More here - http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ing-sold-at-retail-as-early-access-title.aspx
Sell me beta if old.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Dev Comments On Planetary Annihilation Being Sold At Retail As Early Access Title
- Thread starter Kayant
- Start date
More here - http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/...ing-sold-at-retail-as-early-access-title.aspx
Sell me beta if old.
Team Top Hat
Banned
Y'all did this. Buying a beta is full on idiotic.
freenudemacusers
Member
It's a changing world and you all just get hung up on the little details
jaundicejuice
Member
Is that unit, skin or whatever an exclusive to the retail copy of an unfinished game?
It was not a buying beta, it was about championing games that wouldn't otherwise have been made. But now it's starting to get into murky territory.
It was not a buying beta, it was about championing games that wouldn't otherwise have been made. But now it's starting to get into murky territory.
I feel somewhat weird having supported this game on Kickstarter, with all these early access shenanigans they're pulling.
you can still cancel your pre-order if the game at release is still unfinished
you can't return your early access game if it never gets finished.
you can still cancel your pre-order if the game at release is still unfinished
you can't return your early access game if it never gets finished.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Yeah, if it was an empty box then people would have no complaints whatsoever. I can't believe gamers are actually willing to pay money and get absolutely nothing in return.
SwiftDeath
Member
Fixed that for you
Tertullian
Member
Didn't Ubisoft pioneer this with Battlefield 4?
How are EA game preorders different from other preorders?
I was hoping that the developer would sound a little more cautious about this. People who shop in stores don't know what "Early Access" means, they're going to get a bunch of sales that will do nothing but confuse and anger the end users. What if someone buys this but lacks Internet Access? Or they don't know how to download a patch? It's insanity.
SwiftDeath
Member
The games you end up with are often buggy messes like most betas?
Quite frankly I don't think it's a very good comparison considering you can play some version of the game early, have to pay to do so, and have no promise that the game will ever be finished. In many ways it sounds like BF4 or Sim City to me
I would hope that it explains exactly what early access is on the box. (Otherwise that's certainly a bad idea)
MMOs are also sold in boxes.
LurkerPrime
Member
It's really nice of them to give you the full game for free when purchasing the Planetary Annihilation EAE.
That's how I feel about this sort of thing. As long as the game gets finished I don't see the issue with buying it early.
The biggest issue I could see would be advertising it as a finished game. However with this it doesn't seem to be the case.
Michael Armbrust
Member
I'm surprised they think the retail market for PC gaming is big enough to support this. If they find success, then that's great for them.
I don't really like early access games but this is no worse than releasing them digitally.
I don't really like early access games but this is no worse than releasing them digitally.
flaxknuckles
Member
I used to think like that until I realized you can't cancel an early-access order like you can a pre-order. So no, it's not the same.
spindoctor
Member
This industry has successfully managed to change early access/Kickstarter from 'help us make this game that we can't make otherwise' to 'buy this half finished game we're making', and they're now testing the waters to see just how much they can get away with.
CecilRousso
Member
I wouldn't buy that, but anyone who buys Planetary Annihilation during early access are helping a title that I might possibly get at a later date, and without them there this title wouldn't be developed. So I'm fine with it.
Also assume less protection as an EAE (think 'early access' is also a bad term, just sounds like a preview), as the game can be in whatever state and just sold on vague promise.
Also eww at the price.
thereisnoif
Member
Been burned too many times by Early Access games getting abandoned and will steer clear of this mess.
i disagree. That's what the kickstarter was for. It's been funded. Release the finished product, sell it, use the money to fund the development of further content / DLC.
the whole idea of using kickstarter first, then using Early Access as a second round of funding your "we'll definitely finish it, trust us!"-game doesn't rub me the right way :/
TimeEffect
Member
Someone's going to fuck it up real bad and a shitstorm will ensue.
This.
I am shocked people want to see more of this.
Many big kickstarters did this, unfortunately. For instance, I kicked started Wasteland 2 and I'm still waiting to play it while they already put it for sale on early access. Not buying it twice for sure.
It seems they underestimate the time and money required to make the game so when they keep pushing back the deadline they eventually need more funding.
