After Earth: Year 2066 was pulled from Steam Early Access last month, we were all basically aware that things had to change. And they have.
Earth: Year 2066 was released into the Early Access program at $20 but also in a basically unplayably broken state. Steam pulled the title and offered refunds in May. This month, however, it's gone very much caveat emptor ("buyer beware") in its new Ts&Cs.
MCV notes that the updated terms now state:
"It is up to developer to determine when they are ready to 'release'. Some developers have a concrete deadline in mind, while others will get a better sense as the development of the game progresses.
“You should be aware that some teams will be unable to 'finish' their game. So you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state.
“Early Access is a full purchase of a playable game. By purchasing, you gain immediate access to download and play the game in its current form as it evolves. You keep access to the game, even if it later moves from Early Access into fully released.”
Valve's marketing director Doug Lombardi remarked to VentureBeat that, “The changes to the FAQ are intended to help set customer expectations of what may or may not happen over the course of development of an Early Access game.
“We frequently iterate on Steam features as we gather feedback and find areas for improvement.
“In this case, it became apparent that further clarification would help customers evaluate their potential purchase of Early Access titles. We think of Steam, Early Access, and game development as services that grow and evolve best with the involvement of customers and the community.”
Let's remind ourselves of Earth Year 2066...
Earth: Year 2066 was released into the Early Access program at $20 but also in a basically unplayably broken state. Steam pulled the title and offered refunds in May. This month, however, it's gone very much caveat emptor ("buyer beware") in its new Ts&Cs.
MCV notes that the updated terms now state:
"It is up to developer to determine when they are ready to 'release'. Some developers have a concrete deadline in mind, while others will get a better sense as the development of the game progresses.
“You should be aware that some teams will be unable to 'finish' their game. So you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state.
“Early Access is a full purchase of a playable game. By purchasing, you gain immediate access to download and play the game in its current form as it evolves. You keep access to the game, even if it later moves from Early Access into fully released.”
Valve's marketing director Doug Lombardi remarked to VentureBeat that, “The changes to the FAQ are intended to help set customer expectations of what may or may not happen over the course of development of an Early Access game.
“We frequently iterate on Steam features as we gather feedback and find areas for improvement.
“In this case, it became apparent that further clarification would help customers evaluate their potential purchase of Early Access titles. We think of Steam, Early Access, and game development as services that grow and evolve best with the involvement of customers and the community.”
Let's remind ourselves of Earth Year 2066...
Companies:
Valve
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