Do You Buy Early Access Games?

Do You Buy Early Access Games?

  • Yes to Support the Developer

    Votes: 6 11.5%

  • Depends on the Game

    Votes: 18 34.6%

  • No and I Never Will

    Votes: 23 44.2%

  • Other (Leave Comment)

    Votes: 5 9.6%
  • Total voters
    52
Couchpotato

Couchpotato

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Well with the amount of games being released on Steam Early Access this year I was curious how many members buy, and play Early Access games.

So dont be shy and share and your opinion. Now as for my answer I would say it depends on the game, but I prefer to play the finished product.:)
 
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I don't usually buy early access games, but sure I've bought few intresting early access games, but mainly to show my support to the developper. I think you have to treat steam early access like kickstarter. Nothing is certain or promissed. You just have to take this leap of faith and belive that the developer has what it takes.

There are plenty of finished games out there. So I won't spend my precious free time playing (=testing) unfinished early access games. I understand that some people enjoying becoming part of the game development process, but for me getting this kind of access is not an incentive at all.

I haven't for example played those kickstarter betas either because I'd rather experience the game when it is ready.
 
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I do it when I'm curious enough, which has happened quite a few times.

It's rare that it's to support the developers, because I don't really know if it's worth supporting before I try it.

I've done it a few times, though, and I bought Chaos Reborn and Worlds of Magic to support those games, to name a couple.

Worlds of Magic didn't turn out quite as I hoped it would, but I think it will end up being pretty good eventually.

Chaos Reborn looks set to be a great game, though, and I'm happy to have supported it.
 
I've bought a few that interested me. In most cases the price was cheap, so I calculated that if it never panned out or if I ended up hating the game I wouldn't lost much.
 
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I think the question for me is not if I buy Early Access games, but if I play them. I can buy EA games just the same as I buy pre-order games, if it means I'm getting a special discount. But I don't play them until they are released.
 
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Nope. Seems like a bad deal to me - I want to pay a fair price for a finished product, and I have a long backlog of games to play. I'm afraid I wouldn't pay just to "support the developers", for the simple reason that there's a very long list of things in the world that need that kind of support before I get to computer games. My support for the devs comes from buying their finished products, if they're good quality.

Having said all that, I have much more respect for a developer that puts their partially completed game on EA, rather than KS. Let people see what they're getting, and read the reviews. Kickstarter had to issue a statement a couple of years ago to say, "Kickstarter is not a store!", because so many companies were using it for early access sales instead of what it is meant for.
 
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I've chosen other because I used to buy them, but I don't anymore. I will now wait for the final product (+ some patches) to be released and if I'm not highly anticipating the title than I will even wait for a Steam sale. My greatest friend lately is the "put on wishlist" button, saves me a lot of money :)
 
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Never.

No matter how bad I am anticipating a game, I'd rather have my first experience be with a finished, fully-realized product.

I respect the amount of work needed to release a quality game and I am definitely willing to let the developers have time to get it right.
 
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I browse more than buy, but I've had several EAG's.
 
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It was the third option on my side without thinking.

Crowdfunding IMO should stay on non-shop platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter.
I'm not saying Early Access is a bad thing as serves also as marketing, but it's basically pay4demo without any guarantee it'll spawn a full game eventually.
 
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Nope won't touch em.

With my extremely limited gaming time and ever-growing backlog, I simply have no desire to pay for the priviledge of being a QA tester for an unfinished game. That's not to knock those of you who do enjoy this. It's just not my bag.
 
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Depends if the game and the developer are producing something i've a vested interest in. I've been burned only once so far product wise, so I have no problem with the early access model.
 
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Rarely, but I have. Though I don't tend to play them before release to avoid spoilers and having to replay for later added features/changes etc, unless it's a game where it doesn't really matter such as Starbound and Darkest Dungeons both of which I played a few hours during early access.
The games that I will buy at early access but won't play before release are exceptional games that I really look forward to (such as original sin, even if I couldn't afford it during early access I certainly would have bought it if I had the money to)
 
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No/Never was the best answer for me put it was too extreme.

Replace normally will not, with never and that would be me. I've said many times I'm glad you, my fellow gamers are playtesting/ early accessing the games for me so that I can have the perfect experience.
 
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Dajjer said:
No/Never was the best answer for me put it was too extreme.

Replace normally will not, with never and that would be me. I've said many times I'm glad you, my fellow gamers are playtesting/ early accessing the games for me so that I can have the perfect experience.
Click to expand...

So not only do you not do early access, you must wait for a year after release to get the perfect experience.;)

I bought blackguards in EA. It was a positive experience and wants buggy at all but I think that's more the exception than the rule.

As I said above I think if you can wait your best off waiting a year after release.
 
sakichop said:
So not only do you not do early access, you must wait for a year after release to get the perfect experience.;)
Click to expand...

In my case, that's about the size of it.
 
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Although I havent bought into one yet, I probably would if it was some sort of strategy game, or maybe a random loot action-rpg thingy, but for a full blown CRPG, probably not. The reason really is because I rarely finish the games I play before something different catches my eye, so to replay the more story oriented games through the life cycle of added features of the early access versions I think would get extremely boring to me. Ill just wait for the finished product for those
 
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Ripper said:
In my case, that's about the size of it.
Click to expand...

Same here. Not only are most of the bugs ironed out by then, but you can usually get it at least half off in a sale by then. Depending on the game, it may even be bundled by then.
 
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The only EA I've ever bought was Legends of Eisenwald.

I buy EA then and only then if I think the developer needs financial support and if I'm quite sure about the project will be finished in a state I'll have fun with.

Never will I play a game that's in EA, I'll always wait for the final release.
 
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