POTCO is not only a free game. It is in beta and has a lot of problems. Most games, in early closed beta, are pretty bad. I alpha/beta tested The Realm. That game would reset the server every 15 minutes...every day...24/7. The testers still stuck with the game to help find bugs.

While some are here to just play for free...this is fine because the Devs have programs running that track what you do, how you survive, what kills you, etc. Many are here to be an active bug finder & play the game. We just like to help the Devs make a great game. Maybe something that we suggest ends up in the game...we can point and brag! -)

Think of testing POTCO as volunteer work. You don't get paid, you are helping someone out, and at the end....you go home...nothing gained other than self esteem and sense of purpose. Think of this game as an extended buggy preview of the released version....a sneak preview.

Toodles,

Dolnor Numbwit
Eternal Cannon-fodder

a few of you have good points.. it sounds like alot of people that are beta testing thyis game have never done this before.. I feel bad for them.. but having these forums up and running are excellent.. i can rmeber beta testing LOTRO and like only having one place for testers to pass info.. this isite is great.. and who knows the way things are going we might get a game for christmas.. but I am sure like other companys diney will give a special ingame gift to beta testers who signup for the real game.. like a special cutlass or ship or something

It takes way more then 1,000 dollars each day to run. Thats including server costs, paying the game's team members, advertising commercials, there's so much that has to go into it.

Sure they "collect" a lot of money daily. However the overhaed they pay takes a good chunk of this money. Take into consideration the cost of electric, telephones, employee pay, Park projects, Legal teams etc. etc.. You will see the overhead is easily in the billions of dollars. Yes, they do make a profit. (As any other company does.) if they didn't the share holders would quickly leave. And there would be NO Disney.

Below is just a couple of overhead costs for Disney's computers. This does not include the game computers. Nor does it include the daily running of the company.

IBM receives approximately $730 million over 7 years to manage Disney's mainframe and approximately 3,700 midrange computers, data storage systems holding 1.4 petabytes (1.4 quadrillion bytes) of information, major applications such as SAP AG business planning system and legacy software that runs operations at the domestic theme parks.

ACS receives $610 million over seven years to manage Disney's network, desktop PCs, help desk support, procurement and security.

As you can see just a small aspect of running Disney is over $2 million a year, or broken down further $5,479.45 daily.

Yep.

Pirates Online is not making any money right now, too. They have been working
for loads of months, maybe even years, but there is no income from the game
because it is in beta.

YEA! otto88812,Chrisaphor(SP) I don't know if I'll keep that name. If i don't it'll be bobpirate(hopefully)