Are you in the WarHawk Beta? We need your help!

by Nick Doerr { May 26th 2007 at 1:00PM }

Greetings, fair readers of PS3 Fanboy! We come to you today with a request that you may find interesting. A lot of you have e-mailed us saying that you were invited to the WarHawk beta. We, naturally, were not. So instead of sitting here and pretending to understand all the fun you may be having, we're going to issue a call for assistance. Here's the plan.

We'd like you to send us your impressions of the beta. Tell us what you thought -- what you liked, disliked, what seemed balanced, what was not. How the levels played, how the servers were (even though beta servers tend to crash more often), anything at all that you took away from the beta, we'd love to hear. When we get enough responses (or whenever the beta decides to end), we're going to put up a feature about what actual gamers thought about the game's direction and gameplay, using your quotes!

Sure, it's not "getting a free game" or anything, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the critics like a game. It matters if you do. So that's what we're planning to bring to the table. You can reach us with your information here, so give us a subject line that helps us know what you're talking about. Like "My WarHawk Experience" or something equally cheesy and sophomoric. Happy gaming!

Tags: PlayStation 3, Playstation3, PS3, Sony, Warhawk, warhawk beta, WarhawkBeta

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

massive_98 @ May 26th 2007 2:13PM

No wonder there hasn't been a post about Warhawk so far.

3/12 PS buddies were playing Warhawk last afternoon. I am so jealous.

Thats ok because I will end up getting to play a better version when it comes out. I just hope its balanced between the vehicles, land folks and aeroplanes.

Taylor B @ May 26th 2007 2:14PM

My only concern is that the beta players are restricted under an NDA. I'll check and see what the limitations of that might be. It may just be media. (video, screenshots)

Enon777 @ May 26th 2007 2:17PM

I got in and I'll be more than happy to share my impressions about the warhawk beta. After I leave work of course.

Stef Geiger @ May 26th 2007 2:30PM

Yeah, we're not supposed to say anything about the game to anyone. Seriously. It says we're not to discuss it with ANY third party.

Well, I'm sure they won't be pissed if I only say that the game is extremely fun and refreshing, and looks and sounds INCREDIBLE.

Macrike @ May 26th 2007 2:51PM

I'm sorry, but one of the first rules of the Beta Tester Agreement is that you can't tell the press about the game.

I'd love to, believe me.

Macrike @ May 26th 2007 2:52PM

It's one of the first things they say to you. Quote:

- disclosure of any part of the Beta Test Materials to any third party, including but not limited to any trade or consumer press, news agency or any competitor of SCEA, will cause significant and irreparable harm to SCEA, the extent of which may be difficult to ascertain. Accordingly, you agree SCEA shall be entitled to injunctive relief as well as all other legal remedies that may be available in the event you breach this agreement.

tony @ May 26th 2007 4:21PM

i think its bullshit that i registered like when it first opened and didnt get it. sony sucks for that bc i didnt get the home beta either. i love my ps3 and my 360 but at least ms lets me play halo 3 unlike sny letting me play warhark or home.

aMONKEYonACID @ May 27th 2007 7:39PM

Well, to tell you the truth, I am a 360 owner that is waiting for the right time to buy a ps3. This game looks really promising. I wish it would come to the 360, but I bet some ps3 owners would say the same thing about Halo3(which I have been playing the beta which is a blast). Anyway, thats pretty retarded that you have to agree to something like that just to play the fricken beta of WarHawk. I say screw them and just spill the beans. LOL =)

Joe @ May 26th 2007 3:02PM

I'm in the beta, and would love to comment. But in the agreement I agreed to it says I am not supposed to disclose any info to any third party. And that includes PS3Fanboy.

humpty @ May 26th 2007 3:04PM

How does the beta testing work.. eg. if you find a problem how do you report it? I guess there they are logging your play session and there is a file that can be sent to scea?

massive_98 @ May 26th 2007 3:13PM

Enjoy it for me folks.

John @ May 26th 2007 3:23PM

"Dear G.A.P. member,

Thanks for your recent interest in the Warhawk™ beta test. At the moment, we have all the beta testers we need for this phase. But don't lose hope: there may be more Warhawk beta test opportunities in the near future. Keep an eye on your inbox. We'll contact you if we have space in any further phases of the Warhawk beta test.

