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Daniel Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:20pm
How long can a game stay in early access?
For example, can a game, stay in early access for 20 years without giving any updates, without any communications or without any other signs of life.
Last edited by Daniel; Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:21pm
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Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:
Originally posted by Daniel:
I will make things a bit clearer, so I hope that people will understand and won't tell me I don't understand, early access because I do. Now, I have a lot of games that are early access, I buy them because I like the game as it is and play those games and don't look back, I don't care if the games get update or not anyway I don't know because Steam does it automatically. But if I buy an early access game and I get involve in its development by giving suggestions and bug reports to improve the game and look at the updates to see what are the changes and give my feedback again if the game still needs improvement and all that while the developers are telling us that they really appreciate our feedback, etc. but then, days passed, weeks past and months passed without updates, without any communications or explanations. We don't treat people that are helping in the development of the game like that. And we wait, wait and wait because we still want to contribute or at least know that we are, not need anymore
It would be nice to hear things, yes. And it's nice that you provide feedback. But just because you purchase the EAG and provide feedback, still does not mean that you are entitled an explanation or anything.

In the end, you simply are a customer who bought a product and you aren't owed anything more than that. And that's really all there is to it.

And I think you severly underestimate how people get treated when it comes to business. Not just the game industry, but any business. People are numbers, tools.
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Showing 1-15 of 55 comments
rawWwRrr Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:35pm 
Steam has no defined time limit. They leave it up to the developers to decide on a release date.
#1
FFL2and3rocks Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:35pm 
It's up to the developer. Valve isn't going to step in and tell someone when they need to finish their game.
#2
Daniel Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:55pm 
Then why is it that some developers abandon their game and stop selling it, why not leave the game in early access permanently, Why Hellion for example stop selling the game.
#3
FFL2and3rocks Sep 12, 2020 @ 11:23pm 
Probably because people get angry about being "tricked" into buying a game that isn't going to be finished. But you would have to ask the developers, it's their decision.
#4
Daniel Sep 12, 2020 @ 11:28pm 
So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.
#5
rawWwRrr Sep 12, 2020 @ 11:34pm 
Originally posted by Daniel:
So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.
Early Access does not come with any guarantees. This is made quite clear on the store pages. So while you may feel that you were "tricked" into buying an Early Access game, you need to accept that you took the risk that the game would be completely different than what you thought it would be or never release at all.
#6
Daniel Sep 12, 2020 @ 11:42pm 
Originally posted by rawWwRrr:
Originally posted by Daniel:
So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.
Early Access does not come with any guarantees. This is made quite clear on the store pages. So while you may feel that you were "tricked" into buying an Early Access game, you need to accept that you took the risk that the game would be completely different than what you thought it would be or never release at all.

Don't you think that some unscrupulous developers can abuse that and exploit that loop polls to the maximum?
#7
rawWwRrr Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:05am 
Abuse what? They aren't forcing people to buy a game. You make that decision, not them.
#8
76561198407601200 Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:09am 
Originally posted by Daniel:
So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.

If you were tricked into buying an incomplete game then it is nobody's fault but your own. Nobody on this planet is forced to purchase early access games.
#9
Supafly Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:13am 
Originally posted by Daniel:
Originally posted by rawWwRrr:
Early Access does not come with any guarantees. This is made quite clear on the store pages. So while you may feel that you were "tricked" into buying an Early Access game, you need to accept that you took the risk that the game would be completely different than what you thought it would be or never release at all.

Don't you think that some unscrupulous developers can abuse that and exploit that loop polls to the maximum?

It's not abused and users don't have to get tricked. The Warning page clearly states the EA game may or may not change. How users get 'tricked' or devs 'abuse' the system is pointless. The game May or mot not change. So whether it stays their for 6 months or 600 years is irrelevant.

Buy the game in it's current state and accept that it may never change. Or don't buy it. It really isn't a difficult choice. It's a gamble and whether you're willing to accept the outcome lies solely on the purchaser.
#10
Daniel Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:15am 
Well, I guess now organized crime can take part in that now there is millions to be made, easy money, no protection, no regulation, what they can ask more, the paradise.
Last edited by Daniel; Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:15am
#11
rawWwRrr Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:29am 
Originally posted by Daniel:
Well, I guess now organized crime can take part in that now there is millions to be made, easy money, no protection, no regulation, what they can ask more, the paradise.
It's not crime as long as everyone is following the rules.

No regulation? Games are removed from the store on a regular basis for many things including scamming users.

https://steam.madjoki.com/apps/banned

https://www.pcgamer.com/10-reasons-games-disappear-from-steam/

Your fears are bit exaggerated and unfounded.
Last edited by rawWwRrr; Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:35am
#12
Supafly Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:31am 
Originally posted by Daniel:
Well, I guess now organized crime can take part in that now there is millions to be made, easy money, no protection, no regulation, what they can ask more, the paradise.

Bit of an exaggeration there. Look at kickstarter. Plenty of projects get list. Some fail to get enough funding to get of the ground. Other do and still fail while others do and succeed. Nothing criminal about it.

People either pay and take the RISK or they don't. EA games are no different.
#13
Chika Ogiue Sep 13, 2020 @ 12:42am 
Originally posted by Daniel:
So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.

You're hardly being tricked when there's a big disclaimer telling you that you are buying something that may or may not be finished.

Early Access Game
Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.
Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development.
#14
Nx Machina Sep 13, 2020 @ 2:12am 
Based on the fact that some triple AAA games are released broken, Early Access could also be attributed to them.

More importantly with Early Access you are actually buying a game in development which is not guaranteed to be ever finished. Why is this so difficult to understand?

No one forces anyone to buy any game because it is you the purchaser that makes that choice to do so.
#15
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Date Posted: Sep 12, 2020 @ 10:20pm
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