Is this game an "extended beta" version?

[Catapult]

Yes, as much as people do not want to admit it, and it would be bad press for SE to say it, this game has been pulled back into beta, it was day after it was released......

A very good point there. Predicted and/or possible perception by the media and, more importantly, shareholders are likely strongly influencing the press releases on this game. That's a delicate balance...

[Coldfire]

What developement stage this game is in is obviously decided by the devs. So there's really no point arguing about the "official" stage. But if people call it open beta and by that mean that the game is buggy and unfinished they are 100% right imho.

[Cendres]

Both people above me have the right of it. When people say it's back in beta they mean the game is being reworked and is functioning like a late beta game. This is why there is no monthly fee, the game is launched so yes you can't actually call it a beta, but the way it is being handled is NOT how you improve a full featured game. The launch was a disaster much of what we were promised wasn't even done and ready to be added, so treating this as any other MMO that's been out for 10 months is unfair.

This game should never have launched in the first place, you can be stubborn and hold to the fact that it happened to justify your impatience, but it won't change what is.

I think it's a lot more beneficial for everyone to contribute to threads that want to make the game better then to keep complaining and putting things down because you're still upset about the launch..

[Shipp]

Both people above me have the right of it. When people say it's back in beta they mean the game is being reworked and is functioning like a late beta game. This is why there is no monthly fee, the game is launched so yes you can't actually call it a beta, but the way it is being handled is NOT how you improve a full featured game. The launch was a disaster much of what we were promised wasn't even done and ready to be added, so treating this as any other MMO that's been out for 10 months is unfair.

This game should never have launched in the first place, you can be stubborn and hold to the fact that it happened to justify your impatience, but it won't change what is.

I think it's a lot more beneficial for everyone to contribute to threads that want to make the game better then to keep complaining and putting things down because you're still upset about the launch..

I understand this, and I agree, it feels like a beta. One thing stopping this from being a beta is that SE is still charging for the disk instead of opening up client downloads. This is really what it boils down to. They are still charging, just not monthly fees. It is not an actual beta, even though it is being treated like one.

People can claim semantics all they want, and that's fine. It is not officially a beta anymore. With the line of reasoning that it is still a beta, just because it feels like it, do we get to call -all- crappy MMOs betas? Did staunch SE defenders claim, "DoAC is just in a beta right now, bad launch, but it'll get better, so we can't judge!"? Hell no.

Let's remember what the OP was asking for:

I was wondering if any of the devs have ever expressed their thoughts on this in interviews, and what other people's thoughts are.

My response: No, it's not an official beta. Everyone else claiming it's really a beta because it feels like it would fall under the opinion section, not the part I was replying to, being SE's official statements.

[darkstarpoet1]

This game should never have launched in the first place, you can be stubborn and hold to the fact that it happened to justify your impatience, but it won't change what is.

...and ignoring the fact that the retail version of the game was launched does not change the fact that happened either. you can call it beta all you want because it does feel that way, but truth of the matter is it is being sold retail. we are beta testing for the ps3 release, but the pc version is in retail not beta.

[Adol]

@Thread title
Yes.

[Hazmatyre]

It's not an 'extended beta', it's a 'thinly veiled beta'.

[Arcell]

In a literal sense? No. However I would say it is in a beta-like state. True all MMOs change over time but I can't think of another thatlaunched so poorly the company decided to forego monthly fees, changed development staff and had them begin reworking fundamental core systems of a game. The game we have now won't look anything like the "finished" product once they start charging again.

[Renshi]

I would call this a Beta, if there wasn't this build-up in the story during the time I play.
A Beta substantially is needed to spot bugs and so, in an user-oriented way, and there come Close and Open beta.
For this game you paid for this, and if you've noticed it's not simply a beta testing, but by the time you play you can notice story continuations, new lore and links with them, thing that a Beta will Never give to you.

You can't tell this is a Beta, but an Undeveloped World.

[Coldfire]

You people should stop abusing the word "beta". I feel sorry for it.