270°

Broken on release: Is early access ruining games?

As games are being made by many more indie developers, its fair to say that we have a fair choice of incomplete games, but the question is whether that is a bad thing or not.

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videogamesuncovered.com
SynGamer3760d ago

Not at all. Early Access often enables players to contribute their idea's and feedback to the developer(s), who are then able to ACTUALLY implement and make changes to the game.

I look at "early access" games as "paid beta's. It's kind of the opposite of what we're use to, but I love the idea of getting to try a game early AND help make it better.

Doogle3003760d ago

I totally agree. Early access on paper is great, but it's the ones that slip through the cracks like War Z that spoil it.

SynGamer3760d ago

Completely agree, but thankfully shitty games like that are quickly pointed out by the media and gamers alike.

PurpHerbison3759d ago

Yet gamers played the hell out of War Z regardless, and it's saddening.

Kivespussi3760d ago

It's great for developers with passion and great ideas but don't have enough resources to complete the game. I mean at least they note everyone that "hey, the game is still not finished and will be very rough around the edges. If you don't want to support our work or don't want the game before it's ready, do not buy this just yet". I think that if you want to point fingers in someone for releasing broken games then point the fingers at EA's direction. BF4 is a kind of game that shouldn't be released when they did. It has gotten better with patches but still isn't working like it should.

wsoutlaw873760d ago

Ya i thought the dayz guy handled it very well telling everyone straght that the game will be very buggy and rough and just pay if you want to support development.

Infamous2983760d ago

Am i the only who thinks that early access games are overpriced???

1nsomniac3759d ago (Edited 3759d ago )

No the majority of them are not heavily over-priced but for the concept of early access (content-wise) they are over priced.

There's a voxel god sim game on steam (compares itself to Minecraft) at the moment, cant remember the name, but it's £40 & has nothing in it & has been like that since about November I think. There's a lot of complaints on their forum.

Don't know why anyone would pay £40 anyway

Vanna3760d ago

I totally agree

It gives gamers a chance to try them out and contribute to ideas, fixes etc

The problem is many including media seem to treat them as complete or are not able to fully grasp what an alpha state truly means.

sinspirit3760d ago

Definitely. MineCraft was in Alpha when people were able to buy it. Basically early access. If not for that the game would not be as phenomenally huge.

StarBound and Prison Architect are more great examples which I have purchased. If not for early access then some of these developers without much money would be forced to release broken games entitled as full releases. Early Access means putting your game up earlier, pulling in funding, and having even more development time to put in, which so far seems to get rid of the idea of DLC as these common updates pull in consistent funding and keep players playing because they have more to look forward to every week or so with the updates.

I personally find it amazing to watch a game evolve with updates. To a developer it must really be like watching your baby grow up.

ATi_Elite3758d ago

Early access is AWESOME!

Stop crying about it being broken because you are playing a Pre-Alpha game.

That's like buying a used car with no engine in it and crying about how it doesn't drive fast.

You are warned and informed of what you are getting into.

(WarZ is a bad example because WarZ was a complete rip-off and just a money grab from the start).

DayZ went from being a one man Mod to a Complete overhaul by a very small team in about 1.5 years. Most games take 3 years and a ton of people to make and DayZ while very very playable still has a ton of things Dean will add. Also DayZ is more complex than most other games as still nothing is like it.

I like early access because lots of times you get to play with the Devs and actually have Devs implement some of your suggestions.

Project Cars is a complete MONSTER because the Devs just took all the great gamer ideas and put them into the game.

Firefall is another early access Game that Devs played with gamers on a Daily basis and Firefall has become a Great MMO-FPS-RPG as well as a Flawless eSport all becuase of a great Dev/Gamer early access relationship.

If early access is done right the game will be made with gamer input thus insuring a strong community and a great game.

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SpiralTear3760d ago

I can see people being upset with buying a game that technically is still in the works. However, this isn't kept in secret or anything. As long as the early access is advertised as being "in development", then gamers shouldn't be pointing fingers at the developers.

War Z was a big problem, I totally agree, but I think it was also a lesson that digital distribution services need to take early access games seriously and not let just anything pass on the storefront. Just because a game is technically incomplete doesn't mean it should be downright broken.

Early access isn't ruining games, but I still think there's a lot that the gaming industry needs to learn to really make this idea work.

SnakeCQC3760d ago

With early access; you know what you are getting. Atleast im not being charged full retail for bugs etc. People can always look at the comments section of steam or research what they buy.

