Are PlayStation gamers missing out without a game preview programme?

IM PLAYIN discuss the Game Preview service on the Xbox One, and if PlayStation gamers are missing out without a similar service on the PS4.

"I’m really enjoying the Xbox One game preview service, with ARK: Survival Evolved being my favourite game from that initiative. But I’ve also enjoyed Sheltered, Elite Dangerous and The Long Dark, all thanks to the service. Obviously, there’s a risk to it – the games could be buggy, or glitchy, and you still do have to pay for the titles (up to £20 for some). But, overall, I think that the service is great."

[Pancit_Canton]

Playstation Plus Full Game Trail?

It's been around since the Playstation 3

[Mega24]

That's not what the preview program is...

@Pancit_Canton No... this is buying and playing a game while it's still in development. You're practically buying a Game Tester position.

[Pancit_Canton]

Try it before you buy it is not a preview program? OK

[rainslacker]

Having been in game QA, I'd like to thank Sony for not subjecting us to being unpaid game testers.

[FarEastOrient]

Why would a pay a company to be their tester? It should be the other way around.

[ShadowKnight]

Steam early access is a cool feature for PC

[C-H-E-F]

@Pancit

this is for the retail version of the game (PS PLUS FULL GAME TRIAL)

what they are talking about is a production trial aka an alpha/beta (closed)

but it's dumb cause people pay them to play an unfinished game ahahaha. avg salary for a game tester is 45-55k i believe so yeah... you are getting the short end of the stick here if you sign up LMAO

So...no... Sony doesn't need this crap

[FreeSpeech69]

Nope, Xbox One gamer here. "Early Access" only works on PC and has a lot of risks involved. Honestly everyone should have WAY too many games to play to be messing around with Pre-Alpha Buggy games.

[jb227]

Yeah I was feeling the same way. I think for mmo type games & small indies it could maybe work, but even then you are essentially going to get some early negative word of mouth prior to release that will color people's opinions of the final game (Ark), or you will have all hype die out when games languish in pre release for an eternity (DayZ).

It's a weird drip feed and I can't see how bigger games would ever benefit from this. For smaller games it may help get the word out (assuming the game is quality from the very beginning) but for well known games it could only serve to diminish the "event" feeling of a game launch.

[Cohagen420]

Yea EA Access I can't defend but this makes sense to me. I don't want to play unfinished games especially if I have to pay for them. I know they have made exceptions, like Dungeon Defenders but I'm fine with betas at this point.

[Condemnedman]

yes

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

No! I don't want to pay to alpha test games. That's the devs job! I already have mine!

Come with the complete product and then we'll talk

[thexmanone]

That`s whats nice, you have a choice. For me the more the better. And if i don`t want to play it, thats fine. At least i can choose if i want to.

[DragonbornZ]

@thexmanone
And you can try it free for an hour to see if you like it or to see if its buggy before you buy.
And if you buy it on early access its cheaper than the full release and you get the full game when it's done.

Implemented like it is on X1 on the PS4 I'd welcome it.
Its pretty sweet.

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

Sure. Enough have already bought unfinished and broken games at release. Why not buy some more with this program?

[FarEastOrient]

It doesn't help that some Early Access games never leave that stage and you don't get your money back.

[Goldby]

@Thexmanone

But if all developers began taking advantage of unpaid QA testers then they will be reducing internal testing and relying on us. why becuase its free for them to do it this way. that will create a need for alot more gamers to opt into the early access just so the game comes out finished (somewhat)

we ae gamers. we aren't game testers when we are at home. if you are at your job, the same still applies to being at home. i don't want companies to rely on the gamers to test their product when some are already bitching about glitchy games, unifinished games, broken ones and the free games with PS+/GWG

[rainslacker]

I spent a year and a half as a game tester before landing a programming gig, and I can say, 100% without a doubt, that I care nothing about playing a game that isn't complete enough to ship.

With all the quality games out there that one could play, why would they want to subject themselves to such a thing? Might sound cool to get an early look at a game, but broken games just aren't fun....they're work, and that's why testers get paid to play them.

If I really want the preview program, I just will play these games day one, and not patch them, and still get a better experience...so not really missing out at all is it?

[Antnee534]

Early access is awesome I do wish it was on ps4 so I could play ark survival evolved early instead having to wait to who knows when.

[Liqu1d]

June.

[Goldby]

June and it'll be complete. i'd rather wait for the game

[badz149]

LOL game preview is suddenly a defining feature now? if paying for unfinished games is your cup of tea, be my guest but no one is missing out on anything if the thing is unfinished! this is just one of the many way they want to earn money without spending too much of their own!

you know what is really missing this gen? GAME DEMOS! you know...the thing devs/publishers give to gamers for FREE so they can test their games for FREE so they can make their purchase decision?? it was still a thing last gen and now it seems like it's already a thing of the past and LITERALLY NOBODY is saying anything about it! seriously WTH has happened to THAT? oh yeah...it's all about close/open beta now and there is this thing called GAME PREVIEWS where you have to PAY TO TEST UNFINISHED PRODUCTS! are there no more positions of game testers out there? is that the thing of the past too?

this gen has been setting terrible precedents and it's scary for the future of this industry! almost no more demos, always online games, online only games becoming normal, $50 Season pass, buggy/broken release like never before, HUGE patches and so on...TERRIBLE!

[Mega24]

I specifically remember buying magazines just to get the demo disk. Those were the days.

[Mega24]

No, Playstation gamers aren't missing much. Early access really takes a toll on ya. Ever since it was introduced on Steam (2013), it has brought nothing but unfinished games that have 4 to 5 years of development and still in alpha. Getting the gem once in a blue moon.

[_LarZen_]

No I dont think so. In fact I wish it was removed from Steam and Xbox.

[Tsunade]

My answer would be no. Also, right now I am playing lots of new games that I don't even have time to play The Division. How am I going to miss a "preview programme" when I don't even have time to play full new hot released titles?

[DragonbornZ]

Like it is on X1? Yes I'd like it like that on PS4. There's really no downside.
I feel like most people are basing Early Access on Steams model.
The model on X1 is good. Though, there aren't as many games on Early Access X1 as Steam.
But that's both a positive and negative.

[OpenGL]

I've been burnt by early access games on Steam before, don't think they belong on consoles as well.

[IGiveHugs2NakedWomen]

In early access aren't you essentially paying to play an unfinished game?

No thanks.

Why would I pay for an "open beta" when it's supposed to be free?

[DualWielding]

Hope playstation does not introduce early access or early access games are all we gonna get for PS +

[NeoGamer232]

It is just another option for gamers.

As long as it is clearly marked as a preview (which they are), there is no reason not to allow it.

Personally, I don't want to play unfinished games on my XB1 and skip over all previews automatically. But, I know some gamers like it and they deserve to have the option.

[jb227]

Gamers don't "deserve" the right to diminish the weight of a creators intentions though. This is a decision that should be left to platforms & devs and really has no business being left w/ consumers, only creators.

I personally don't see the draw in it, mainly because I've never seen a fully successful model of it. Ark's name has already been a bit tarnished by many outside of the core when it got early previews saying that it was a technical mess. A game like DayZ has potentially spent so long in the preview program that its huge hype is nearly gone entirely and with it the potential for a huge launch. I just don't see many positives in the game preview column and I'd personally rather leave that feature up to devs. If they aren't ready for me to play their game, then I'd rather not even have the option to pay good money for a lesser experience & a dashed potential at a quality one during launch.

[ScorpiusX]

They are fine , they don't need that clutter of a mess . Best if they avoid it .