What does it mean when a game goes gold?

[dcpsoguy]

Anyone know?

 

[Total Refected Power]

I believe it is "finished" and sent off to manufacturing for replication and then distribution.

 

[kuk]

Edit: What koni-boy said ...

 

[Wingznut]

Yeah, what TRP said.

 

[konichiwa]

RTM = Released To Manufacturer ... not really the same as Gold. They can make changes between RTM and Gold, but they usually don't, which is why they're considered to be the same thing.

 

[JimmyEatWorld]

Its called "going gold" because a hard gold master copy is created, which is the template for which the cds are fabricated.

 

[DefRef]

Usually it means that it's gone to be duped. (And the patching begins!)

Sometimes, a game is announced as Gold, but that's from the developer. It still has to go thru the publisher's QA process before it's officially Gold.

 

[Haribo]

It's when the programmers go crazy and dip all of their cd's in liquid gold, out of the frustration that their game never seems to be released...

3drealms comes to mind...

 

[mikee]

rumors of going gold from ion storm = 4 more months of QA.

 

[Pepsi90919]

it means it's out of beta.

 

[FrogDog]

Tribes 2 just went gold today...

 

[MrBond]

Tribes 2 tribes 2 tribes 2!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

(I cant wait. Will skip any nessecary classes to buy it the day it comes out )