that kind of makes sense then, although it's a bit late in the day to find out if they can manage to cater for the intended numbers! And surely a limited beta test like this is not going to be very representative of the number of people playing the game on release day although I presume they can assess the impact using a sample audience.

 

I would have thought it would have been far more sensible to just say to all the preorder customers right you can start playing now but some features wont be available till the formal release day. That would be a far better test of their servers.

 

Sorry, but this beta isn't for you, it's for them. It's a tool to test certain aspects of their product (plus some marketing), they know how many people they need in order to test it. And no, giving the game out early doesn't make sense from a marketing perspective. At the moment many people (including us) are talking about the game, because they don't play it yet. In a worst case scenario releasing the game earlier will diminish their sales. And even though the game is finished we don't know what they still have to do till release day. 

 

So just be patient. It's just one week. Use the time for things you don't want to do when you can finally play the game like cleaning, cooking (prepare and stockpile food for at least one month ) and so on and so forth...

[strokesboy21 11]

just spoke with ea help as i knew this beta was coming weeks ago(when last beta was working) 

[nafeasonto 18]

If you pre-ordered from Amazon (like I did) you didn't get a key.  Which really sucks...  I am actually looking forward to this game now.

 

It's because of the community that changed my mind.

[Sunfighter 186]

Im thinking since its a full version of the game, they are testing their anti-piracy stuff.

[PrixFixe 25]

I pre-ordered through Origin and also signed up for the beta a few times. I was also in the prior beta weekend.

 

I got the email about tonight's beta but no key yet.

 

I've got very little experience with Origin; what are the chances they will get those codes out fast enough for people to actually have time to download/install the client and have any time left to play?

[PrixFixe 25]

I assume that if anyone had received keys yet, they would be posting about it?

[SirChick 184]

I never got any thing this sucks. They make it so hard to get people involved to test their servers yet they want to stress the servers... their logic is flawed... EA and DICE got it right with battlefield they just let so many people play it for a month straight. Had many issues but it was well before release..

 

The devs are dumb with these decisions.

[Zpike 79]

I got the notice that i'm in the new beta but have not received the key yet.  I wonder when they will start sending out keys?

[SirChick 184]

I was just told by a dev at SC that its for north america only and only some people get invites.

[Stuart98 98]

Anyone got keys yet?

[Daftblue 0]

Less than two hours till beta testing and no key yet.

I will post when I receive.

[Daftblue 0]

Just got my code!

[jbbry232 87]

codes hit at 4:30 PST, file size is 12,000mb, download is moving very quickly (is probably just client).  83% at 4:37pst

 

edit: ready to play  at 4:38... here we go

 

edit 2: game client needs to download more stuff

 

edit 3: internal update via game client is slow.  I guess this is where the 12,000 MB are coming in.

 

Update: still slow.  I suppose we can assume this is part of the stress test.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Got my key. Downloading now.

 

I will be streaming the SimCity Closed Beta 3 (Stress Test) tonight if the EULA lets me @ http://www.twitch.tv/haljackey

 

That way those who don't have access to the beta can at least watch it

[PrixFixe 25]

Yeah, it tricks you into thinking it's downloading fast, but then you hit the real patcher.

 

It also installs a separate client from the last beta weekend, so no joy there even if you have the older client installed.

[Daftblue 0]

It's past 5 pm pst and service is down?!?

Anyone else having the same problem?

[SirChick 184]

 

This is exactly why I am put off buying the game >.>

[jbbry232 87]

Yeah, it tricks you into thinking it's downloading fast, but then you hit the real patcher.

 

It also installs a separate client from the last beta weekend, so no joy there even if you have the older client installed.

yeah, i noticed that, would have been nice to cash in on existing files

[Vaikin 10]

Woulda been extra nice if they let you download earlier. I'm downloading at like, 700kb/s...but it's going to take 3-4 hours before it will finish. So I'll get exactly 0-30 minutes playtime...

[Howitzer Zak 17]

Not sure what this means...

 

Heads up, Mayors -- the #SimCityBeta servers are currently closed. Phase 1 of our test is complete and our next phase starts at 6pm PST.

 

https://twitter.com/simcity/status/306931878584258560

 

Edit: I didn't get in beta 3, just watching from the sidelines

[Shardak 8]

Its an additional 1.75GB download after the installer starts up.

 

Got in, but when trying to create a city i get error "Unable to create your city at this time, please claim it again".

 

Bummer dude

[SirChick 184]

Not sure what this means...

 

Heads up, Mayors -- the #SimCityBeta servers are currently closed. Phase 1 of our test is complete and our next phase starts at 6pm PST.

 

https://twitter.com/simcity/status/306931878584258560

 

Edit: I didn't get in beta 3, just watching from the sidelines

 

I can't join any thing keeps giving me an error - this is really not encouraging me to pre order lol

So we don't even get to play... wtf did i just waste my time for then =/

[jbbry232 87]

Not sure what this means...

 

Heads up, Mayors -- the #SimCityBeta servers are currently closed. Phase 1 of our test is complete and our next phase starts at 6pm PST.

 

https://twitter.com/simcity/status/306931878584258560

 

Edit: I didn't get in beta 3, just watching from the sidelines

was just about to post the very same thing.  Phase testing indicates i was right.  Download stress testing, followed by gameplay stress testing.

[shefchenko 0]

It's stress test

don't get mad

[Howitzer Zak 17]

Be happy you're in the beta!  So many of us sad folks just WATCHING people try to play beta 3.