Early access

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Early access (also alphafunding , early funding , alpha-access or paid-alpha ) is a financing model in the video game industry in which consumers pay for a computer game in an early stage of development that is playable but has not yet been completed. Developers can continue to work with the proceeds and receive bug reports or suggestions from consumers. Early access is a common funding option for indie game developers and is often used in conjunction with other funding methods such as crowdfunding . Video games can appear as early access in beta and alpha status.

history

Large game developers rarely release unfinished versions of their products in order to provide as little information as possible to competing companies and to prevent illegal distribution of the game before it is finished. The software tests take place within the company or are carried out by a small group of people subject to confidentiality. In some cases, developers offer access to early versions of the game in a controlled environment for limited groups of people for purchase or as part of a competition. An example of this is the access to the beta version of the multiplayer mode of Halo 3 , which was sold together with the game Crackdown in order to increase sales. For indie games , which are typically developed in small teams, self-financing is often not possible during the entire production period. In addition, there is a lack of resources for extensive tests and feedback. The early access concept solves these problems and offers developers the opportunity to expand the game based on suggestions from consumers. A typical early access version already offers a playable basic version of the game in which not all features have been implemented and software errors can still occur. Often these are so-called alpha or beta releases, which are still months or years before the planned completion. Interested consumers are given the opportunity to actively participate in the development process and to help determine the game mechanics, the plot or future features. Some developers note their active participation with a mention in the game's credits. However, every buyer takes the risk that the game will never be released in a full version. One of the earliest examples of this model is the computer game Minecraft , which was developed by Markus Persson in 2009. He offered the alpha version for 10 euros, which enabled him to quit his job after eight months and concentrate fully on the further development of the game. Minecraft continued to be available as an early access version to ensure that all versions already purchased become available as full versions for free. The game was released as a full version in 2011 and by then brought in over $ 33 million with over 1.8 million players.

development

The early access approach has become more and more successful in the following years. Indie developers in particular use this approach, as a few examples show:

  • Mount & Blade was published in an early version in 2004 by Armağan and İpek Yavuz in order to found the company TaleWorlds Entertainment with early-user funding . The game was completed in 2008 and published through Paradox Interactive .
  • Kerbal Space Program was marketed through a similar business model as Minecraft and later offered through Steam Early Access, where millions of copies were sold.
  • Prison Architect brought in over $ 8 million in early access and was sold more than 250,000 times.
  • DayZ , a multiplayer game in which you fight against zombies , was sold over 400,000 times within the first week after the early access release.

In order to support the early access concept, many sales portals have made simple options available for sales. The shops generally charge a small part of the income for their service and offer the developers the handling of the purchase process via credit card or PayPal , the bandwidth for the download, and the marketing. The online portal Desura started an alphafunding initiative in 2011 to enable indie developers to market new developments. The Valve Corporation integrated in March 2013 Early access to its platform Steam , thus allowing developers to take advantage of the steam-shops and the Steamworks API. In January 2016, the GOG.com shop , similar to Steam before, started an early access program called "Games in Development" and also offers a 14-day right of return without justification, in order to risk potential buyers of a bad purchase save. The success of early access has also prompted manufacturers of video game consoles to expand their own shop systems accordingly. Sony Computer Entertainment started its own Steam-based program to promote indie developers for their PlayStation 4 console in July 2014 and published the concept in September 2015 with the game Dungeon Defenders II . Microsoft presented the Xbox Game Preview program for the Xbox One Dashboard Preview in June 2015 with the intention of unlocking it for all users at a later date. The Xbox Game Preview program differs from other early access platforms in that each game offers a free demo version to give users the chance to test the game before purchasing it. This service was introduced with the early access titles The Long Dark and Elite: Dangerous . Google plans to introduce a similar system for the Android Play Store from mid-2016.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Soren Johnson: Design success means knowing what to do with feedback . Gamasutra . February 6, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  2. ^ A b Nate Ralph: Betting on betas: Why the early access phenomenon is risky business . In: Computerworld . October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  3. ↑ Kyle Orland: Minecraft Draws Over $ 33 Million In Revenue From 1.8M Paying Customers . Gamasutra . April 6, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  4. ↑ Ian Brimbaum: Kerbal Space Program dev on random solar system, the joy of failure and the "cult" of Steam . PC gamer . December 23, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ Jeffrey Matulef: Prison Architect rakes in nearly $ 8 million . In: Eurogamer . Gamer Network. November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  6. ^ Robert Purchase: DayZ week-one sales rocket past 400,000 . Eurogamer . January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  7. ↑ Dale Berling: Alpha Funding - The New Trend? . In: Indie Game Magazine . October 28, 2011. Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 16, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.indiegamemag.com
  8. ↑ Julian Bensen: Steam now selling early access to games . PCGamesN . March 20, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  9. ↑ Dave Tach: GOG 'looking at' launching a service like Steam Early Access for games in development . Polygon . May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ Alex Wawro: GOG launches its own take on Steam's Early Access service . In: Gamasutra . January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  11. ↑ Kris Graft: Q&A: The latest on PlayStation dev relations, with Sony's Adam Boyes . Gamasutra . July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
  12. ↑ Alex Wawro: PS4 is getting its first Early Access game next week . Gamasutra . September 22, 2015. Accessed September 25, 2015.
  13. ↑ Sam Machkovech: Xbox Game Preview brings early access to Xbox One, adds free demo options . Ars Technica . June 15, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  14. ^ Christian Nutt: Early Access coming to Android via Google Play . In: Gamasutra . May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2016.