Valve have in recent hours released a statement regarding Steams' users forever growing concerns, over the Early Access platform, stating that 'developers may never finish their games...'
Inside an update on Steams' Early Access FAQ they asked the question that sits on the minds of most consumers, 'When will these games release?' and answered with obvious to most that players should really be aware that some teams/developers may not be able to finish their product - for whatever reason.
So, only buy an Early Access game if you're excited about playing it in its current state, Valve also added.
They continue saying "It's up to the developer to determine when they are ready to 'release". "Some developers have a concrete deadline in mind, while others will get a better sense as the development of the game progresses. You should be aware that some teams will be unable to 'finish' their game.
This news is in no surprise at all seeing as though in recent months games such as Earth: Year 2066 was pulled from Steam for being ruled "broken" and unfit for sale by the Steam Community.
As well, our selves at Game Over Man had a long ordeal with an early access game named The War Z now commonly known as Infestation: Survivior Stories after it was pulled from Steam for false advertisement and some rather questionable PR. We took to YouTube and posted a vide (VIDEO HERE) that highlighted the terrible development and exampling of "early access" quality and basically a warning to all those curious on wanting to buy the game.
Steam believes the Early Access platform is 'the way games should be made' for developers to release their products early, gain feedback and develop their projects from there for the better, where as many also feel small independent companies are ‘pushing the envelope’ as inXile Entertainment boss Brian Fargo states in a recent interview with Euro Gamer.
"Wherever there is a system there will always be people who push the envelope on what it was set up to do to begin with," Fargo admitted.
The refinement Fargo hopes to see with Early Access titles has to do with what he calls "another class of products".
"They only put up a very little thing hoping to get the money, and if they don't get enough money then they can't finish the game," he said.
"That puts it into a different category and that gets very scary. If you buy Wasteland 2 Early Access you're going to get the game. We're going to finish it. That might not always be the case with everyone.
"So I expect that, again like Kickstarter, that people are going to further refine and scrutinise what it is they're willing to spend money on early on."
Valve has said Early Access is "the way games should be made".
"We like to think of games and game development as services that grow and evolve with the involvement of customers and the community," Valve says of the service.
"There have been a number of prominent titles that have embraced this model of development recently and found a lot of value in the process. We like to support and encourage developers who want to ship early, involve customers, and build lasting relationships that help everyone make better games."
dean@scified.com
@DeanoSalter
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If you're interested then do watch an explanation on our ordeal with Hammerpoint Interactive all because of Early Access quality
