Early Access Games

[Flame]

lately we seem to have a bucket load of early access games on steam.

imo early access can be a great way to have some extra funds to go that final leg, but people can make an opinion on a game before the final product cause of bugs, or unfinished product. this can become where early access games get a bad rep. early access games could end up destroying steams rep for new users. indie devs with real talent where extra money which could go a long way for them might not be there in the future cause of so much flood of early access games as of late.



whats your opinion on early access games?

 

[Kalker3]

Early Access games are okay IMO. It really depends on the developers, IIRC there was an Early Access game that was abandoned. That's bad. However, games like Kerbal Space Program, which has received great praise over at /r/pcmasterrace, are pretty good.

People should keep in mind that Early Access games aren't finished, and if they want no bugs and all in their games, they should wait. Patience is good.

 

[Arras]

It depends a bit. If the game is already good and fun but is still lacking some content that would make it better such as Kerbal or Minecraft back in the Alpha/Beta days and keep being updated, that's okay - preferably with a clear plan of what has yet to be done to give customers an idea of what the additional content of the final product will be like. IMO it's a bit like how Terraria kept getting updates even after 1.0 that added more stuff. But if it simply doesn't have enough content or isn't refined enough yet to be even fun or is unplayably buggy or has SERIOUS glitches, that shit should not be sold at all.
Also, IMO Early Access games should be cheaper, not the same price as the eventual "full" version. It doesn't even need to be massively cheaper, but even something like -25% would be nice.

 

[Foxi4]

Early Access means that you get to play your favourite games early!

...at their worst possible state - a buggy Beta kept together with developer spit, good will and best wishes.

Don't get me wrong - Early Access is really nice as you do get to try stuff out before it hits store shelves, but I can't help but think that this is an effective method of cutting down on beta testing costs, since beta testing used to be conducted 100% in-house. These days players will do it for you for free and they'll actually queue up just to have a go at the game early.

 

[Lestworth]

Most of the "early access" games come at a discount to what the full price will eventually be. The prime example is Kerbal Space Program. Even that was on sale during the Summer Steam Sale.

It really depends on the developer, Paranautical Activity is a great rouge-like fps game that borrows from Binding of Issac. However the developer is a massive asshole, who bans people from the forums for posting bugs in the game, removing promised content without reasons why, and backing out of tons more promised features (co-op? LOL!). You have to be careful who you support with early access, if you like the game, and the developer, save a few dollars and be an early supporter.

 

[TyBlood13]

The only Early Access games I own are Starbound and Interplanetary.

So far so good

 

[DinohScene]

Pff, leaked private beta builds for consoles ftw!

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Early Access games are shit. Shows how awful indie development is.

You're basically paying for an unfinished game. When a developer already has the money, why finish development? A ton of the games just die because they're made by indies who have no idea what "work" or "dedication" is and once they have the money they cut and run to a different project. Then rinse and repeat.

Buy a game once it's finished, let devs know they need to make finished games to get money. Nowadays any yahoo with a computer can throw together some indie mess and market it as "retro" or "underground" or "emotional" and gullible shitgobblers will eat it up.

 

[Flame]

Early Access games are shit. Shows how awful indie development is.

You're basically paying for an unfinished game. When a developer already has the money, why finish development? A ton of the games just die because they're made by indies who have no idea what "work" or "dedication" is and once they have the money they cut and run to a different project. Then rinse and repeat.

Buy a game once it's finished, let devs know they need to make finished games to get money. Nowadays any yahoo with a computer can throw together some indie mess and market it as "retro" or "underground" or "emotional" and gullible shitgobblers will eat it up.

I agree, if valve is the god of gaming , as the internet makes it out to be. it should really do something about this flood. before it becomes this tsunami.

it should have its own team with goes though the trash from the gold nugget.

 

[migles]

Early Access means that you get to play your favourite games early!

...at their worst possible state - a buggy Beta kept together with developer spit, good will and best wishes.

Don't get me wrong - Early Access is really nice as you do get to try stuff out before it hits store shelves, but I can't help but think that this is an effective method of cutting down on beta testing costs, since beta testing used to be conducted 100% in-house. These days, player will do it for you for free and they'll actually queue up just to have a go at the game early.

do some games, release a early access so you start making money, dont hire anyone for testing and just let the early access guys make the testing, this saves mucho moneys

when do people realise this:

before: company must hire and pay some team of players to beta testing.
now: company makes players pay the company to do beta testing, players get happy because they can play the game before others and now can show off "i helped build this game"


i really enjoy a game when i can download a alpha build, then the beta, and THEN pre-order some weeks\months before release
its beautifully and art when you see a good game changing from alpha to finish.. but its a shit when you have to pay for that...

