OMG.. Steam 'early access'

[gradenko2k]

Right - the general idea behind Early Access being more expensive than the regular price for a full retail release is to make it very clear to the buyer that they are not buying a "normal" product, that there is a premium for being able to participate in the shaping of a game prior to its final form.

[aaatoysandmore]

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

On charging extra for Early Access, the thought there is that they only want people who are passionate about the game to be involved at that point. I think it's a reasonable approach. I've yet to see anyone be forced to buy a game because the developer held a gun to their head. Of course, people will buy in and then complain that they paid a high price for an unfinished game [8|]

I was one of the people who bought into GalCiv 3 at $100 but that was because purchasing at that point also netted me ALL future content for the game, which I imagine will eventually be a substantial amount of stuff between 3 planned expansion packs and various other DLC. As a big fan of the series that's a good buy in my book.

I got some ocean front property in Arizona, wanna buy it? it's a good buy for you book. [:D] I'll get everything you get for around $20, so how is that a good buy?

[Ranger33]

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore
I got some ocean front property in Arizona, wanna buy it? it's a good buy for you book. [:D] I'll get everything you get for around $20, so how is that a good buy?

Right, **** me for supporting a developer and game series I greatly enjoy.

[balto]

Wow this looks great. Very similar to Endless Legend which is super great. As soon as this gem is available, I am on it.

1) Can you make the Druids just a little hotter. When I saw them on here a year or so ago, I could have sworn they looked like super models from behind. Can you back to that.

2) The playtest guy.., how come he does not know its archer's first, then melee?

Again, thanks. Looks really really great.

[Rosseau]

Yes, Stardock is pretty trustworthy, as is Matrix. I remember getting Legends (?) free when Fallen Enchantress bombed. So if that's your passion, we will have you (and others) to thank when Gal3 is released as a great game.

[aaatoysandmore]

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore
I got some ocean front property in Arizona, wanna buy it? it's a good buy for you book. [:D] I'll get everything you get for around $20, so how is that a good buy?

Right, **** me for supporting a developer and game series I greatly enjoy.

Now, that wasn't what you said in the earlier post. You said it was a good buy. Supporting and good buys are two different things. I wouldn't have said anything if you said you were going to support Stardock no matter the costs. [:-]

[mllange]

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

On charging extra for Early Access, the thought there is that they only want people who are passionate about the game to be involved at that point. I think it's a reasonable approach. I've yet to see anyone be forced to buy a game because the developer held a gun to their head. Of course, people will buy in and then complain that they paid a high price for an unfinished game [8|]

I was one of the people who bought into GalCiv 3 at $100 but that was because purchasing at that point also netted me ALL future content for the game, which I imagine will eventually be a substantial amount of stuff between 3 planned expansion packs and various other DLC. As a big fan of the series that's a good buy in my book.

I got some ocean front property in Arizona, wanna buy it? it's a good buy for you book. [:D] I'll get everything you get for around $20, so how is that a good buy?

He'll also be able to play the game and expansions months, perhaps years before you ever touch the same content (all of it) for $20. It's entertainment. If he enjoys playing and feels it is worth the money spent then it is.

Funny how so many people want to wait until every title is $5 and yet many of the same people bitch and moan when the developers go belly-under or when the quality sucks.

[BIGtrouble77]

Early Access is commonly used for one of these purposes:

- fund early development of a game
- seek community involvement/feedback
- gauge community interest
- get beta testing resources for free

Of course there can be a combination of these strategies, but I find the first option to be the only one that really creates major issues- many devs create a sort of ponzi scheme where they hypeup their game, never ultimately deliver and then use those funds to work on new interests (See Life is Feudal & Space Engineers).

The other thing that frequently happens is that people ignorant to how software development works buy into EA and very often expect a fully stable, fleshed out game.

In the end, you have to depend on the Developer/Publisher's track record. If it's one dude programming the game in his parents basement, then yeah, I'd be skeptical. If the Dev has a track record of not really finishing games and starting new EA projects before completing ones you've already paid for, then simply avoid them- just go through the steam discussions, you'll get a really good picture of what's going on.

With all that said, I don't think any of the negatives apply to slitherine/ageod/matrix games. I'd completely support their EA games, honestly I wish they did it more often. I've never felt burned buy any purchase and many of them have been at the $70 premium.

[Hertston]

ORIGINAL: Ranger33

On charging extra for Early Access, the thought there is that they only want people who are passionate about the game to be involved at that point.

Oh, c'mon. [8|] I accept the point about future content in (limited) mitigation, but the way to get those most 'passionate' about the game involved is to invite those who have exhibited such passion over the years on their forums, as previous testers and as successful modders, and invite them to join the testing team, not present a $100 price tag. As is, many such people are just fleeced out of money they may have a hard time finding. The 'thought' is simply the bigger fans they are, the more they will be willing to pay. Ching!....

ORIGINAL: gradenko_2000

Right - the general idea behind Early Access being more expensive than the regular price for a full retail release is to make it very clear to the buyer that they are not buying a "normal" product, that there is a premium for being able to participate in the shaping of a game prior to its final form.

Possibly. In which case my general idea behind deciding which games to buy might be to give the finger to those have that particular 'general idea'. Not that I believe a word of it.

At least Kickstarter is honest, in a stick fifty down at the bookies kind of way, at least.

[gradenko2k]

It's not really a "possibly" insofar as some developers have explicitly said that that's precisely why they price their games so high.

They know the consumers won't read "THIS IS AN EARLY ACCESS GAME" no matter how many times you splash it on the store page, they know the consumers are going to derive conclusions that might not necessarily be fair because they couldn't or didn't figure out that the game was still early access, and they also know that yet another section of the buying public is going to think that Early Access is just another word for "buy the game as soon as possible", so they do price the games in significant excess of what might otherwise be considered the "correct" market price for it as an attempt to drive off everyone that's too stupid to breathe.