[thejeff]

I think that's the point. Why have an open beta if you're not going to listen to the feedback? Is there a mechanism for suggestions from the beta testers to "be sent to the publishing company"? Or is that company's forum the mechanism?
If you don't want criticism in public, don't do the beta test in public.

Sure, lock the threads that are like the faux example above, but listen to actual suggestions and give some indication that you're listening. If it's not really a test, just a way to generate positive word-of-mouth, then it's kind of annoying.

It could be partly the fan base though. If anything but raves turns into a flame war, then that's a harder problem to deal with.