If you didn't have to pay for it, people would play it to death while it's "free" and then not buy it when it's released

These aren't typical betas where you only have access to like 1 or 2 mp maps and you test an infrastructure etc. the game usually starts out with already a decent amount of content and then keeps getting more to the point where often the only thing that changes are a few balance tweaks and slight change in mechanics form the early access build to the final one

content isn't "locked out"; if it's playable, then it's accessible, no matter how rough/primitive. if a RTS race has been designed, it's playable. if a MP map has been designed, it's playable. they're "full" alphas and betas, unlike the kind of alpha and beta tests that we usually get with big games.

I wanted to say it earlier but everyone knows how much of a BF2, BC2 fanboy I am.  Well done sir.

So why would you pay for the game and play it when its not done, instead of just waiting until its done. I mean if you get to play most of it in the early access anyway...

No problem.

Ask the people who do it? They'll give you different reasons

For me i've only bought two on Steam and it's from the same developer, because i really like them and their games. They also do a better job of involving the community than many, on top of providing neat extras and cross-game incentives.

Others will do it cause it's a faddy game (like The Forest) and they want to be part of the fad while it's fresh, with all the forum talk, youtube hits, etc... Less "reasonable" reasons here.

Well, I guess Ill just have to give up on this and hope they dont take it too far...

I get why indie developers are doing it and I dont blame them for that. Just think its a bit shady when big companies get involved.

Please enlighten me, I think you are mixing things up somehow, which could explain why you have this confused to begin with.

A service is an ongoing thing. Netflix, PS+, XBL are all examples of services. Buying half or a quater a product before release is not service. You got what you paid for, nothing more nothing less. Take Driveclub for instance, there is a version of that game that is free for PS+ subscribers has 10 of the 50 cars of the full game and is based in only one of the 5 areas of the game. That is an example of something that could be sold as an early access game if they released it like that last year while the full game is still being developed and then releases this year. The poeple that got the early access version can opt to upgrade to full, or just keep playing their limited version of the game.

What? If you go into a store and buy a game, then thats a service the store provides...

That doesn't apply to Valve or Sony selling the games. It'd be the case if they were developing it

So far i've only seen or remember two such instances; Ubisoft did it with the recent M&M and Square Enix is doing it with Nosgoth