IGN News - Valve Announces Steam Early Access

Valve has announced Early Access for Steam. Early Access allows the Steam community "to get involved early and play select titles during their development."

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IGN News: Valve Announces Steam Early Access

[Spidd]

no its like pre-purchase buy the game get alpha/beta access + full game once released.

[JeremyMoar]

This idea is solid and has worked well. Not only to gamers get to play the game early, they are helping the developers make it a better game and as a return they get a discounted cost.

[RanmaSaotome_]

most games that go alpha or beta are open sandbox and muliplayer focused games. i have yet to see a single player adventure game in alpha that you can do a full playthrough with. the way i see it its like a pre-order, only instead of getting a new weapon or a different costume you get to play the game earlier then everyone. also it helps the developers get the game done faster

[TheJpape]

Maybe because they're early in development... Also, they have released Kerbel Space Program, which is a great game.

[Chaos_Disciple]

its the same thing as pre-ordering a game and getting access to the beta. except your getting even earlier access, to early builds of the game that are no where near complete.

[reytheboy]

They came up with new ideas almost every month. damn, Valve, this is what I call innovative.

[scarekrow]

You get the full game aswell. Just when its released.

[TheAronDark]

Open Beta is FREE to Test... If you get a Invite to it. Yes you get a Beta Key in some new games, when you buy them, so you can get other new games... BUT IT IS STILL NOT THE SAME THING. Because you DON*T pay for the Beta Invite :)

[BartvG]

Like he said, it's more like minecraft, where you get access to the game at a much earlier stage than what you would call "open beta" so yeah.

[SuperMemzzz]

I have a reason to believe they will be ditching Greenlight in a few months and bring 'your own Steam shop' thing.

[triforce]

You get the game once its done so...
I'd pay just to know that I'd have an active influence on the final product...

[Rykurai]

Open Beta is when the beta is free, you have to pay to get into the early access.

[vugolol]

Nothing new, they've already been doing that to their own titles like Global Offensive (when it was still in closed beta) and Dota 2 (which is technically in a closed beta, but can be considered open beta since you can buy your way in.).

[AdamSFM]

DRUNKEN ROBOT PORNOGRAPHY. Instant game of the year, just for that name.

[joel]

The most of the games are "alpha" and not beta. And btw you get the full release when the game is out so its pretty much buying a game a few months or years before release :)

[skyarexstudios]

It is up to developers weather they would like to charge for the game. Also, when did making a beta of a game free when you are going to charge on release make any sense?

[Pikmin]

Where I come from, they call that "Open Beta".

[TheRabbitFear]

so with arma iii do we have to buy the game again when its launched or do we just pay for the alpha then get the full game for free when its released?

[sothisishowitreallyends]

It's pretty much pre-ordering the game and play it while it's being made! It's a double win :D

[KaiNogard]

dear Valve's Steam, I am so fucking proud of you.