NKD wrote on Jun 5, 2014, 03:46:
If the developer and Steam make it clear that there is no promise the title will ever reach a certain state of features and content, and you still pay your money for the game in its current state, then that's that. If the game doesn't turn out how you want, you don't get to cry six months later and say it's not complete enough and demand your money back. You DO get to go fuck yourself however.
Early Access is buying a game in its current state with the hope that it'll be more. The hope, not the guarantee. If you can't handle this arrangement, don't buy Early Access titles and you don't have to worry about it. It's pretty fucking simple.
Certainly more simple than trying to come up with some convoluted and ridiculous system for defining what is or isn't a "finished" game.
Cutter wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 23:49:
Because simply adding a disclaimer doesn't release you from responsibility. And the customer didn't pay you for the first few chapters they paid you for the entire product - which you failed to deliver and therefore owe them their money back. And the company that owns the mall should have done some due diligence to see if the tenet was reliable in the first place.
Obviously the simple solution is just don't do early access, but there is also the very real and legal concept of "good faith". In that consumers are entitled to a "reasonable expectation" that in paying someone for a product or service, it's going to be delivered on time and on budget.
Luke wrote on Jun 5, 2014, 04:00:
Does that include Star Citizen
NKD wrote on Jun 5, 2014, 03:46:
If the developer and Steam make it clear that there is no promise the title will ever reach a certain state of features and content, and you still pay your money for the game in its current state, then that's that. If the game doesn't turn out how you want, you don't get to cry six months later and say it's not complete enough and demand your money back. You DO get to go fuck yourself however.
Early Access is buying a game in its current state with the hope that it'll be more. The hope, not the guarantee. If you can't handle this arrangement, don't buy Early Access titles and you don't have to worry about it. It's pretty fucking simple.
Certainly more simple than trying to come up with some convoluted and ridiculous system for defining what is or isn't a "finished" game.
panbient wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 23:00:Cutter wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 21:13:
So Valve makes money regardless if they finish or not. That's not right. They should have to bear some responsibility for this.
Why?
If someone runs a mall and I want to open a store and I start telling people I'm going to offer a wicked awesome new book... eventually. But right now I can totally hook them up with the first few chapters and yes, part of that money goes back to the Mall (for rent etc.)
Customer agrees to pay me for the first few chapters.
Customer then gets upset that the first few chapters isn't an actual full book. Or, I 'finish' the book but the story doesn't play out the way the customer anticipated and is again upset.
Why is the mall on the hook?
The service is called 'Early Access' for crying out loud. How much more idiot proofing does Steam need to do? It's like a warning about 'hot contents' on a coffee.
[VG]Reagle wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 22:54:
So let me see with people paying Huge amounts of money to try unfinnished games ... It seems that there are quite a few games that are scams....multimillion dollar scams. These games take in millions and then the developers take the money and run. Valve gets their cut so they quietly add this disclaimer so they can point at it while they take their millions of dollars in cash to the bank and laugh about how the latest Indie games crashed and burned and the developers are spending all the money on hookers and blow......while the gamers as per usual lean over and take it up the rear.
Cutter wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 21:13:
So Valve makes money regardless if they finish or not. That's not right. They should have to bear some responsibility for this.
Cutter wrote on Jun 4, 2014, 21:13:
So Valve makes money regardless if they finish or not. That's not right. They should have to bear some responsibility for this.