Gamers spent plenty of time testing the digital combat prowess of vikings, knights, and samurai.
Ubisoft has released some numbers for the recently ended closed alpha of For Honor, the upcoming melee combat-focused game coming out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 14. The publisher noted in a press release sent to GamesBeat that this was the largest closed alpha in its history. Ubisoft said that the hundreds of thousands of players that it invited to the testing spent an average of 4 hours and 38 minutes with the game, although it did not disclose specific numbers. By comparison, Ubisoft’s largest beta, the one for The Division, had 6.4 million players.
We often see company tout numbers for open beta tests, similar events. Betas, however, take place further along in a game’s development. Open betas or alphas are, well … open. A closed beta or alpha is only accessible to those the company invites to it. These tests help publishers discover bugs and balancing problems in a game before officially releasing them. They are also a marketing tool, since those playing the alpha or beta can broadcast the game on streaming sites like Twitch or spread hype through social media.
“During the closed alpha, For Honor was at one point the second-most watched title on Twitch.tv, temporarily besting stalwarts such as World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike and Dota 2,” Ubisoft noted in its press release. “It was in the top 10 during most of the closed alpha’s four days, with number of streaming channels growing each day.”
Ubisoft also said that demand for the upcoming beta test is 40 percent higher than any previous Ubisoft game in a comparable prelaunch period. This is a good sign for For Honor’s sale prospects.