Do you buy Early Access games?

[Aterdux Entertainment]

After much discussion here on Codex and elsewhere it kind of became obvious to me that many hardcore RPG fans really don't want to spoil the experience and play the unfinished game. Still, I have a bit of doubts and it would be best to see some more results. I hope I didn't miss many response options in the poll itself.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Usually get EA if I can afford it, play for a few updates and then wait for the final release.

 

[Scroo]

It depends. I buy early access games sometimes when the game seems likely to be actually finished. But I don't touch them until full release. I'm skeptical most of the time tho, don't want to waste money on a game that will never see the light of day / turn out as a mess without any promised features.

 

[Aterdux Entertainment]

Early results of the early access poll are early to judge, but still is fun.

 

[Astral Rag]

I only buy Early Access games:

-if I trust the developer
-the game is nearly complete
-the game is on sale

I rarely buy Early Access games and I never play them for more than a few minutes before they go gold.

 

[mindx2]

I've bought EA games but I don't play them. I buy them if 1) I've heard good things about it usually from my Codex bros or 2) I like the concept/ idea of the game and want to support the developer.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I've bought EA games but I don't play them. I buy them if 1) I've heard good things about it usually from my Codex bros or 2) I like the concept/ idea of the game and want to support the developer. 3) Also, boxed copy plis.

 

[Shannow]

Missing answers:

I don't use STEAM.
In my time, beta testers were paid.
Depends on the situation, but usually I don't buy unfinished games. (Your "never" is very strong )

Coincidentally, those are also the answers I would have voted for...

 

[mindx2]

I've bought EA games but I don't play them. I buy them if 1) I've heard good things about it usually from my Codex bros or 2) I like the concept/ idea of the game and want to support the developer. 3) Also, boxed copy plis.

Guilty as charged

 

[Spectacle]

Only if it's a game with "emergent" gameplay that's fun to play many times. For those games it's interesting to see how the game evolves, and the changes between updates makes things more varied. I'll never buy a plot heavy RPG on early access, and so far I haven't touched any of the beta's I've gotten from kicstarters I've backed.

 

[Aterdux Entertainment]

I don't use Steam = what is Early Access, almost

 

[Hobo Elf]

First I find out what state the game is in. I think the least feature complete EA game I bought was Grim Dawn, but I managed to get more than 60 hours of gameplay just from the first act alone. Now I'm waiting for the full release in 2020.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I tend to ignore Early Access games. There are various reasons as to why, but one of the big ones is that I don't like being an unpaid beta tester for something that may not get released.

The only Early Access game I've bought is Broforce, mainly because the playable Brototype was an excellent game in and of itself.

 

[Morkar Left]

Waiting until release except the game has open gameplay and is already providing enough gameplay to have fun with it. Best example: Mount & Blade. The combat system and leveling was already fun enough to stand on its own, especially with the mods already made by the time.

 

[chestburster]

I despise the idea of "paying the developer for doing the beta testing (or worse, alpha) for them."

Even the most greedy Asian F2P MMOs would give out closed-beta keys for FREE. Why would I want to be a dumbass and give my money to someone so that I be his lab rat?

No way I'm paying for any Early Access.

--I do sometimes feel generous but I'd rather support my favorite developers by buying their FEATURE-COMPLETE products even though they're still buggy.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Even when throw dosh of low value it must be something solid, and cheap. Paying more than few euro for some unsure title is dangerous.
There is very few solid games that are worth any risk. One of them is Underrail.
Not to mention most of stuff in EA is just same shit. Indie...no inspiration... banal. boring,

EDIT wtf my early post vanished.

 

[Kalin]

Don't use Steam, but I did buy Age of Decadence through BMT Micro. Well worth it, too. The demo versions have been more enjoyable than many full games, and they only keep getting better.

As for Kickstarter and the like, I never backed any of the big ones like Wasteland 2, Torment: Numunumunuminera, Project Eternity or even Elite: Dangerous. I just don't feel confident enough that they will actually be worth the jewgoldz in the end.

(Might buy Grimwah though, if Cleve ever launches a third campaign. Also possibly Underrail, which I have yet to try.)

 

[dnf]

I have pirated some EA games like Dead Space, Mirror's Edge and Mass Effect

 

[Lemming42]

The only Early Access games I've ever bought have been Age Of Decadence, Underrail, Wasteland 2 and State Of Decay, and I only got State Of Decay because I didn't realize it was early access (didn't matter, was basically a complete version).

After buying each of them I scolded myself for paying for unfinished games, spent a long time wondering why I did it, and then bought another anyway. Had fun with them anyway and I'll go back to them all when they're finally finished.

 

[Mebber]

"Whats early Access?" Well, that was my answer.

Guess its Beta-Testing stuff. No, i don't do that (i didn't even knew they demand money for playtesting unfinished games today...). Since there is only one first playthrough for games, i like the first playthrough of a game to be, well, as good as it can get. Which means i want to play a completed, playtested and bug-free game.

Which is why i usually play games only after release some years after their release.

 

[Gozma]

The only one that's gotten me was Blue Bottle Games' Neo-scavenger because he put out a free shareware version that I played a ton of. Then I bought it and it had like 20 more minutes of content. I deserve this for paying for a game in development is the phrase I branded onto my flesh for consumer absolution

I guess I also bought the OG early access game, Mount and Blade, and then watched them add a bunch of content like sieges that actively made the game more boring, but I did play it for like 60000 hours before I got sick of it so solid purchase

 

[Shadowfang]

If i have faith on the devs, i buy them and test them.
I was even having fun today, with the Cursed Castle campaign.

For some games, early access, can damage the perception of quality of the finished product. For others that are released more polished, with their structure all in place and whose updates focus more on content, like Underrail and Age of Decadence, get the most of the early access.

 

[sser]

With so many titles coming out it has become a serious case-by-case deal for me.

If the game already looks fairly feature-complete and ready to roll, why not? After that it's more of a question of how much content I want to spoil than anything (e.g., playing pre-release Xenonauts a ton, but saving Underrail for release).

I pass on games like Wasteland 2 or Towns which look like they're just entering alpha with a sort of lame veneer of support. I trust my own bullshit radar and it very rarely lets me down.

The only time I've felt a little burned by going in for an Early Access title was with Contagion. I thought it was an updated Zombie Panic Source but it was nowhere close.

I've had way more fun with a couple Early Access titles than legit, fully released games. The gaming market has really changed a lot lately for that to be the case.

 

[tuluse]

I buy early access. I generally wait until it's released to play it.

I do it to support the developers.

 

[G.O.D]

Early access is definitely a no for me, because of "spoilers" and WIP.