Hartsy3760d ago

At least with early access you know what your getting, a game that's not finished, when you pay full price for, something like battlefield 4 that's already been in beta! Then yes that's the side that leaves gamers and especially fans more than angry.

SirBradders3760d ago

Think of it this way instead of a small studio worth of people creating and testing the game to the point of player perfection you have a million people in day z terms.

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180°

All Hopes I Had For A Prey Sequel Have Been Crushed — Well Done, Microsoft

The magnificent Prey was once again abandoned as Microsoft disregarded Arkane Austin's achievements and crucified it just for Redfall.

RaidenBlack23h ago

well, not entirely ... the main Arkane studio i.e Arkane Lyon's still there ...
Its only that, the sequel will take more time now ... after Blade & Dishonored 3

MrBaskerville4h ago

But who knows, Dishonored 3 could have been Austins next project, so might be cancelled.

-Foxtrot22h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Not even this Prey

Still longing for a sequel to the original Prey with Tommy

The studio didn't even want to call this Prey, it was just Bethesda being dicks to them for some reason.

RaidenBlack17h ago

MS closed Roundhouse Studios (ex-Human Head Studios) as well

Yui_Suzumiya6h ago

Yeah, that's who was going to do the original sequel.

isarai14h ago

Came here to say this, my hooes for a Prey sequel died when this "Prey" came out

Profchaos5h ago

Prey 2017 still hurts to play because what could have been looked so incredible

Profchaos5h ago

Same Bethesda basically screwed over the original developer team human head back around 2011 so it was really never going to come despite a honestly amazing trailer. I liked prey 2017 but it always held a stink of disappointment due to what we never got

FinalFantasyFanatic28m ago

I really didn't like this game, tried it because of how loved the original Prey was, played the demo of this one and thought it was garbage, it didn't feel nice/fun to play.

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LostPotato22h ago(Edited 22h ago)

Keep dreaming then as Prey and Dishonored 2 did not sell well enough to get sequels.

Hence we got Deathloop and Redfall instead.

RaidenBlack17h ago

lol, Deathloop came from Prey: Mooncrash idea

Unknown_Gamer57946h ago

To everyone who cheered MS’s acquisitions, we told you so…

Inverno5h ago

Those people will just argue that Arkane Austin and Tango would've been shut down either way.

MrBaskerville4h ago

Zenimax allready put them in a tight spot by demanding them to do a multiplayer title. So it's not unlikely, considering how bad the game performed. They didn't stand a chance. MS had the money to save them and to correct Zenimax' mistakes.

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140°

Helldivers 2 Star Wars Mod Looks Pretty Insane

Star Wars is coming to Helldivers 2, unofficially that is, as a new mod revamps in-game models and sends players to a galaxy far, far, away.

LordoftheCritics1d 10h ago

Finally some interesting skins

thejigisup8h ago

To you. What makes them interesting?

repsahj6h ago

This is the reason they cancel the psn link.

160°

Would It Have Even Mattered If Redfall Were Good?

Even if Redfall were a good game, the closure of Hi-Fi Rush proves even that doesn't matter in the industry.

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thegamer.com
Profchaos10h ago

Yeah it would have mattered especially since their huge game that year wasn't all that it was cracked up to be remember redfail was almost heavily promoted and hyped not to the level of starfield but still more promoted than the average game.

There was still a decent marketing campaign behind the game I'm sure millions were spent advertising it on websites and I saw a few billboards and bus stop signs in real life

jwillj2k410h ago

No it wouldn’t matter it wouldn’t bring in enough profit to offset their 100 billion dollar acquisition. It would maybe delay the inevitable by some months.

Profchaos1h ago

Pretty much no game in Bethesda stables makes cod numbers instantly even fallout 4 Bethesda's best selling game sold 12 million at launch and over the next 10 years climbed to over 32 which cod would do rapidly

CrimsonWing6910h ago

I would f*cking think so. Good games are what draws people to your platform. It’s why I adored the 360 era with Gears of War being one of the highlights for me. You make sh*t games and it just makes your platform that much worse and you start gobbling up studios I like and then killing them off it also makes me hate your platform as well… just sayin’

franwex10h ago

Unless the game would’ve been War Zone, or Fortnite level. No. Maybe even Hell divers 2 I doubt would’ve been enough.

Exvalos9h ago

No it would not have, the ABK deal was great for Microsoft but horrible for Xbox. Over 100 billion dollars in acquisitions. That money has to be made back. That ABK deal essentially destroyed Xbox as we know it.

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