Early access has helped many games succeed and gain more publicity ahead of their official launch, but the strategy has factored into the failure of countless games as well. This approach of soft-launching games continues to be popular in the games industry for highly anticipated releases like the upcoming Dune: Spice Wars, so it will be important for both developers and consumers to understand its pitfalls moving forward. While early access supporters can hope for successes like Valheim, they should be aware of the fact that the practice can just as easily ruin a game.
The convention of launching a game in early access, sometimes called beta access, is often used as a method of gaining funding for a game prior to its official release. Early access involves a developer or publisher releasing a game, typically on PC storefronts like Steam, and charging players a smaller amount than a full game, with the caveat that the affordably priced version of the game is not the finished version. Somewhat less common is a pre-date release of a full game for certain players, which has proven to be less than ideal in situations like Sifu's broken early access period on PlayStation.
Beyond an early access period simply not working for players, this approach to game development can take the wind out of a game's sails pre-launch and tarnish its public image. Even when a game is successful during an early access window, that popularity doesn't always translate well to a title's official release. Many times, the choice to launch a game in early access can even spoil the chances of a once-promising title.
Why Early Access Is Bad for Games
Although the majority of gamers who put their money down for an early access title have a good understanding of the game's condition and are willing to overlook certain technical issues and content shortages, the nature of early access can make for underwhelming gaming experiences. Games like Baldur's Gate 3 can spend years in early access, meaning that players who were excited about the game at first are more likely to grow bored of it by the time it is officially released. This is because developers are put in the difficult position of offering just enough content to make an early access game inviting, but still leave enough room to grow and maintain interest over a long period of time - something that very few games are able to pull off.
The result of this early access approach is one that has been successful for many developers, but the strategy can also wind up backfiring as gamers can get bored of a game before it releases. In the worst cases, an early access game will lose all its luster and novelty and wind up flopping once the developers feel that it is complete. Games like GTFO can see a big player spike after leaving early access, but if studios needlessly lean on this system in the hopes of securing superfluous funds or making a viral hit, it could result in failed releases.