How long can a game stay in early access?

[Daniel]

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.

[ShelLuser]

Messaggio originale di 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.

That's a rather dumb and short sighted statement I think. I mean, there's still this thing called "refund policy", and if an EAG is indeed a scam you can be sure that users will notice and report it. Either to Steam or in the reviews. Bad reviews = bad propaganda, and you can be sure it'll warn others not to buy the game.

Besides... there are much easier ways. Ever heard of kickstarter campaigns? Now that's a real collection of scams in the making. Like projects which claim to have made a design which can extract water from the air and thus it will help solve thirst in 3rd world countries. Of course all they got is a nice CGI animation and a bollocks story which can be easily disputed by a basic understanding of physics, in this particular case the laws of thermodynamics.

And there are tons of such projects on kickstarter websites. If you want scams then that's your place to go to :)

[Daniel]

Messaggio originale di ShelLuser:

Messaggio originale di 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.

That's a rather dumb and short sighted statement I think. I mean, there's still this thing called "refund policy", and if an EAG is indeed a scam you can be sure that users will notice and report it. Either to Steam or in the reviews. Bad reviews = bad propaganda, and you can be sure it'll warn others not to buy the game.

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

[Supafly]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

Messaggio originale di ShelLuser:

That's a rather dumb and short sighted statement I think. I mean, there's still this thing called "refund policy", and if an EAG is indeed a scam you can be sure that users will notice and report it. Either to Steam or in the reviews. Bad reviews = bad propaganda, and you can be sure it'll warn others not to buy the game.

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

What is dumb is not understanding what Early access is or what Steam is. Steam is a store that sells various products under different categories. EA titles are products under the EA category. Their is nothing Steam/Valve need to change.

All the warnings are on the product page. The warning clearly states products may or may not change. It's users that fail to read, understand and accept the risk in buying an Early Access product. You either take the risk or you don't. It's not complicated.

[Brian9824]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

Messaggio originale di ShelLuser:

That's a rather dumb and short sighted statement I think. I mean, there's still this thing called "refund policy", and if an EAG is indeed a scam you can be sure that users will notice and report it. Either to Steam or in the reviews. Bad reviews = bad propaganda, and you can be sure it'll warn others not to buy the game.

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

What is so hard to understand? Early Access will always be a risk, hence why you have a giant warning saying don'y buy it unless your satisfied with how it is AS IS.

Anyone developing a game can go out of business and development stops. If your concerned don't buy it.

[Tito Shivan]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

So if I understand correctly, it is OK to be tricked into buying a game in early access.

You bought a game in its actual state with the option of receiving any future updates (If they happen) until full release (If the game reaches that state)

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

That's the only way.
What you want is Steam to become a PUBLISHER of the games in Early Access. And that's not going to happen because developers looking to release in Early Access don't really want to deal with an actual publisher.
And even with a publisher enforcing the dev to release you're still not guaranteed the final product you hoped for.

[Daniel]

Messaggio originale di Suicidal Monkey:

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

What is dumb is not understanding what Early access is or what Steam is. Steam is a store that sells various products under different categories. EA titles are products under the EA category. Their is nothing Steam/Valve need to change.

All the warnings are on the product page. The warning clearly states products may or may not change. It's users that fail to read, understand and accept the risk in buying an Early Access product. You either take the risk or you don't. It's not complicated.

What you don't understand is that I am a customer and I am not satisfied on how Steam handle things and the bad experience I have with early access and this is why I use GOG as my game manager (GOG Galaxy) now and that I buy all the games that I can from other stores than Steam like GOG, Green Man, Humble, Epic, Origin, etc.

[Brian9824]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

Messaggio originale di Suicidal Monkey:

What is dumb is not understanding what Early access is or what Steam is. Steam is a store that sells various products under different categories. EA titles are products under the EA category. Their is nothing Steam/Valve need to change.

All the warnings are on the product page. The warning clearly states products may or may not change. It's users that fail to read, understand and accept the risk in buying an Early Access product. You either take the risk or you don't. It's not complicated.

