I was just shocked when I heard the news Skull still going on
I must admit, I am a pirate media junkie. I may be a more casual fan than most, but when it comes to gripping adventure, I’m always disappointed. That’s why I’ve been quietly listening to the news about Skull over the past five years, and while I’m still pretty skeptical about how the game will turn out, I’m still hopeful that it delivers the pirate adventure I’ve been craving ever since. Sea of Thieves.
After a long silence on the radio, Ubisoft updated us last month with Financial report, which tells us that the game is still in development and that it looks like it’s going pretty well. However, I’ll believe it when I see it, because Ubisoft Singapore, the operating studio Skull’ development, many controversies have come to light over the past few years, from Toxic at work arrive sexual harassment statement.
Despite all that, Skull somehow survived development hell and kept moving forward, so much so that Ubisoft announced that they were looking for game testers to try out the game in something they named is the Insider Program, an “ongoing live testing initiative”.
We’re starting our Insider Program, a unique opportunity for a select few to test out early versions of Skull and Bones and share feedback. Apply now if you think you have what it takes!
– Skull & Bones (@skullnodasgame) March 9, 2022
The application is open to everyone and is based on website it looks like pretty standard fare until beta testing – they want players to “test and report issues, bugs or just general feedback”.
Personally, I think branding an experimental game is an odd choice, because players often jump at the chance to be a part of beta testing in the first place.
At the risk of sounding a bit contrived, part of me worries that this is a slippery slope of using hype and fandom to get freelancing. This is all speculation, of course, but there’s something about the specifics of wanting fans interested in the game’s development, as well as wanting them to have “a lot of time to allocate to control issues.” test and report” makes me uncomfortable, because that is what QA is for.
It’s a gray area for sure, but I wouldn’t pass Ubisoft to try and pull something that didn’t taste good. Be wary, Skull hopes.
