Killzone public beta, an inevitability

by Peter Vrabel { May 16th 2007 at 11:00AM }

Step aside, Halo fans. There's another game in town offering a public beta, and it's the PS3 exclusive Killzone. Seb Downie, aka motherH, revealed on the killzone.com forums: "Of course there is going to be a public beta. I have always said that any game that has an online mode needs to go through a public beta to ensure it works as intended."

According to the post, "more on the beta" would be coming later this year. Lets hope the "more" refers to the beta itself and not simply an announcement of its arrival in early 2008. Sony needs all the help a killer title can bring to deflect the recent press on their earnings and outlook for the year ahead.

[Via CVG]

Tags: beta, killzone, motherH, seb downie, SebDownie

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stef Geiger @ May 16th 2007 11:27AM

Wait, I thought they were still shooting for a Q4 2007 release. Now it's possible that the BETA won't even be out till 2008? That blows. Maybe they're taking the extra time after the few people who got to see it at GDC (like IGN) said it was completely unspectacular. Well, I guess we'll finally get to see what the thing looks like at E3...

(It would be the coolest thing ever if they actually re-did the E3 2005 trailer in game, fully playable.)

Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 16th 2007 11:28AM

No offense to anyone who loves Killzone, but does Guerrilla and/or Sony see anything positive coming from a public beta? The details won't be out until later this year, and people are already screaming "HALO!" at the news.

And there's still that one burning question. What if the game underwhelms people? Bungie and Microsoft had less of that to worry about, because they have 2 cash-printing games under their belt. Guerrilla Games, on the other hand, has only made one game in the history of their existence that people didn't harshly criticize, and its a PSP title.

The first game was a huge let down. I'm willing to bet if gamers had a longer list of potential killer apps. on the PS3, they wouldn't even give Killzone the time of day.

shase @ May 16th 2007 11:34AM

halo3 is basically "more of the same" from many reviews and that is kinda weak. Killzone may have better reviews because the 1st one wasnt that great. I guess they should put more time into it to make it really good.

majorwedgie @ May 16th 2007 11:38AM

Perhaps they can bundle it with purchases of....hmmmm I can't think of one internal exclusive good or bad? That's not funny.

Stef Geiger @ May 16th 2007 11:50AM

@2: It's not quite that simple - there are a lot of people who think Halo is highly overrated, so a game like Killzone or any other FPS is much higher on their radar. Personally, while I felt the original Killzone wasn't that good, I found it immensely more fun than Halo. Maybe it's the completely unrewarding weapons, the childish bright colours, or the giggling turtle-shaped enemies, but pretty much ANY shooter is better than Halo in my eyes.

Hexx @ May 16th 2007 11:52AM

@shase "halo3 is basically "more of the same" from many reviews and that is kinda weak."

More of the same great gameplay? What were you expecting? Halo: Golf?

Edge of Blade @ May 16th 2007 11:52AM

"So what made you think we wanted more?"

SuicideNinja @ May 16th 2007 11:55AM

As long as it is better than Resistance, we're good. Even that Blacksite: Area 51 demo released not to long ago blows Resistance away. I'm waiting for HL2 Orange myself (haven't played the PC versions and don't plan to).

It wouldn't take much to make Killzone 2 better than the first. KZ1 was one of the worst 1st person shooters I've ever played. Some things about it were cool (the female assassin was sweet...knifing Helghast in the throat), but overall it was pretty much a repetitive and annoying joke. "Scatter! Grenade!" over and over and over and over *shiver*.

I don't think a public beta would do them much good this year. Halo 3 will be out along with a bunch of other high-profile titles this year, so Sony could have 2008 to push KZ2.

Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 16th 2007 12:03PM

"there are a lot of people who think Halo is highly overrated, so a game like Killzone or any other FPS is much higher on their radar."

I'm sorry, but if Halo didn't exist, Killzone (the first game) would still suck, and no one would even bother to deal with the PS3 game. If anything, Halo being around gives SOME weight to the game, as it is seen as a competitor. Without that, its just another overhyped FPS that'll likely tank right from launch.

shase @ May 16th 2007 12:11PM

@hexx

Halo3 is basically halo2 with prettier graphics. People basically said the multiplayer is kinda bland and the single player better be good. halo is overrated and the gameplay wasnt really that great.

Hoffer @ May 16th 2007 12:56PM

@3

"More of the same" of one the greatest selling games of all time. Yeah, that's awful.

Sammy @ May 16th 2007 12:57PM

Surely you should wait until we actually see the game in action before condemning it too harshly.
It is certainly possible that a lot was learnt from the mistakes of the first game.
I imagine most of the hype around killzone came from the initial perceptions of the the engine. The PS2 was a terrible performer when it came to FPS.
The PS3 is clearly far more adept at handling such titles I think for the that reason alone the sequel is already going to be an infinitely superior title.
Working against the PS2s technical limitations must of taken a huge toll on the design ambitions.
It really does not matter if it meets graphical expectations set by the E3 trailer....that is tech demos for you... as long as it is a solid title.

There is every chance in the world it won't be....but we know nothing yet.

Devils Advocate @ May 16th 2007 1:15PM

@ Sammy

My biggest complaint was they tried hyping it as a "Halo Killer". That was just plain stupid, in my opinion, because the title, while I didn't like KZ1, is stigmatized by that utter failure. Then comes the tech demo, which maybe I was just naive, but I initially assumed it put out there as closesly resemblying game play, which was later stated as not being the case. Another bruise. Lastly, and I hope I'm wrong, but this news bit about the public beta just smacks too much of trying to be that "Halo Killer" again. The game would have been better off to try and create it's own hype, rather then creating hype off a rivals flagship ip, and then failing.

