GOG Might Implement Early Access Program

Good Old Games, known for their vast library of classic titles and their strict adherence to DRM free gaming, might be taking a cue from Steam and introducing an early access program...

"We're obviously looking at it," CD Projekt (which owns GoG) co-founder Marcin Iwinski said. "As you know our concept is different; first of all it's DRM-free, and second, it's curated. I'm often lost in a lot of stores - apps being my example today. Or even Steam. I don't know what's happening; there's hundreds of releases a month, and I really believe - and our community's clearly showing that - there is a place for a platform which is choosing the stuff."

I love the guys at CD Projekt so youd better get used to me talking about them.

Anyway, this hypothetical early access program would work very similarly to Steam's in many respects: developers would put unfinished, in-progress (but still playable) games onto the GoG website, and players could purchase and play them while theyre being worked on, for the dual benefit of being beta testers and giving presumably independent developers some much-needed capital to continue work on their project.

But as Mr. Iwinski pointed out, its not a perfect system: recently, Steam did something unusual by refunding all purchases of Earth: Year 2066 after countless complaints that it was barely even a functional game, and a following cover-up as the developer silenced all the critics on Steam. Early Access is sometimes a tool used by lazy developers to push nearly unplayable games onto the market for a quick buck from unsuspecting gamers, and filtering out the unfinished from the undeserving would certainly be a welcome service.


 

"If you're unhappy and [the developer is] constantly updating it, that's fine," Iwinski continued, "but if you're unhappy and they just took your money and ran away like typical hit and run... There is somebody who has to be on the hook for it, and I really think this should be the case. Definitely not every game should be permitted, and consumers should have an option to opt out if they're really unhappy."

A fairly topical consideration, to be certain. I, for one, have a lot of love for the guys at Good Old Games, particularly as an alternative to Steam. Steam is certainly more robust in terms of sheer numbers, but their oftentimes unchecked library is host to bad games. Citadels jumps to mindthat game just came out of nowhere on the front page of the Steam Market last year and it was every bit as awful as you could image a game with no press coverage could be.

Still, if they decide to do it or not is still up in the air.