Activision has announced that the recent Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 multiplayer beta on PlayStation 4 was the largest beta in the system's history. Granted, the PS4 has only been around since November 2013, but it's an impressive feat nonetheless as "millions of gamers downloaded and played the beta," Activision boasted. The beta set new marks on PS4 for most downloads, gameplay sessions, and hours of gameplay to date.
Originally intended only for those who had pre-ordered Black Ops 3, Activision opened it up to all PlayStation 4 owners on the final day. In the end, it should lead to a more stable launch than what players experienced, as it hopefully "provided critical feedback and technical data at scale for the Treyarch development team to further fine-tune and polish in preparation for the November 6 launch," Activision wrote.
"This is about making sure we deliver to our fans the best possible game at launch," said Rob Kostich, senior vice president and general manager of Call of Duty. "Becoming the biggest beta on PS4 speaks to the excitement felt by gamers and the quality of work by Treyarch."
"Our goal is to deliver the best Day One experience possible and this beta – along with the input from our passionate community of fans – has helped position us to do just that," added Treyarch Studio Head Mark Lamia.
Currently, Black Ops 3 is undergoing a beta on Xbox One and PC, but PlayStation 4 owners had first dibs thanks to Activision's new deal with Sony.
"Played by millions of PlayStation fans around the world, the response to the beta was massive and shows the strength when bringing together the best-selling console franchise with the best-selling game console," said Adam Boyes, Sony Computer Entertainment America's VP of Publisher and Developer Relations. "Signaling an impressive start of a new era for PlayStation and this famed franchise, there was no better way to welcome Call of Duty to its new home on PlayStation 4."
Did you participate in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 beta? If so, what do you think?