Thanks!
The PlayStation Underground"

No Warhawk for me either, and I didn't even know I was a GAP member...where's my Home invite?

adamantypants @ May 26th 2007 3:28PM

When you have a problem with the beta, you have to report it directly to Sony, or discuss it with your peers at the Beta message board.

And being a GAP member didn't mean automatic Home invites. I know most GAP members, like me, just like everybody outside GAP let alone PSU didn't get in to that one.

adamantypants @ May 26th 2007 6:24PM

bob davey @ May 26th 2007 3:36PM

I am in the beta, and thank god. I dont think I will be getting this when the game comes out. not a big fan. guess I never war to begin with, just got in to the beta on a whim.
Maybe it is just me, but I am a little bored with shooter games.
Not bashing the game, as it is pretty exciting, and the graphics are pretty sweet. Even the gameplay is pretty well done, albiet too easy to kill people/things. Just not a big fan of shooters anymore.

Toby @ May 26th 2007 4:15PM

I would give you some impressions if i wasnt under the NDA =(

Enon777 @ May 26th 2007 4:23PM

Well, I just read the disclosure and I'm sorry, but I can't say a word about the game. I know I said I would, but I read it and now I'm sworn to keep my lips sealed.

WhackMushroom @ May 26th 2007 6:03PM

you guys are the lamest ps3 fanboys EVAR! ..

of course i didnt get in .. got that same letter posted above .. havent been invited to any beta testing since i called motorstorm boring at a local chicago beta test ;(

i did however pre-order it today for me and my bro.

Jeff B @ May 26th 2007 7:46PM

@UGOT2BKIDDING

We can't talk about it. It's under a NDA. Obviously you must be jealous. Why don't you go complain to Sony rather than blame us "fanboys" for Sony's rules.

Magma @ May 26th 2007 9:12PM

I just love how even being GAP member, I didn't get into this beta OR the fu***** home beta either. What kind of bullshit is this? Even after the sign ups and crap I get screwed over.

Popfrogs @ May 27th 2007 1:12AM

Yep, I'm another GAP member that got Home and Warhawk beta invites and got the 'sorry better luck next time' email.

Being in the GAP is nothing special. I swear they just handed it out to everyone that bought a PS3 this time.

OrganicShadow @ May 27th 2007 1:21AM

Anyone who thinks the testers are restricted by NDA obviously hasn't been by the PS3forums.com. Sure, a lot of you testers SAY that you're restricted, but do you honestly think Sony gives a shit? It's free marketing, and a free chance to hype up a game without getting criticism over lack of content or polish. It's win/win for M$/Sony with Halo 3 and Warhawk. Free hype and marketing on top of the testing that the betas were intended for.

We have tons of videos/screens/etc. Everyone has been saying how it's fun being on ground and vehicles, and how you aren't scared to be a lone soldier like on BF2. On BF2 a lot of the time if you're not in a tank or a helicopter you're usually dying over and over again from artillery and vehicles but it's not as imbalanced in Warhawk.

Stef Geiger @ May 27th 2007 1:23AM

@20: BETAs have NDAs because the developers are concerned (and legitimately so, I'd say) that stupid people (there are a lot of them in the world) won't understand that the beta isn't a finished product. So if someone starts talking about how the game is really glitchy or something, those people will think the game sucks. There's a similar thing that happens when sites like IGN preview a game. They're not allowed to come right out and say that it sucks till the final product is released. Haven't you ever noticed that every preview for every game ever paints it in a positive light and suggests that the game is worth buying, when most games that come out get terrible reviews?

Also, merely talking about a game doesn't make it better, so talking about beta experiences with third parties won't improve the game.

LAboy @ May 27th 2007 1:37AM

Sorry but I can't discuss the beta. I'm under NDA terms of use.

NotTellingYouShit @ May 27th 2007 2:02AM

Asking readers for impressions, why not do your jobs and ask SCEA to participate? :|

massive_98 @ May 27th 2007 11:48AM

"but it's not as imbalanced in Warhawk."

Thats awesome. I was afraid you would get the shit kicked out of you if you were on foot.

Major Mauser @ May 27th 2007 12:02PM

To the Beta testers You are no better than just little kids sitting there playing a game you downloaded from PSN. You did nothing special and hold no responsibility to play the beta .... that said you are not real beta testers.

