We’ve written about Motiga’s upcoming MOBA-shooter Gigantic several times in the past. Indeed, with a growing community and big plans for 2016, it’s earning its own spot in the MOBA pantheon. But it hasn’t made much of a splash in the world of publicity. A quick search for gameplay videos, for example, turns up a remarkably sparse haul. As such, it’s been a bit difficult for Gigantic to make a stand without some visual examples.
All that will likely change soon, though. As of yesterday, Motiga announced that it had lifted its NDA (non-disclosure agreement) on Gigantic’s closed beta testers. Since NDAs prohibit those who sign the contract from publicly releasing any and all information about the game, the lift now allows Gigantic players to share their experiences with the game in video, text, and image format.
We are pleased to share that as of today, the non-disclosure agreement for Gigantic is gone, and you are now able to broadcast, stream, take screenshots, talk strategy and tactics, and share your thoughts on hero balance, matchmaking improvements, art style, or anything you’ve got on your mind. We’re looking for all your feedback, even if you don’t agree! As a matter of fact, we encourage people to share their critical feedback . If you can manage disagreeing with us without threats of violence or defaming our mothers, we’ll reward you by listening, and telling you what our plans are to address your concerns.
In addition to granting players the freedom to share their Gigantic experiences with others online, Motiga stated in the above blog post that they will now be sharing weekly development blogs. Patches for the game will also feature full-fledged notes, and Gigantic’s discussion forums will now be available for public viewing (though only beta testers can post on them).
Motiga hasn’t delved into any legal reasons why Gigantic’s beta had to be vacuum-sealed, though they did share this statement last month in their post about NDAs:
Gigantic developers need to trust that the bond we share with our testers is based on mutual respect and understanding. We want to be able to show you things that are experimental and share ideas that are new and not entirely fleshed out. We want to partner with our testing community without barriers and without the fear that our ever-evolving ideas and iterations will be exposed, creating a climate of confusion and misunderstanding.
The NDA isn’t just about keeping a secret. It’s about belonging to a small group of dedicated people, working together to make something awesome.
In any case, two things are certain. One, we can now expect to see a deluge of fan content and gameplay analyses for Gigantic in the coming months. And two, Motiga has a lot of catching up to do in the publicity world. With games like Overwatch and Battleborn looming on the horizon, it’s now or never for the Seattle-based studio.
Gigantic is currently in closed beta for Windows 10 and Xbox One, but those interested in entering it can sign up here for chance to receive a key. Motiga is also hosting fanart contest, in which players can submit their work to win beta keys. Winners will be displayed on Gigantic’s Twitter feed.