Anyways, I agree, I sincerely hope it's a solid title.

SuicideNinja @ May 16th 2007 1:27PM

"halo is overrated and the gameplay wasnt really that great."

From my experience, this comment usually comes from:

a. Gamers that don't like FPS
b. PC Gamers that can't function with Mouse/Keyboard
c. Never played Halo 2 online with friends

I was (a) and (c) before getting sucked in.

Halo 2's allure is its fast-paced action (Gears is the opposite), weapon/vehicle selection, versatile playlisting, and players are always available. But that's all multiplayer...single player isn't its strong point.

KZ didn't compete in any of these areas. We'll see if Guerilla learned from last time. We least know that the graphics won't suck this time.

maverick_saturn_626 @ May 16th 2007 1:40PM

To be honest, Halo bores me and this game doesn't look much different, tell me when the next Timesplitters game releases and I might wake up from my eternal sleep.

Titty Pink @ May 16th 2007 2:10PM

If you're trying to compare Timesplitters to Halo you ARE sleeping. I'm pretty convinced that even if a game is better than Halo the die hards (of which there are many) will never concede to it. For those who like HL, Halo seems to take less brain power in some regards, and doesn't really appeal to former PC gamers. You have to understand that Halo has a fan base of former Golden Eye N64 guys and many first timers; a truly loyal fanbase that simply won't be convinced that Halo isn't the best thing out there. If it isn't the graphics, its the controller; no one in that fan base will accept the idea that a non-360 FPS is better than Halo. As far as "more of the same" good on em'. Look at DMC 2; change was terrible to the franchise, but games like GTA, Gran Turismo, Rachet and Clank stick to the working formula w/ minor adjustments and continue to kill, as will Bungie...

seedaripper1973 @ May 16th 2007 2:57PM

im sorry to keep harping on...but has anyone played killzone online????
it was and still is one of the PS2's best online games!!(any game i pull a grenade and get shot,to take out the perp is mint in my book)
stop dissing it on its main game...for free online it rocked! (dont believe me PS2 owners?buy it for about 3 quid an try it)

Luke @ May 16th 2007 3:01PM

@Hoffer

Just because something moves a lot of units doesn't mean it's good. Madden sells a ton every year, but it's still Madden.

@SuicideNinja

I love FPS. I can't stand Halo. Why? It does not live up to all the hype. Halo 2 was essentially the same thing as Halo, albeit with an added sword and dual-weapon wielding. Frankly, I could never really get into it - it was too goofy.

Killzone, on the other hand, offered something different. Maybe I missed something, but I loved it. The grainy/post-apocalyptic quality reall appealed to my eyes, and something about blowing away Helghast made me happy. Looking back now, I suppose the game could have been better. But that only means more room for improvement. Maybe this game won't be a Halo killer, but a GOW killer perhaps? Either way, I'm not concerned - I am confident that it will be great.

BlackBeltJones @ May 16th 2007 5:43PM

@Shase
I think you must be getting your halo 3 news from Kaz Hirai. All I've heard about the Halo 3 multiplayer is how much better it is than 2, better balancing, video recording of sessions, sniping people mid man canon jump. Listening to the folks at EGM and 1up you'd think Jesus had made the game. And whether you believe Halo is overrated or not bungie damn near set the standard control set for FPS' on consoles (which I hear are even more fine tuned in Halo 3). When it comes down to it 500 million sessions of Halo 2 played online guaranty that Halo 3 will be a success and sell systems, even if it turns out to be as bad as Killzone.

alecks @ May 16th 2007 5:58PM

I loved goldeneye64 and on rare occasions still crack out some multiplayer with my mates, i guess for nostalgia if anything, but i have never liked halo at all.

I hated the pink/purple little annoying voice enemies and i disliked how the vehicle handled. Also at the time people were raving about its water effects so i go to check out the water - once under there was nothin but black and a shitty fog effect- so much for the power of xbox!

Anyways i agree that the first killzone wasn't that great but i still enjoyed it better than halo, the timesplitters series also shits all over it in my opinion! I just hope they dont focus more on the gfx than gameplay as a result of the e3 vid, and no one should ever use the phrase halo-killer ever again!

Also: to all the ppl raving on about halo 2 multiplayer - Isnt it full of cheaters racking up easy kills on newbs? Yeah sounds great, real fun there.

Ace @ May 16th 2007 6:34PM

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! From now until the year 2010, if you purchase a PS3 you will recieve will be able to play a beta copy of Kill Zone. Honestly how many ps3 owners are out there? Kill Zone is crap and in no way comparable to HALO.

Bangbang... @ May 16th 2007 8:28PM

Arent we suppose to be discussing Killzone? I didn't care for it, but I always felt like the game had a lot of potential. So a beta sounds like a good idea to me.

"Just because something moves a lot of units doesn't mean it's good. "

Halo is 2 years old and has a 5 million user player base that continues to grow larger daily. Let that sink in for a moment. This FPS has a larger, more active player base than most MMOs.
Halo may not be your cup of tea, but it is one of the best games on any console. This fact is backed up by great review scores and an ever growing player base. Deal with it.

WTangoFoxtrot @ May 17th 2007 1:18AM

how exciting, the 360 users ae getting to play the beta of the most anticipated game of the year while PS3 users are hanging around HOME beta, sitting on a virtual couch with virtual buddies waiting for some real games....

hope they put in some virtual popcorn while you guys wait...