I've bought a few Early Access games, and overall I am against the system. I think it's an unproven system, where is the list of "alphaware" or EA games that resulted in an amazing end product? Traditionally I can think of something like Minecraft, which there are still misgivings that the game has been abandoned. Or Mount & Blade, which has been for sale for ages and never has reached anything close to a state of completion.

But mostly, I just don't understand why, unless absolutely necessary, would any developers want their single player games consumed in an unfinished state. I mean if I worked for years on a project, I would hope I had the restraint to wait that extra bit to make sure what I put forth to the public is the best thing it can be. This concept seems to be lost since Early Access, it feels like a lack of integrity, like as long as the money is coming in who cares what state the thing I'm selling is in. It unsettles me, frankly.

If you need your game tested by a large audience, you already have the backers. You could even do traditional, non-paid beta or alpha tests. Surely there is some measure of dignity or integrity to be considered before willfully selling your unfinished product, simply because the masses are fool enough to buy it. Is there not some level of pride in releasing an amazing, finished, SRPG experience? Isn't "it's done when it's done" one of the (grudgingly) favored mantras in game development. Somewhere it became "it's not done, but F it buy it anyway"

And the excuses I hear sometimes, "oh the fans really want it" my children want candy for every meal, it doesn't mean I give it to them.

For the record I've bought the following games in Early Access:

Day Z - not much to be said, I just question why it was released at all in the state it's in. I can see no benefit to the developers to have people playing such an incomplete game, and surely it's a strain on the small development team to maintain the game in a playable state and continue to make it. They made tons of money though, which is also kind of a worry to me. Will they rest on their laurels now? The mod pushed so many sales of Arma 2, something like 2000% revenue increase, and it certainly didn't translate into a high quality Standalone product thusfar. I question the benefit the sales will have, or if it will ultimately become a negative.

Next Car Game - I actually backed this and had no interest in the Early Access part. It's a racing game, it works, there's not much to spoil, and it might be fun to watch it grow as a game and to play a bit here and there and offer some insight.

Blackguards - I bought it because it was on sale in Christmas. I have no interest whatsoever in playing a single player RPG in Early Access. Why would I spoil myself on an unfinished version? The few minutes I've played of it suggest it's in a pretty good state, but I question why they couldn't have just waited. And to even put your game on sale for 50% off before it's even released is frankly confusing to me. It just screams of "Money Now!" without much forward thought.



In conclusion I would urge Larian to reconsider Early Access. I think it would speak volumes to their integrity and their determination to deliver an awesome experience, and to not soil that experience by releasing it unfinished and then claiming "well it's the consumer's fault for not having restraint"

Is restraint not a two way alley here? You release it, then chastise us if we play it and are upset with it?

Last edited by juno; 17/01/14 04:04 PM.