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Atleast they are upfront about what state the game is in and you get the choice.
Other games like Minecraft or TDL(there are a few more) make the alpha/beta cheaper. But it seems like the above actually works, so I guess thats why people are doing it.
People need to learn to understand this.
i also get the fact that alpha/beta testing used to be a free process and the ability to play early no pay was your reward for test is all. (i also agree it was a selective process)
also if you were not gonna alpha/beta test (i.e. play unfinished work ) why buy early access?
not against it like i said for certain games but some come-on lol just saying
p.s. just seeming to me people bootstrapin a game company that is fine but in certain cases may not be so fine you know
It isn't a pre-order. Steam gives refunds for pre-orders, not for early access.
There is no guaranteed that an early access game will even make it to a full release, and there are no refunds for it (atleast not stated in any agreement that I know of).
A pre-order is for a guaranteed product where you get access to the full game early. Some offer inclusion into the beta also, though they tend to offer free beta access to those who sign up too.
Never confuse early access with a pre-order. They are similar in some ways, but not all.
Big companies will still offer a free beta at times.
The main diffrence is that early access is geared more to indi titles. Those developers lack the funds for a quality controll team that a large company can offer. The early access is two fold for them. They get testers and they get the funds that may be needed to finish the game.
I think it's a bad practice for games, or if you are going to allow people to do it you should *NOT* charget them for it. You are having them spend their time on an unfinished product to help the company produce a superior game. You can not ask money from them for this service. They (the users) are providing the service here. Then when the game is released they can buy it (or perhaps buy it at a discount as "payment" for helping to test it)
It is not 'pay to be a beta tester'
It's 'be an investor in the game'.
There's a difference
I support Early Access games because I know from experience that if you don't support game syou want, they don't get made. Then you don't have anyone but yourself to blame for "hey why doesn't anyone make "insert game type" anymore?"
Think of it as a way to stress test a game before it is officially released, especially for a multiplayer game.
It may not be "pay to be a beta tester" but it's a hell of a lot closer to that than being an investor in a game.
Actually, it is paying to be a beta tester.
Just like Kickstarter, indies are using Early Access as a way to get indepedent funding. From that perspective it is investing in the game. You're not purchasing the product when it's finished, you're helping getting the game to that point.
And as part of that funding you just 'happen' to get beta access and full access to the game when released.
http://penny-arcade.com/report/article/think-indie-development-is-tough-try-it-from-the-other-side-of-the-planet
Funding is a huge problem for niche games. If Early Access is a way fro those devs to get funding to keep their project going then
Is that for everyone? No.
If you want to view Early Access cynically that's your perogative. Just as it is mine to view how I purchase my games and what games I buy on Early access. Neither is wrong, but note I don't call people who don't buy Early Access "fools" or 'idiots". They just don't want to assume the risk. Which is fine. But that doesn't give you the right to then tell me that doing so is 'wrong'.
I want to because good studios have died because of lack of funding. Good games have not been made because no publisher wanted to make some weird niche game anymore. I'm simply taking in active part in ensuring that games that I like, which are generally niche and weird, get made. And for that, I'm willing to take some risks. Because otherwise they'll likely never see the light of day.
I hope there will a scandal with some popular Early Access game, where it shutdowns before being released - it will make people cautious about Early Access games, just like Aliens Colonial Marines made lots of people cautious about preordering.
I prefer to view this realistically. Was there a struggling market for indie/niche games before early access? Not if you listen to the praises sung to Steam by all those indie developers out there. The only reason early access even exists is because Valve wasn't getting a piece of the Kickstarter pie. Not because of some made up reason of this or that game not existing because it couldn't get funding.
Also, nice job projecting. I didn't insinuate anything of the sort, calling anyone an idiot or telling you you're wrong for buying into the early access propaganda, but if you prefer I can go back and point out a bunch of posts where you've called people idiots for plenty of other reasons. What you're wrong about, however, is that you believe you're investing in a game when you purchase it before development has passed its alpha or beta stage. What gain do you feel you're receiving when you do this? A game? Like I said, I'll "invest" $.99 for that same game and we both end up with the same thing. What more do you have in this case than I do?
Like I said, I view 'certain' games as an investment to get said game done. Money is always a problem in game development. Three's the game you want and the game that gets made. Resources are limited. People need to get paid. Bills need to get paid. I have no issue with paying for Early access, which is in effect pre-purchasing the game anyway, for a game that I want to get made. In return, my monetary contribution as well as feedback, can go to improving the game structure or to implementing features. Just like Kickstarter has shown how expensive game development is. By the time a game is in a 'pre order' status the game is mostly feature locked. I enjoy the alpha process and watching the game evolve. This 'sausage making 'process isnt for everyone. But there are more to games than the 'end product'
You view it as 'paying to be a beta tester'. I view it as 'pre-ordering to get games I like made, and I get alpha/beta access'. What I don't do is tell you that your view point is wrong/incorrect/etc. You don't want to assume the risk. That's fine. I assume the risk for various personal reasons.
All I ever ask of people is to respect the decisions we make. You made yours. I respect that you don't want to purchase Early Access games. But I feel this is something worthwhile. Neither is 'wrong'.