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I agree, if valve is the god of gaming , as the internet makes it out to be. it should really do something about this flood. before it becomes this tsunami.

Well Valve are pretty terrible too, Trading Cards are literally the most dumb shit idea I've seen. Like I literally sell every one I get. And people buy them within seconds of me posting them. It's sad. They created an arbitrary level system that really has no point that people, for some reason, want to get in on, and Valve gets a little piece of the pie every time a dumb fool buys into it. I mean I'm glad I have a little more cash in my Steam Wallet with it but it's just really stupid.

do some games, release a early access so you start making money, dont hire anyone for testing and just let the early access guys make the testing, this saves mucho moneys

when do people realise this:

before: company must hire and pay some team of players to beta testing.
now: company makes players pay the company to do beta testing, players get happy because they can play the game before others and now can show off "i helped build this game"


i really enjoy a game when i can download a alpha build, then the beta, and THEN pre-order some weeks\months before release

its beatifull and art when you see a good game changing from alpha to finish.. but its a shit when you have to pay for that...

Or you could test your own goddamn game and stop being a lazy fuck. Or a free open beta where people can test the game as you go. And people will do it for free and give you input... for free!

Also game testers get paid to test games. This is basically people paying to test your game. You must have a really big goddamn ego if you think people should pay to test your game.

It's not like indie games beforehand needed this. It's sad that games like Bastion came out which had great production values (amazing score, great graphics, great art, good designs) and now we get lazy "retro style" 8-bit crap that banks on being quirky.

 

[jonthedit]

Early Access games are shit. Shows how awful indie development is.

You're basically paying for an unfinished game. When a developer already has the money, why finish development? A ton of the games just die because they're made by indies who have no idea what "work" or "dedication" is and once they have the money they cut and run to a different project. Then rinse and repeat.

Buy a game once it's finished, let devs know they need to make finished games to get money. Nowadays any yahoo with a computer can throw together some indie mess and market it as "retro" or "underground" or "emotional" and gullible shitgobblers will eat it up.

Try my Retro game: FrogGier (UNFINISHED)

@OnTopic
Kerbal Space Program is the only Early Access Game I have, and probably will ever pay for.
Even if the devs quit now, the game is good enough to be worth the $13 I payed to play it (I purchased KSP back in the first public releases before the Steam edition came out).
I have to agree with Guild though, in every other case I would not like to support someone who is too lazy to finish his/her project (like me).

 

[Foxi4]

It's good that Flame mentioned Valve, I assume he's referring to the Greenlight program. I'm not one to sh*t on anyone's parade - if there are thousands of people who will gladly pay a buck to see Rock Simulator 2014 because it's "hue hue hue, so funneh, I'll pay a dolla to see dat!", the world is their oyster. It's natural for a dev to respond to demand like this. This sudden wave of sewage crappy games didn't come from nowhere - it was just recognized as an easy and fun way to make some money. If Tree Simulator 2013 will get a developer funds to make something worthwhile later down the line, go nuts - make the best Tree Simulator you can. This crap is not for me - I'll giggle at it, but I definitely won't pay a dime for the show. I can't blame those with disposable profit though - do whatever you want with your money.

 

[migles]

Well Valve are pretty terrible too, Trading Cards are literally the most dumb shit idea I've seen. Like I literally sell every one I get. And people buy them within seconds of me posting them. It's sad. They created an arbitrary level system that really has no point that people, for some reason, want to get in on, and Valve gets a little piece of the pie every time a dumb fool buys into it. I mean I'm glad I have a little more cash in my Steam Wallet with it but it's just really stupid.

lets start a trading cards dedicated rage thread?

the trading cards make me really sick...

