Invite Only - Dev Only Beta Testing for The Trail

As I saw it, colin22cans was simply offering his point of view which as an insider is likely to differ from an outside perspective. Why would that be deflecting or denying?

The view that colin22cans has on the issue and the view that we have on the issue are not mutually exclusive. Both have their own merits.

I am accusing 22Cans of sharing certain similarities to EA and Ubisoft. I think petermolyneux meant that even though all 5 other people here realised who was the target of my comment, colin tried to steer the conversation from "22cans is as bad if not worse than EA/Ubisoft" to "why are you attacking me personally?". This wouldn't be an isolated case. It's quite common for mods and employees (on the Steam forums) to reply in a similar and sometimes condescending manner when they aren't entirely ignoring the issue at hand.

It just looks like they're having a "bit of fun" with the people who've seen nothing but a fake smile and the middle finger from them since 2012.

I don't think there is anything wrong with Colin's initial post either... but the evolution of the topic based on his following responses isn't unfathomable. That said, I would like steer this thread back to the intended topic. I'm sure we'll be re-visiting this in the coming months, assuming some sort of NDA among industry-dude-bro-buddy-friends doesn't kill the meta-discussion entirely. I'll certainly be back here if any goodies makes it through the grapevine.

I'd like to clarify. I'm not attacking colin personally and I don't think anyone else is. He's representing 22cans and it's frustrating to see that they are obviously present, but are seemingly ignoring the core issues of the project called Godus. And finally sometimes the replies of their staff members tend to evoke certain emotions, whether it's intentional or not. But you're right, this probably isn't the place to discuss the actions of 22cans employees, so I apologise for starting the off-topic branch of this thread.

Ignoring my views on PM / 22cans / Godus, there's nothing revolutionary about the idea, and it is a good one.

Getting critiques by your peers is immensely valuable. My experience is more as an artist than as a developer, but with a peer critique (as long as it's a good & honest one) you get 3 things that you won't get all together anywhere else. First, you get the basic as a view/player critique. This you'll get with any beta testing or showing. It's very useful on its own. Second, you get a critique as someone who knows you. This is incredibly valuable, and it's substantially different from a basic blind critique. Someone who knows you well will have a good sense of what interests & drives you, and will be able to offer more directed & useful feedback by virtue of that. They'll also be able to offer suggestions that someone who doesn't have that background wouldn't be able to. And finally, critique as someone knowledgeable in the field. This will be more technical, and deeper than someone outside the field. In addition, it's this last group that will best be prepared (with practice) to offer all three.

Good critiquing is hard. There's no guaranteeing what PM is proposing will actually result in good critiques, but if they do it & turn it into a regular thing, there's a decent chance it'll only result in better games from all involved.

I think peer review is a fantastic practice, I grew up in a household with a research biochemist, and peer review not only kept people honest, it was invaluable for R&D. 
That said, I think it's an even more fantastic idea for a studio that has alienated the majority of their fan/customer base.
When you throw away your reputation like 22Cans did, asking like minded (mobile oriented?) studios for feedback might be the only place you'd find unbiased, free alpha/beta/gamma testers.