Early Access Pricing

[Knightfox]

I keep seeing all these new "Early Access" games, and many look really cool for sure. What is bothering me, though, is the pricing of these games. I was checking out the game "Overgrowth" and was blown away by the asking price. $30 for a game that hasn't even left alpha phase yet? I honestly chuckled a bit when the developer said, "You can buy it at discount for the holiday sale." In my opinion, even on discount for $24, asking that for a game that hasn't even went Beta is insane. Even when in full release the game may (and since it's in alpha phase that's a big MAY) be worth that much.

Has anyone else noticed this crazy pricing for games that are no where near completion? Thoughts please?

[Lone Wolfe (Hoover1979)]

I forked out $30 for grim dawn and I am not sure if all the levels have been finished yet as it is only 1.4 gig

[Knightfox]

Originally posted by {E.B.N} Painted Pooch 2.0:

I forked out $30 for grim dawn and I am not sure if all the levels have been finished yet as it is only 1.4 gig

Yeah I saw that game, it looks really really cool; however, it being $30 while the Adventures of Van Helsing, a similar game with similar style is complete and only costs $15. Just seems really really odd.

[Schu]

I agree. Why are alpha and beta games so extremely expensive? I think people should get lower prices for buying a game that isnt even finished yet.

But maybe Valve is afraid, that people might buy the game very early, pre-release, for a very cheap price, so they will lose money, because people dont buy for the normal price on release day anymore.

Anyways.... alpha and betas are really too expensive in my oppionion.

[FuzzyPuffin]

Overgrowth I has been $30 for years. The reason it's that high is that preorders allow the developer to fund development. Other early access games are expensive because they are kickstarters, with beta access usually being a top tier.

Personally, I don't mind it, as none of these games would exist otherwise. If you don't like it, wait til the game comes out.

[Spawn of Totoro]

It is up to each developer to set their pricing.

Some will start it off lower and raise it over time, some may start it higher and lower it over time. Some hold the same price forever. That is their decision to make.

Personally, I've only bought one Early Access game and that one is untouched until it is finished. If it isn't improved with a better and easier UI with tool tips and/or a tutorial, I probably won't touch it. A start lower go higher would get more people to buy games though. Wish more of them did as Minecraft did with it. Seems like the better model, imho.

[Goldy]

I Just Purchased Dayz Standalone for $30 its still beta and probebly there is alot of Bugs, I Can't agree more for having fair price in BETA/alpha game editions till the relase copy.

[Knightfox]

Originally posted by FuzzyPuffin:

Overgrowth I has been $30 for years. The reason it's that high is that preorders allow the developer to fund development. Other early access games are expensive because they are kickstarters, with beta access usually being a top tier.

Personally, I don't mind it, as none of these games would exist otherwise. If you don't like it, wait til the game comes out.

You are of course right, if you don't like it, you don't have to buy it. However, putting that single point aside, paying someone $30 for a game that is probably only worth $20 at most when finished to finish making the game seems a bit outrageous.

[Knightfox]

Originally posted by goldenz81:

I Just Purchased Dayz Standalone for $30 its still beta and probebly there is alot of Bugs, I Can't agree more for having fair price in BETA/alpha game editions till the relase copy.

Well at least with the DayZ stand alone, you know that the game has a history, a fairly high likelyhood of reaching completion in the relatively near future and there is a lot of positive reputation. It would be like paying $20 to get early access to something produced by Mojang, yeah its alpha phase but its by the makers of Minecraft.

[LoTekRabbit]

I've been noticing the price increase on early access games as well. The first couple of batches were relatively cheap but devs have been asking a ridiculous amount for what comes out to us paying them to test their games.

I want a couple of these games but for the asking price no way.

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by V10club:

I've been noticing the price increase on early access games as well. The first couple of batches were relatively cheap but devs have been asking a ridiculous amount for what comes out to us paying them to test their games.

I want a couple of these games but for the asking price no way.

The first that came out also were not as graphically intense and probably required less work then some of the latest ones.

It will probably bounce around more in the future too. What ever the developer thinks it is worth. If it doesn't sell at that price, then the price may drop. Then again, it may also never get made or take two times longer to finish.

[Gus the Crocodile]

Originally posted by Knightfox:

You are of course right, if you don't like it, you don't have to buy it. However, putting that single point aside, paying someone $30 for a game that is probably only worth $20 at most when finished to finish making the game seems a bit outrageous.

That single point is the response to this too though.

"Probably only worth $20" is not a fact about the game; nobody has to agree. It's exactly the same as the fact that I don't feel Call of Duty is worth the asking price (and wouldn't be even at $20). I don't see that that makes COD not being $20 "outrageous"; people who think the price is too high won't buy it, if the developers are then unhappy with sales they can lower the price. The market will work it out.

[Knightfox]

Originally posted by Gus the Crocodile:

Originally posted by Knightfox:

You are of course right, if you don't like it, you don't have to buy it. However, putting that single point aside, paying someone $30 for a game that is probably only worth $20 at most when finished to finish making the game seems a bit outrageous.

That single point is the response to this too though.

"Probably only worth $20" is not a fact about the game; nobody has to agree. It's exactly the same as the fact that I don't feel Call of Duty is worth the asking price (and wouldn't be even at $20). I don't see that that makes COD not being $20 "outrageous"; people who think the price is too high won't buy it, if the developers are then unhappy with sales they can lower the price. The market will work it out.

Price is subjective but retail is based on the quality of the game. Even if everyone hates COD it will not be $20. At the same time (I'll use Minecraft as an example since I already used it) if Minecraft was the biggest game of the year, it still wouldn't be worth $60.

Would there be people who would still be willing to buy it? Probably, but it still wouldn't be worth that. A game that hasn't left alpha phase is not worth $30, and if it has to go through an early access fund raising phase with a development team that has no reputation then it most likely will never be worth that much.

[Purple Tentacle]

quite simply developers have realised people are willing to pay to beta test games, even pay way over the odds, sometimes 2x the price sometimes 5x the price. they aren't losig customers as anyone who was going to buy it for the standard price still will when it gets to that point, it has nothing to do with continued funding of the game as if your game gets onto early access your basically 100% ure your getting enough money to finish the game with anyway

[Nijuu]

Not sure why people keep asking this
As mentioned its up to the devs. Some overvalue their game imho. Others more realistic. Other games are Kickstarted and price will usually be higher (otherwise huge PR problem with backers).If people dont like the pricing... dont buy it

[dirrtymartini]

Originally posted by Nijuu:

Not sure why people keep asking this
As mentioned its up to the devs. Some overvalue their game imho. Others more realistic. Other games are Kickstarted and price will usually be higher (otherwise huge PR problem with backers).If people dont like the pricing... dont buy it

There in lies the problem. The linking of Kickstarter and Steam Early Access. This artificial linkage has forced higher prices on several Early Access titles. In fairness, the prices usually come down but there is no guarantee of that trend continuing.