 

[Guild McCommunist]

It's good that Flame mentioned Valve, I assume he's referring to the Greenlight programme. I'm not one to sh*t on anyone's parade - if there are thousands of people who will gladly pay a buck to see Rock Simulator 2014 because it's "hue hue hue, so funneh, I'll pay a dolla to see dat!", the world is their oyster. It's natural for a dev to respond to demand like this. This sudden wave of sewage crappy games didn't come from nowhere - it was just recognized as an easy and fun way to make some money. If Tree Simulator 2013 will get a developer funds to make something worthwhile later down the line, go nuts - make the best Tree Simulator you want. This crap is not for me - I'll giggle at it, but I definitely won't pay a dime for the show. I can't blame those with disposable profit though - do whatever you want with your money.

Goat Simulator went off the same principle. People went "Oh man this is so funny I'll throw a few bucks into it just for shits and giggles!" and then it came out and it was a novelty piece of shit. It's the equivalent of a gag gift.

Gaming is now becoming the equivalent of a whoopie cushion. Think about that.

 

[Foxi4]

Goat Simulator went off the same principle. People went "Oh man this is so funny I'll throw a few bucks into it just for shits and giggles!" and then it came out and it was a novelty piece of shit. It's the equivalent of a gag gift.

Gaming is now becoming the equivalent of a whoopie cushion. Think about that.

At least some people laughed and had a good time - can't say the same thing about most indie productions which are depressing at best. Too many "auteurs" around trying to convince everybody that their poor programming skills and graphics design are "artistry". Think back to Minecraft - that game wasn't fun until other people got involved, at which point Notch had a hissy fit about how it "no longer reflects the way he imagined the game and it's ruined now" or something along those lines. Not that it's terribly fun now, but you get my point.

 

[migles]

Goat Simulator went off the same principle. People went "Oh man this is so funny I'll throw a few bucks into it just for shits and giggles!" and then it came out and it was a novelty piece of shit. It's the equivalent of a gag gift.

Gaming is now becoming the equivalent of a whoopie cushion. Think about that.

candy crush is the whoopie cushion with poop inside..

 

[Guild McCommunist]

At least some people laughed and had a good time - can't say the same thing about most indie productions which are depressing at best. Too many "auteurs" around trying to convince that their poor programming skills and graphics design are "artistry". Think back to Minecraft - that game wasn't fun until other people got involved, at which point Notch had a hissing fit about how it "no longer reflects the way he imagined the game and it's ruined now" or something along those lines. Not that it's terribly fun now, but you get my point.

Minecraft is also like one of the first "Early Access" games. You paid to get into a beta. And the game got released and still isn't even what it was promised to be. A ton of corners were cut and Notch pawned it off to another team. Now he just ports it everywhere in hopes we'll forget Scrolls and 0x10c. Notch can't escape the ghost of Minecraft.

Hell, Notch even designed a Magic card for the latest core set and guess what? It's a fucking Minecraft reference because he's an unoriginal fuck and a one trick pony.

 

[Foxi4]

Minecraft is also like one of the first "Early Access" games. You paid to get into a beta. And the game got released and still isn't even what it was promised to be. A ton of corners were cut and Notch pawned it off to another team. Now he just ports it everywhere in hopes we'll forget Scrolls and 0x10c. Notch can't escape the ghost of Minecraft.

Hell, Notch even designed a Magic card for the latest core set and guess what? It's a fucking Minecraft reference because he's an unoriginal fuck and a one trick pony.

0x10c was definitely an interesting project that I looked forward to. It still looked like ass and it wasn't by any means the first game in which you could program something in a real-life programming language (See: Colobot and other even earlier examples), but the prospect was still alluring - it was kinda like Minecraft, except in space and with coding involved.

Of course that project required "effort" and as such was scrapped so that Mojang could continue to bathe in Minecraft Millions.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

0x10c was definitely an interesting project that I looked forward to. It still looked like ass and it wasn't by any means the first game in which you could program something in a real-life programming language (See: Colobot and other even earlier examples), but the prospect was still alluring - it was kinda like Minecraft, except in space and with coding involved.

Of course that project required "effort" and as such was scrapped so that Mojang can continue to bathe in Minecraft Millions.

Why not just program something in real life with your real coding skills? The game was basically "You build our game for us." I'm paying you for entertainment, I shouldn't pay you so I can entertain myself.

Even then it's a dead project like Scrolls. If it ever comes out it'll have such niche appeal that it'll flop and get bad reviews and the stupid child fanbase of Minecraft will never buy into Notch bullshit again. Then I'm sure he'll have a hissy fit about how no one understands "his vision" and that the world isn't ready for his games or some bullshit.