I'm fine with it, honestly. This is more risk then pre-orders for the dev because of the chance of ruining reputation due to inferior product without meeting expectations. There is always a chance something like this blows up in your face. I mean, unless you argue that people who purchase games are some anomaly in the consumer market...
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
If the game they're making now is better and more fully featured than the design under the original Kickstarter funding then why should people be angry?
soulassssns
Banned
Purchased the early access to Nether.
Better be a pretty damn good game for me to make that decision again.
Better be a pretty damn good game for me to make that decision again.
finish and release what's been promised in the kickstarter.
sell this finished software to new customers.
use the profits from these sales to fund further content (that will be released as DLC or free updates)
i don't see what's so hard about that?
PastorOfMuppets
Banned
People complaining about this forget that companies have been doing this for decades. These guys are just honest and transparent about it.
Does anyone believe that EA honestly thought that Battlefield 4 was a finished product? Gearbox took it one step further by simply lying about it and pretending nothing happened with Aliens: Colonial Marines. Lucasarts forced Obsidian to release KOTOR2 early resulting in a story that was 3/4 done.
Does anyone believe that EA honestly thought that Battlefield 4 was a finished product? Gearbox took it one step further by simply lying about it and pretending nothing happened with Aliens: Colonial Marines. Lucasarts forced Obsidian to release KOTOR2 early resulting in a story that was 3/4 done.
D
Deleted member 59090
Unconfirmed Member
Early Access is more expensive then the lowest tiers of kickstarter that didn't include beta access. Also you can redeem the steam key they gave you and play it just like everyone else.
They asked me to donate more to get into the beta unless that changed.
CecilRousso
Member
The kickstarter money is for, like the name says, kickstart it. They set a goal for what's reasonable to make it happen, but any software project of this scale will need additional funding to make it to the fully featured project, otherwise it will have to be scaled down.
I'm not sure that I've actually seen any kickstarter project say "this is all the money we will ever need for this project".
And as I said before, I'm not buying it. I'm just not opposed to other people doing it. I understand the developers reasoning, and as long as they're open about it being early access, let people do what they want with their money.
I'm also a strong believer of people having the responsibility to examine what they're buying, and taking responsibility for it. If a box has a large "early access" sticker slapped over it, and then don't bother finding out what it means, then that's their problem.
LurkerPrime
Member
Now that I think of it, I guess this would be one way for Nordic to make twice as much off of this property - 'cuz they're certainly not making money off of digital editions right?
They'll sell one Early Access Edition of the game and distribute it for madd bank. Then, down the road in five years or whatever it takes to finish the game, they'll release the Full Access Edition of Planetary Annihilated for double-madd bank.
It's genious.
They'll sell one Early Access Edition of the game and distribute it for madd bank. Then, down the road in five years or whatever it takes to finish the game, they'll release the Full Access Edition of Planetary Annihilated for double-madd bank.
It's genious.
Nabs
Member
I don't really see an issue with this as long as they properly explain what Early Access means. I've had a good experience with Early Access. It's the best way to back a game that's in development.
I'm pretty sure they opened up the beta to anyone who put up money for the game.
I'm pretty sure they opened up the beta to anyone who put up money for the game.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
If they were obsessed with the idea of shipping 'finished software' (lol) as soon as possible they could have just slapped a 1.0 on the Galactic War build (which contains all the features promised in the Kickstarter) and threw it in a box. That would completely fulfill their obligations. But who would that benefit? Calling the game done isn't going to magically make it better. The scope and level of polish of the completed product should fully reflect the budget, which has grown due to Early Access sales.
Plus, I don't think they should take it off from Early Access until their online infrastructure is completely ready for it, regardless of the features or how polished they are. That's how EA shot itself in the foot.
they did beat their goal by over 140% extra funding. That should be enough, shouldn't it?
as for your last paragraph - i seriously don't. when it comes to early access. Customer are used to the ages-old business model "pay money - get product" not "pay money - get unfinished product, which we will finish, pinky promise!"
customers often need to be protected from foul play - not just on steam.
(not calling the Planetary Annihilation thing foul play, btw - they're pretty much the least bad offenders and are already delivering a solid product. I just don't like the trend here)
harrypmgaga
Member
Customers should learn about it, then. Not be protected/shielded like defenceless little children. Maybe one or two busts along the way will open some eyeballs.