The Beta from FFXIV started on March 11, and only people who owns a PC can join the Beta. The beta is avalible for Europain contestants from 18 years and older and who had signed up last december.
Eventually more people get selected to join the beta
source: Dutch site:
http://www.nu.nl/games/2196095/beta-final-fantasy-xiv-11-maart-van-start.htmlRecent Q&A
Q: What kind of time frame are you thinking of for the beta test?
A: We don't intend to set a specific time frame for the test, but if we begin too close to a finished product, we cannot apply the opinions and reactions of the users. Therefore, we want to let users try out the game in its unfinished state, and from there we will take in user feedback and gradually build together towards a final version. However, we have to avoid making it too much trial-and-error, or it would be more of a development process than a beta test, which could pose problems. For instance, the servers would need to be shut down for days at a time while the developers work on the game, and I think it would be difficult to run a smooth beta test. I can't really say anything definitive about the length of the beta test at this time.
Q: How long will the beta test be?
A: We’re actually trying to figure that out ourselves.
Q: About how much will be playable in the beta version?
A: Not even half. We want to balance the game while revealing as little as we can. We’ll start with an alpha test, but there will hardly be anything in it at all. That way it’s easier to implement users’ opinions into the game.
Q: Please tell us the recommended specs for the Windows alpha and beta tests.
A: At this point we’re trying to adjust the game to fit computers as well as possible, so the alpha test may require quite a powerful CPU. The graphics board must be DirectX 9 compliant, but should work with graphics boards from a few years ago. 512MB of VRAM should be enough. More detailed specs will be available on the beta test site.
Q: Will the beta test start at the same time for PS3 and Windows?
A: The alpha test will only be for Windows, but we’re not sure about the beta test yet.
Q: How much of the game will players be able to experience in the beta?
A: We started at about 10% of the final product with the playable Alpha version and are ultimately trying to perfect the underlying game system. The bulk of the game won't be made public until the retail version is out.
Q: What can you tell us about the transition from the Beta to the final version or about world transfers in general?
A: Once service starts, we want to make it so you can move along with the friends you make during the Beta to the same world. As for world transfers, that may be a possibility in the future, with some limitations probably.
What is a Beta ?
A MMORPG beta test is generally conducted in multiple stages, the first being conducted primarily by "inside members" of the company, development team, etc. One could consider this the final stage of actual game development (not including content expansion). The tests to follow are generally done in waves, and select members are chosen sometimes from mailing lists, sometimes from direct applications, sometimes keys are given to different hubs for distribution (ie: FilePlanet) and sometimes to dedicated communities like the one you're at now. Also, make sure to pre-order the game as soon as the option becomes available.
These members are then given access to a special forum where they will be in close communication with the developers to work out any glitches found. During this stage they are usually put under an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which means they are not allowed to provide information about the game to the public during the testing period. This stage usually occupies the bulk of the beta.
Once the major bugs and glitches have been ironed out, an open beta will likely be conducted with the goal of testing the server's capability to handle major traffic and find any little bugs that might have been overlooked. There's no guaranteed way to be selected for beta , though, oftentimes it's necessary to test a wide variety of PC configurations.