Just fess up because you know they can not find out who you are.... if you talk about it.. stop being so high and mighty because your... really not.

m1k3y @ May 27th 2007 2:34PM

ummmmm for you n00bs to be invited to beta you first must be an Underground member...then get invited to GAP then get invited for BETA testing...it's 3 steps lol when you sign in underground under your name it'll say GAP then say BETA lol and dont hate that you didn't get in. for the guy beta testing for halo 3...that's all m$ has to keep that system has (shooters) so it's public, we'll get killzone public to hype it up even more.

m1k3y @ May 27th 2007 2:34PM

but as far as my two cents on the game, the controllers were a bit to get used to, had to do some tweaking. graphics were very solid and fluid. the only thing i'd have to say so far is the fact that there are very few players and i keep getting errors upon joining rooms :)

Stef Geiger @ May 27th 2007 9:29PM

@27: You truly seem extremely bitter - and if you are, that's really sad. You're actually insulting people and calling them names because you don't like how they're acting despite the fact that their behaviour has NO effect on you. How sad is it that you need to call us "not real beta testers"? Oh no! We'll never be equal to you because we're only fake beta testers!

Get a life - you're the only one who cares - at least you're the only one who cares enough to try to make himself feel superiour by bashing us.

mccomber @ May 27th 2007 11:56PM

This seems like as good a place as any to ask; is it the 1.8 firmware or warhawk that keeps disconnecting from the PS network? I'm right in the middle of a great game and BAM! network connection dropped, back to the title screen with me. Also noticed that F@H seems to have a lot of problems maintaining a connection, twice I've come back to it to find my folding progress stopped because it can't get a network connection. Quite out, start it again, and it's fine. Never had a problem before 1.8 or Warhawk... anyone else enjoying this?

joe @ May 28th 2007 10:32PM

All you have to do is get someone who did get in the beta have them log into your ps3 goto the ps store download the beta and then log off his account and play the beta on your account. Your welcome, in advance.

Auriacan @ May 29th 2007 1:13PM

To all those people complaining about being screwed over, these beta things are RANDOM DRAW. That means being a GAP or an enthusiast poster on PSU doesn't give you a better chance of getting in. Also note I didn't make in in either. I'm disappointed I didn't make it in, but I'm not angry at sony because their random number generator didn't pick mine.

unknownbeta @ May 29th 2007 4:25PM

Hey, I'm in the beta and I'll tell you what I experienced during the Warhawk beta...NDA be damned!

First, I have to say that I really enjoyed playing this beta and I'm not a FPS person. I mostly like RPG's (I did the beta for FFXI a long time ago and got a free PS2 hard drive for it.)

Okay, on to the good stuff. Logging in to the beta did not take much time at all. It was quite speedy. When you get to the menus you have a choice between going to the community section where you can see your profile which has all sorts of stats and the various leader board stuff. You can also configure how your guy looks and the ship he flies but it's very limited...after all it's just beta. Now you can host a game or join a game that's already going on.

Here is the part that gets a bit sucky. A lot of the games are full and you just have to wait. Some that are empty and you try to connect...you get an error saying you can't connect. Other times people have passwords on their games so only their friends can get on. Must be some secret circle jerk in my honest opinion but anyway. However, once you get on you'll get a map where you chose where you will spawn. This depends on what kind of game is going on like death match, team death match and ect. The groups are split up a la red/blue teams.

Once on you start off with a pistol, combat knife and a few grenades. Weapons are plentiful and there are lots of machines to use. I like the warhawk and the tank myself.

Comments on the warkhawk - I did not enable the sixaxis because it felt a bit wonky to me but that's just me. I haven't had a chance really to get used to it but it was a thrill to fly around. There are lots of weapon icons in the air that you fly through . The Warhawk also has two modes..hover and flight. Sometimes I feel that the flight mode is too slow and at other times too fast. I also think that the afterburner option is inconsistent when I use it. Problems that will be addressed in the final version.

I didn't notice any slowdown with all the action going on. It was chaotic but very fun. One thing they need to address is the voice chat. Lots of times it sounds distorted to me and it's distracting so I just mute them all.

Oh, let me give you another big issue...the freezing. It's very sad when you are racking up the kills and the points when the game freezes and you lose all your progress. You can't even exit out gracefully. You have to reset the PS3 to get unstuck. But strangely enough...even with losing all of that work...I WILL STILL GO BACK AND PLAY!

I think this will be a great game once it's in final release. Just my two cents. Thanks.