Back at E3, Capcom announced that fighting game fans eager to get a taste of the upcoming Street Fighter V could get access to a beta for the game if they pre-ordered it from certain retailers. That beta launched last night on PlayStation 4, but almost immediately ran into a ton of issues. Players had trouble connecting to matches, but could access the single-player training mode, which acts as a sort of "waiting room" while it tries to find you a match. Others couldn't even access that. Now, Capcom has pulled down the beta servers entirely in order to perform maintenance. The company explains this decision in an apology released this morning:
We apologize for the ongoing issues that users have been experiencing with the SFV beta test. In order to allow us to fix the issues as quickly as possible, we are going to initiate a period of extended maintenance, during which time the beta will be unavailable to all users. We will let you know the date on which the closed beta test will re-open once all problems have been fixed. We sincerely apologize for having to bring this unfortunate news to you. Thank you for your patience. Please stay tuned for further updates.
I'm curious what sort of time frame we're looking at before the beta will come back up. When issues first starting popping up, Capcom originally said that the company would be "extending" the beta period, but the statement today reads as if the beta could return some unspecified time in the future. It's just all very unclear.
This also is a firm reminder about the unpredictability of pre-order bonuses. As recent Giant Beastcast guest Jeff Bakalar writes, "preorder does virtually nothing for you [the consumer], but it does a great deal for various other parties." Retailers like it when consumers pre-order for a lot of reasons. Pre-orders give companies a general idea of a game's demand, which helps to predict how many copies should be ordered. Plus, the money retailers make from pre-orders can be used in investments and other company purchases--even a five dollar pre-order is actually worth more than that for the company receiving it.
The smart move is to never pre-order. We should always wait and see if a game is worth our money. But I know the thirst is real, and some pre-order bonuses make things so hard to resist. And unlike a system theme or a set of armor, early beta access makes an especially tempting offer because it's a bonus you gain access to soon. Except, as this case shows us, that isn't always true.