- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Okay, I don't like posting here but it seems that even the so-called smart people here have started ignoring facts. I'm disappointed.
First of all, take a moment to think about what has been said, and what has happened. You'll either see that everything fits, or that something is missing. Both seem to be the right answer.
Public beta. Pubic in the way I see it, and the way I've encountered during my time as gamer and beta tester, is a beta that is available for people that doesn't have connections to the people who're holding it. That would mean people who're not employees, "special friends" or partners.
This beta is very much public, and they've never said it would be open for EVERYBODY. Hell, they require an Xbox360 + HDD and Gold Live membership as a minimum requirement. Be glad that the number for this open beta is so big, it's very unusual for a game like this.
Worldwide. Yeah, it seems that every country that supports Xbox Live will have a possibility for the public to get a spot in this beta. It may not be Worldwide as Xbox Live is not worldwide, but it's close enough.
Then, to the 10 spots for the Australian peeps. It's a low number, but it's still higher then most of the European countries. Why? I'll explain in a bit. People seem to misunderstand something very important here, and the lack of information seem to be the reason behind this.
It doesn't necessarily have be ten spots for Australians, it is however ten spots for the public (you smart people should have gotten what I am to say now). Each region is given a set number of spots in this beta, but is required to have a number for the public because of advertisement and hoolahoops*.
When they first planned it, don't you think the Xbox employees in Australia made sure they had a few spots for themselves? Then, after the employees have gotten their share of the available spots, their partners will demand some. Major game magazines and companies that sell videogames have surely been offered a few spots for goodwill and "moral support". Those of you who understands why and when this happens, I need not say more. In fact, I'd like to stop it there just so I won't be doing saying I shouldn't. How many spots did the Australian region get? I doubt we'll ever know that number, but I do not believe it is 15.
Over here in Norway we got 100 public spots, which is a fairly low number compared to the people that meets the requirements. Most likely lower then the number of public spots compared to the people meeting the requirements in Australia. Am I going to get a spot in the beta? Most likely not, but I tried anyway. That's how it is, you just have to keep trying.
Btw, Achronos seem to hint at something in his posts. If you could call it hinting, it seems more like trying to beat it in your face with a big trout type of hinting... But it doesn't seem to work.
*This is not a fact, but something I assume after seeing how betas have been done other companies.
[Edited on 12/5/2006]