After a first closed alpha last week, Boss Key Productions has announced that more scaling tests will take place over the course of Summer eventually leading up to the Early Access on Steam. It will feature Overcharge mode and Grandview map, Turf War mode and the Promenade map with more content to be added for subsequent tests. You can still sign up here for a chance to to paticipate.
All comments (10)
If you evaluate all of these things on a case-by-case basis, it doesn't seem so bad. On the other hand, there are examples of consumers getting burned in both of these scenarios. Maybe Valve could moderate early access with a heavier hand, but I think there are potential benefits for the consumer as well. What about season passes for episodic games or unfinished DLC? Is that okay? Consumers buy this stuff.. who am I to tell them that it's not okay?
Where do you draw the line? I'm not inherently against crowdfunding. What's most important to me is that the risks are communicated to the consumer. Kickstarter should not be seen as an investment.
Kickstaretd is "hey guys we might make this give us money". There is a HUGE variety of Kickstarter campaigns. Some launch with just a promise and some concept art, some launch with demos and need money to put finishing touches.
Either way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with both models and nothing is unfair about either. Spend your money wisely, that's always up to you. No-one puts a gun on anyone's head for support of some Early Access or Kickstarter project, the risks are pretty clearly and fairly laid out for all.