Steam Early Access

[Blink]

Steam is now offering a way to get your hands on games as they hit Alpha/Beta stages and contribute towards the final product.

Steam Early Access titles allow the community to get involved early and play select titles during their development. The goal of Early Access is to provide gamers with the chance to "go behind the scenes" and experience the development cycle firsthand and, more importantly, have a chance to interact with the developers by providing them feedback while the title is still being created.

The list of Early Access games can be found on the Steam site, along with a handy FAQ.

[Epifire]

Sounds like a cheap and easier way to get playtesters, but that can't be to bad. I think I kinda like the idea.

[Sathor]

I like the idea. At least you KNOW you don't play a finished game. I have bought too many full priced beta versions over the last two years.

[ErikKiller]

I like and support the idea.
The college student within me however questions what happens to the sweet monies when the project is cancelled?

[Epifire]

Maybe you just get to keep the unfinished copy and get to cry yourself to sleep at night. Beyond that I can't think of how they would tackle that.

[ErikKiller]

Maybe you just get to keep the unfinished copy and get to cry yourself to sleep at night. Beyond that I can't think of how they would tackle that.

Welp, at least you're paying a reasonable amount for a broken/unfinished game *cough* take note EA *cough*

[Dr Evil]

I support the idea. maybe its their way to get beta testers, but I see it this way, at least your not paying full price for something that may never be finished. And if it is, and it turns out to be a great game, then you could have the pride knowing that you contributed to something...

thats the way i see it anyway. And like Epifire said, if the came gets cancelled, you can cry yourself to sleep at night and dream of what might have been hehe