I’ve seen a lot of talk about early access and the pros and cons of it. I wanted to share some experiences on this.
The very first commercial retail PC game that allowed people to pre-order the game and get access to the beta was called Galactic Civilizations for OS/2 and the year was 1993.
Every single Stardock game has had early access for over 20 years so this is a good opportunity to share some experiences about it.
#1 You can’t fund your game this way
I’ve seen many gamers (and even some game developers) believe that they can fund their game through early access. It doesn’t work that way. Most people (95%) won’t buy a game in beta. The sales/revenue graph of a game is a straight line that turns into a cliff when a game is released. So if you think you can pay for development this way, forget it.
There are notable exceptions (Star Citizen) but the reason they get a lot of attention is because they are so unusual.
#2 Early Access is good for compatibility testing
I’ve seen people online talk about “paying to beta test” which is, well, a crazy thing to say. That said, Early Access is wonderful for compatibility testing. For example, mixing video drivers, sound drivers, network drivers, and the OS is largely impossible to do well for smaller studios and publishers.
The setup has gotten insanier (that’s now officially a word) even in the past few years. Right now, as you read this, right click on your sound system tray options, select play back devices. How many of you get a noticeable delay in getting that dialog up? The answer is about 10% of you. This is caused by AMD high definition audio devices being added which can cause some games to get a lot of stuttering in their sound. It can be worked around but without early access, it would be really hard to solve this (you can fix this on your end by disabling those devices).
It’s even worse on Windows 8 btw where people who don’t have Windows 8.1 UPDATE (not to be confused with Windows 8.1 normal) because there’s a bug in the OS that causes the sound driver to not get enough CPU which affects games using DirectX 11. And these are sound issues. Video, well, that’s a whole different world.
The point being compatibility is a good use of early access.
#3 Early Access is good for fan feedback
One of the best elements of Early Access is that you get people who are committed to the concept of your game. We took some blow back from people because Galactic Civilizations III: Founder’s Edition was $100. It includes everything we will ever make for GalCiv III (all DLC and expansions). The idea behind it was to find a way to not have casual players in the alpha program. The feedback from these players has been amazing.
This is why #1 is so key: Not only will you not get very many sales (relative to the final game) of your EA game but you don’t want too many. If you get too many EA players, the feedback gets way too muddled. You want people who are already sold on the concept and not people who will try to push you to make a different game (like MOO fans who always seem to wish GalCiv would become a MOO style game, I love MOO but GalCiv isn’t MOO).
#4 PR is a limiting factor on Early Access
As some of you know, Stardock sold Impulse to Gamestop some years ago. With that capital, we created an investment fund which has been used to help start-ups and get some amazing games off the ground. Over the next 36 months or so, we’ll be releasing around 7 new games. You know about Galactic Civilizations III. That’s one.
I would love to announce these games over the next year and get Early Access going for them because most them are brand new IP. The limiting factor for us is PR. That is, how many games do we want in Early Access at once? We don’t know that answer but we do know there’s a threshold before you create what marketing calls a “negative narrative” that becomes very hard to get away from once it has been created.
Galactic Civilizations III was an easy one because people already know what it is. Right now, we have 3 other games that we play daily internally that aren’t even announced (one of which we play at lunch every day competitively multiplayer via the Internet between the teams).
The point being, many people don’t like the concept of Early Access and it does put the brakes on how many Early Access games are available at a given moment and keeps the bigger studios from doing it.
#5 Fan interaction is a major motivator
Most people I know who make games do so because they enjoy making things to share with other people. No one becomes a game developer for the money. If it weren’t for fan interaction, I wouldn’t be making games at all. It’s my primary motivation. I’m a creature of the Internet. I’m notorious for lurking and participating on forums outside our own because talking about our games or other games is very enjoyable.
Early Access is particularly fun because you can actually make meaningful changes to the game based on intelligent feedback. Nothing sucks worse for a game developer than to get a great idea from a fan only to not be able to use it because it’s “too late”.
Steam won't allow you to sell a game solely on your own site- they'd make zero money off of it. This is why the doing it on your site only idea won't work.
