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Forums - Sony - Sony considering PlayStation Early Access program

VanceIX on 11 July 2014

Meh. Steam early-access in underwhelming for the most part. The only decent game I've gotten out of it is Starbound, other than that its been mediocre at best.



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KLXVER on 11 July 2014
mornelithe said:
KLXVER said:
mornelithe said:

True, but aren't the forums for that particular game on steam, filled with folks reporting on those very issues?  So, shouldn't it simply boil down to educating yourself on the title you're considering buying Early Access for?  Which...now that I think of it, is pretty much the problem with your average gamer.  They educate themselves on something AFTER they buy it, and not before.

This entire issue could be simply ignored, if people perform even a modicum of due dilligence prior to purchasing anything.


but when the game is released you can look up gameplay and try out a demo or read reviews of the finished product. Even if you do some research and the game looks awesome and you decide to pay to play it early and you dont like what they are doing, then you have already spent the money. So now youre just waiting for a game you dont want to play...

You underestimate the vast amount of Steam users who record video of their gameplay experiences, additionally, if you're concerned about gameplay in an Early Access, and you can't find video of it...why would you buy into it?  That makes no fiscal sense, whatsoever.  If you spend the money, before you actually know you want it, isn't that your fault?  I mean, how can it not?  Nobody's making you buy it, it's not compulsory as a member of steam etc...  This is simply transferring the blame of poor research and an inability to wait for a final product away from the buyer, onto the developer.  That just seems completely bassackwards to me.


Seeing gameplay is not the same as playing it yourself. A game can look great, but not be what you think it is. Atleast you should be able to play it a bit first and then have the option to pay in advance...



naruball on 11 July 2014

Why is it that people assume that gamers are sheep who can't make decisions on their own? No one is forcing anyone to buy and play early access games. If it's not for your, don't buy it. All you get to do with this is pre-order a game and get to play it when it's not ready yet. While some of us have no interest in it, others do. So let them have this option.

I still don't get this whole "If I don't like, no one can have it" attitude.



IkePoR on 11 July 2014
mornelithe said:
KLXVER said:

Stop defending Sony for everything they do. This is like Kickstarter, but for a multi billion dollar company.

Sony doesnt get more money, but they dont have to take any risks either, because you have already paid for the game.

Whats next? We`re going to pay Sony for games we would like to see in the future?

That entire argument could, and actually should be completely flipped around.  Why are you blaming a multi-billion dollar company for doing what it exists to do?  Trying to make money.  Isn't it up to the consumer to judge what is and isn't healthy for the industry?  Isn't it the consumer, who, through their wallets, tells developers the direction to go in?  So then, should it not be the consumers fault, when they allow such things to become profitable?  Why would you blame Sony, or Microsoft, or EA, or Activision etc... for doing what they do, and turn a blind eye to the consumer who is encouraging such practices?  Seems like misplaced blame, frankly.

If people don't like the idea, I'm sure Sony will harpoon it before it goes live.  However, given the popularity of the Steam Early Access program, I wouldn't count on it.

Just becaue you're cool with them giving you the finger while they make their money doesn't mean everyone is.  There's ways to make money while still respecting the consumer.  To pretend that the things those companies you named dropped have to do all the slimy things they've done over the years is not true.



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Euphoria14 on 11 July 2014

What is the cost for early-access? You wouldn't be required to place a fully paid pre-order right?



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VanceIX on 11 July 2014
naruball said:
Why is it that people assume that gamers are sheep who can't make decisions on their own? No one is forcing anyone to buy and play early access games. If it's not for your, don't buy it. All you get to do with this is pre-order a game and get to play it when it's not ready yet. While some of us have no interest in it, others do. So let them have this option.

I still don't get this whole "If I don't like, no one can have it" attitude.

It's more like early-access encourages devs to release an alpha product for money, and since they already have the money, there's less incentive for them to make the game the best they can. It's not the same with all games, true, but as a big Steam user I can tell you that the vast majority of early-access games end up being mediocre, or worse.



                                                                                                               You're Gonna Carry That Weight.

Xbox One - PS4 - Wii U - PC

Raziel123 on 11 July 2014
Euphoria14 said:
What is the cost for early-access? You wouldn't be required to place a fully paid pre-order right?


Why not? You get the whole game, you never have to pay a cent afterwards to get updates

Though the pricing policy varies with developers. Some charge less than release price, others charge more (to act as a "seriousness" gate)



KLXVER on 11 July 2014
Raziel123 said:


So buying a non-early access game, not liking it and then getting stuck with a game that is never going to improve, is better?


I didnt say that, but imagine if you paid for early access on Aliens: Colonial Marines? They advertised it as a great game, it looked great, but it turned out horrible. Thanks to reviews of the finished product, I didnt buy it...but if I had bought into the early access, then my money would already be gone...



Raziel123 on 11 July 2014
KLXVER said:
Raziel123 said:


So buying a non-early access game, not liking it and then getting stuck with a game that is never going to improve, is better?


I didnt say that, but imagine if you paid for early access on Aliens: Colonial Marines? They advertised it as a great game, it looked great, but it turned out horrible. Thanks to reviews of the finished project, I didnt buy it...but if I had bought into the early access, then my money would already be gone...


Actually early access would have prevented that because all you had to do was either visit a forum or watch a walkthrough before buying, to know what it was, not what it looked like.



mornelithe on 11 July 2014
crissindahouse said:
mornelithe said:

True, but aren't the forums for that particular game on steam, filled with folks reporting on those very issues?  So, shouldn't it simply boil down to educating yourself on the title you're considering buying Early Access for?  Which...now that I think of it, is pretty much the problem with your average gamer.  They educate themselves on something AFTER they buy it, and not before.

This entire issue could be simply ignored, if people perform even a modicum of due dilligence prior to purchasing anything.

Yeah, people can obviously read about it in forums but only from those who already run in this "trap". Some have to experience huge problems with a game to talk about it. 

And on consoles it would be  much worse since I expect more PC gamers to check it out in forums before they buy a game as the average console gamer would do. I mean, the PC gamer is already in front of his PC if he sees something he could be interested in. 

But I think Sony would check these games out before so that they would be only allowed in an acceptable state. 

I see nothing but good coming from this, then.  After being burned a few times, people might actually start behaving like logical and intelligent consumers, rather than spending $60 on an impulse buy, and then bitching about it afterwards.  I really have no sympathy for people who don't look into games prior to launch to find out if they're up to their standards.  The only way to police the industry, is for consumers to educate themselves and choose to avoid a game they aren't sure of.

I don't blame companies for trying to make money, I do blame consumers who blindly throw money at them, and then cry foul afterwards.