Game News Story

Selling a game before it's 'done':

Tips and insight for paid alphas

Summary:

For better or worse, and for a variety of reasons, there has been a steady increase in the number of developers releasing their games as paid alphas, particularly in Steam's Early Access store. For players, it can be frustrating paying for games that aren't entirely stable yet, and still require ongoing updates and patches. For developers, paid alphas present a chance to continue development with renewed funds and feedback from alpha players.

Generally speaking, many developers involved with paid alphas find players are supportive and excited to see the game's development continue, though with increased feedback and bug reports from these alpha players, developers have a stressful job of making improvements while also keeping the game somewhat playable. Ultimately, it can be a rewarding experience if the development team is constantly working with the player community to resolve game issues and make improvements based on players' feedback.

Stakeholders:

Game Developers - Obviously, the folks most affected by this recent trend are the people creating the games. Because there are often large amounts of money, innumerable man hours, and lifelong careers on the line, the reassurance of possible income from a games own fan base could make all the difference in even getting a game into the marketplace.

Players - The 'chickens' in this relationship would certainly be the players who pay for the alpha version. Their financial commitment, along with the commitment to provide feedback and statistics to developers, could all be for nothing if the game dies while still in the pipeline. Though not nearly as significant as a loss for the 'pigs' involved, it is something for early game backers to consider.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/224310/selling_a_game_before_its_done_.php