As gamers, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to games. We're inundated with media for the latest releases via trailers, images and marketing campaigns and it can sometimes become a daunting task deciding what we want to play (or purchase). This is one reason why beta tests for new games are so important.

Recently I discovered a game that I was mildly interested in playing only to find that the game didn't offer a beta and required gamers to pay to play it (before release). The mild interest I had suddenly became no interest at all. I wouldn't spend my money on a game that offered very little information and no way of determining what the game was like to play before retail release.

Beta's are also important for developers to understand what needs to change in a game and one of the best ways to do this is to unleash your game on people that play them. It also gives gamers an opportunity to feel like they're part of something, especially if they're vocal about bugs in the official forums. I am a big fan of beta's and I'll be honest when I say that it feels kinda cool when you're allocated a beta key (especially if it's a closed beta) for a AAA title ([I]StarCraft 2[/I] springs to mind).

There's no denying the hype that games in beta can create. Take [I]Halo: Reach[/I] for instance - the media machine is in overdrive delivering press releases, screenshots and trailers for the game to promote it. If that doesn't get [I]Halo[/I] fans frothing at the mouth, the beta will do the job. Open beta tests for a community as prominent and as loyal as the one that exists for [I]Halo[/I] will attract attention. I'm not even a hardcore [I]Halo[/I] fan and I'm pretty hyped to have a go at the beta next week. So don't underestimate the power of the beta - as gamers, our community relies on them and they're also a helluva lot of fun to participate in.

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