NDA Lifted?

[Volstag]

From what I understand, there's a fair amount of folks beta testing Civ IV. I was wondering if anyone knew if the NDA was going to be lifted... if so, does anyone have an idea when? As much as I enjoy the speculation on this forum, it would be nice to get input from folks who are actually playing the game.

-V

 

[pvzh]

I do not think NDA ever lifted.

 

[Louis XXIV]

The NDA never lifts, not even after the game is released. Those discussing it are either breaking the rules, or not part of the NDA (such as a developer).

 

[Zurai]

or not part of the NDA (such as a developer).

Hah. The devs not only ARE part of the NDA, they have a much, much more strict version. Some dev houses even make visitors sign NDAs.

 

[troytheface]

i am a NDA and i will tell all. As a member of the Notarized Defense Assosiation i will be the first to discuss the new naval and air systems and units... beginning with the addition of the ...."sub that does not start wars all the time" .....

 

[superslug]

I was wondering if anyone knew if the NDA was going to be lifted... if so, does anyone have an idea when?

In a thousand years, when the Cylons follow the rag tag fleet here and finally wipe us all out, the NDA from Pong and Pac-Man will still be in effect.

Having beta'd C3C, I not only understand but also appreciate the NDA. At the very least, I don't get bugged by people who don't like certain aspects with questions like "Why did they do this? Why didn't they do that?" etc, etc. The NDA allows the beta testers the oppurtunity to help out their favorite game without scrutiny or peer pressure here at the forums.

That of course is just one of many reasons for the NDA.

 

[troytheface]

i think the fans have a right to make every beta tester take an iq test and answer all charges.

 

[superslug]

i think the fans have a right to make every beta tester take an iq test and answer all charges.

The beta testers are among the biggest fans.

 

[Louis XXIV]

Hah. The devs not only ARE part of the NDA, they have a much, much more strict version. Some dev houses even make visitors sign NDAs.

Well, I was really only thinking about people who are high up, such as Soren Johnson. They can say stuff whenever they feel like it, even though they tend to be reasonably tight-lipped.

 

[microbe]

I think NDAs do expire.

 

[DiamanteLouco]

I don´t even know what a NDA is...

 

[Mongoloid Cow]

I don´t even know what a NDA is...

NDA stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement. It is an unbreakable contract which prevents people from talking about a game in development.

 

[warpstorm]

I think NDAs do expire.

Only if they say they do. I am under a few very long term ones (the software may have come and gone, but I am not allowed to say how the development went - for the rest of my life).

 

[Zurai]

Well, I was really only thinking about people who are high up, such as Soren Johnson. They can say stuff whenever they feel like it, even though they tend to be reasonably tight-lipped.

Not really. I'd be willing to bet you that even Soren has to clear most of the information that he releases (he isn't the ultimate authority; in a lot of cases, the publisher has a big say in what does and doesn't get said). You'd be surprised just how much "information warfare" there is in the industry.

 

[Sullla]

You can say "I was in the beta" and add maybe a little more detail "I tested some MP games" but anything more specific than that is asking for trouble. Talking about anything that went on during testing is a nono.

 

[nicae]

hi. im a beta tester. or am i not?
bah, you'll never know because of the NDA.

 

[Superkrest]

my cousin worked for blizzard,,,i thought i would know everything about what games were coming,when and how, and what the thing would be like.....pretty sure im absolutely clueless to anything..all i ever get out of him is a smile and "im not really sure", or the dreaded, "you'll find out when you play, but its pretty cool"..argh.

he still wont speak about what went into diablo 2...says hes not at liberty to say..and that was years ago

 

[warpstorm]

hi. im a beta tester. or am i not?
bah, you'll never know because of the NDA.

Some of us have ways of knowing

 

[Leprechaune]

Well, yeah... There are limited NDAs such as the ones for beta testing MMOs where there's no restrictions after the game is released. And then there are long term agreements where disclosing specific information is detrimental to the ongoing value of that intelectual property.

You may want to note however that breaches in NDAs quite often go without any legal action taken. (ending of employment or testing privilages more often then anything else) Only when the breach exposes the project to potential loss or damage would legal action be taken. And in those cases it takes a LOT of effort to prove anything...

They are serious agreements to be sure... But they're not as LIFE restricting as some people seem to imply here.

An employee or person whose career is dependant on the trust of companies who require such agreements has much more to lose than a simple tester.

With regards to the TESTERS of Civ4, I'd say the NDA would be lifted once the game has been released.

(Why would I think that? Because a tester will have nothing to say that couldn't be easily discovered by any consumer once the game has been released.)

 

[apatheist]

Only if they say they do. I am under a few very long term ones (the software may have come and gone, but I am not allowed to say how the development went - for the rest of my life).

Those contract provisions might not be enforceable or unlimited in time, depending on the applicable federal and state laws. I've signed numerous employment contracts that have non-compete clauses, but those clauses don't apply because I live in a "right to work" state. They're still there, though.