What you don't understand is that I am a customer and I am not satisfied on how Steam handle thing and the bad experience I have with early access and this is why I use GOG as my game manager (GOG Galaxy) now and that I buy all the games that I can from other stores than Steam like GOG, Green Man, Humble, Epic, Origin, etc.

Except those stores sell early access games as well. In fact Humble even PUBLISHES their own Early Access game which they then sell.

You seem to want the benefits of EA games with none of the risk which don't exist. So as a customer you're free to use your right to NOT buy an EA game. Just set your store preferences to not show them and your good to go.

[Nx Machina]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

No, but what is dumb and short sighted is how Steam handle early access.

What is dumb is not reading the faq regarding Early Access:

https://store.steampowered.com/earlyaccessfaq/?snr=1_200_200_Early+Access

Even dumber is not reading the bright blue banner on an Early Access store page.

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.

[Supafly]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

What you don't understand is that I am a customer and I am not satisfied on how Steam handle things and the bad experience I have with early access and this is why I use GOG as my game manager (GOG Galaxy) now and that I buy all the games that I can from other stores than Steam like GOG, Green Man, Humble, Epic, Origin, etc.

What you don't understand is YOUR the problem. You see the WARNING and IGNORE it. Then expect Valve to change things because you don't like the outcome of you gambling on an EA title.

Investors around the world put hundreds, thousands and even millions into new projects all the time. Do they get some sort of guarantee the project will even get completed let alone become a worthwhile investment? Do they demand the business involved change it's practices? No. Because the purchaser reads and understands the terms of the investment. It's a gamble/risk. Don't like it don't do it. Stick to buying 100% complete and fully released games.

[cinedine]

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/10/2801755519337505424/

Why make a new thread about the same topic? The answer didn't change: you are responsible for buying a game that clearly stated it's in development AND might not change any further.

[Daniel]

Messaggio originale di brian9824:

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

What you don't understand is that I am a customer and I am not satisfied on how Steam handle thing and the bad experience I have with early access and this is why I use GOG as my game manager (GOG Galaxy) now and that I buy all the games that I can from other stores than Steam like GOG, Green Man, Humble, Epic, Origin, etc.

Except those stores sell early access games as well. In fact Humble even PUBLISHES their own Early Access game which they then sell.

You seem to want the benefits of EA games with none of the risk which don't exist. So as a customer you're free to use your right to NOT buy an EA game. Just set your store preferences to not show them and your good to go.

I have nothing against EA games just on how you handle them, for example GOG handle them a lot better. They do their research and are more involved.

[Brian9824]

Messaggio originale di Daniel:

Messaggio originale di brian9824:

Except those stores sell early access games as well. In fact Humble even PUBLISHES their own Early Access game which they then sell.

You seem to want the benefits of EA games with none of the risk which don't exist. So as a customer you're free to use your right to NOT buy an EA game. Just set your store preferences to not show them and your good to go.

I have nothing against EA games just on how you handle them, for example GOG handle them a lot better. They do their research and are more involved.

So basically GoG decides what games people are allowed to buy instead of allowing users to make their own decision. As a result many of the most popular EA games are not available to buy from there, AND there is 0 protection just like steam for any of their selected games.

I mean if you require someone else to tell you what to buy then buy it off there and disable EA games from showing on Steam.

I don't require other people to tell me if I should spend my money on a game, i'm capable of doing my own research before buying, or waiting for the game to come out.

[Nx Machina]

I went to a bakers the other day.

I really enjoy Apple Turnovers but the baker did not bake them as I like them.

So I went to another bakers who also makes Apple Turnovers.

They were undercooked but they were more attentive to my needs so I bought them.

So just like Early Access games.

[M1t1C]

good question

[Supafly]

Messaggio originale di Kusa:

I went to a bakers the other day.

I really enjoy Apple Turnovers but the baker did not bake them as I like them.

So I went to another bakers who also makes Apple Turnovers.

They were undercooked but they were more attentive to my needs so I bought them.

So just like Early Access games.

Love the comparison