Hi-Rez wants you to know that it isn’t a typical development studio, and as a result, its team shooter Paladins won’t be going through a typical beta testing process when its closed beta begins tomorrow.
In a new dev blog, the studio posted 10 principles that outlines how Hi-Rez typically develops and tests its games (including the upcoming Paladins). Among these principles includes the drive to start testing early, be open with the community, initially focus on fun, and “try lots of crazy s**t.” The studio promised that testers will have ways to get their friends in on the action as well.
Hi-Rez also said that it wants to make money without taking advantage of players: “We are extremely strong believers that free-to-play is a fantastic business model for gaming. But it needs to be done in a fair way that isn’t ‘pay-to-win.’ That’s harder to achieve than you may think, and bear with us as we balance the game around that philosophy. But I think people that have been with us for a while know that we work hard to build fair systems for our players and hugely respect the experience of players that never pay us a dime.”