That is not true, Alstein. I have Steam keys to multiple games that are not available to purchase on Steam yet (most of them were kickstarted). I don't know the details that enable them to do this (likely they have to pay Valve).
I do, too. I've had access to quite a few betas that I played through Steam, yet weren't available to the masses.
Your move.
Frogboy said"
"I would love to announce these games over the next year and get Early Access going for them because most them are brand new IP. The limiting factor for us is PR. That is, how many games do we want in Early Access at once? We don’t know that answer but we do know there’s a threshold before you create what marketing calls a “negative narrative” that becomes very hard to get away from once it has been created."
I've been looking through Steam lately, and it seems that every Tom, Dick and Harry game developer is offering early access (or has some type of pre-release offer). It seems to be the current trend now.
The "new normal."
Given the new environment, it probably won't be an issue for SD to have multiple simultaneous early access releases.
Maybe they make exceptions- I'm dead certain they wouldn't allow a game to be sold only off of Steam though in the end.
Did any of these games go through Greenlight?
You may be on to something there. Marketing models can morph themselves out from under the most expert marketeers. However, there is a big difference between betting an upstart dev company and betting something like Stardock. I don't think there is quite a clear enough precedent yet, but then again, Stardock may just be setting their own precedents here. We'll all know in a few years.
This is false
You can currently join the "Invisible Inc" alpha via Klei's website. It's currently the only way to purchase the game. The alpha is then playable only via steam.
http://www.invisibleincgame.com/
Is that a simulator game of some sort? region/city/world building game? Either way I want to play the boxed graphics game No negative press here...
Another option is releasing games to fans of other games that have given "positive" feedback. What by "positive" meaning that while feedback given may point out flaws or weaknesses in the games, they don't trash the game, or the company but, keep an open mind Just a thought.
Is that Soren Johnson's "Mars"?
I wouldn't get too down on Casual gamers as if development was just left to the hardcore audience, a lot of games would be unplayable by more than a handful of hardcore gamers. Games need to have some basic appeal as you reveal the complexity within. I put faith in the game designer's vision and their ability to stay the course without losing sight of the end product due to a handful of people trying to drive it off a cliff.
@frogboy
http://offworldtrading.com/
I'm going to guess that the only possible game designer that could make a game so addictive that it would have to be 'banned from work hours' even in a prototype form, is Soren Johnson.
TAKE ALL MY GOD DAMN MONEY
Now that sounds like a good game, don't know if I'll get that one on early access, however, sounds good
Although being that it also has Mohawk games in on it as well it may not be the one they're testing in house but either way it sounds good.
Yep. That's the one.
The artwork in it is still programmer art so we haven't released screenshots and such of it. But we will be putting up a founder's vault for it and share more on it with those who pre-order it and then they can laugh with us at the art. But man, it's addictive.
In some respects, it tweaks those same parts of my brain as Hearthstone except there's relatively little luck involved in OWT (except when I lose, then it was other people getting lucky).
Oh Gods.
I honestly can't wait for the streams to see how this game plays.
You kind of answered your own point here casual gamers by definition are not committed to a particular game, nothing wrong with that but as they say they aren't the people they want feedback from at this stage, I kind of think that is their judgement to make.
However you could be very committed to the game and not have $100 that would be a fairer criticism that this excludes committed players without enough money. But they are right you have to be committed to the concept to lay out $100 up front.
Actually we are paying to Alpha and Beta test but I’m also paying up front for every bit of DLC and expansion they will produce, if they produce anything like as much as for GC2 that’s a great deal in the long time, hence showing the upfront commitment and faith that they will produce something I want to play.
Can't wait - "economic space strategy" gotta love those words together in a game
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On early access:
The reason I payed $100 is because I am a "Stardock-groupie".I have little intention of playing the game until it is released - just like to support a company that I trust and value.And of course the fact that I have played and still am playing GalCiv2 more often than any other game.
Will buy some copies as gift for my friends on release as well.(in this way you can say that Stardock gets payed for PR by its loyal customers..lol)
This is the main reason I may anti-up for the founders of off world trading but, I have many other things that need to be addressed first
It plays (and looks in some respects) like a much more sophisticated version of MULE with a lot of bastard actions you can do to your opponents.
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