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Sometimes I forget they even allow this. Finish the fucking thing before adding extra shit. How can an unfinished thing even have extra shit?
(lemmynsfw.com)
It's like buying a tiara for your fetus, before you even buy a crib.
ALSO, MICROTRANSACTIONS = DLC.
I mean, do that, and they'll just stop labeling the games as early access while still being in the same unfinished state, meaning people can't even decide if they want to avoid a game or not based on that label.
So they'll have to avoid games based on what people say about them, and nobody will be able to hide behind the excuse of "but it's still in Early Access, maaaan."
Steam's refund system is really good. I say get rid of Early Access and let every game stand on an absolutely equal footing, with no excuses anywhere in sight, for anybody. No privileged "oooh, but you don't get to judge this game yet" roped-off section for people to play shell-games with.
Start selling your game any time you want, in any state you want. But beware the wrath of the consumer. That's fair.
EDIT: I realize this could seemingly contradict another comment I just made, where I defended the Early Access program, as a vital means of securing funds for independent developers. To be clear, I think that the function of Early Access should essentially remain, but not be labeled, in any default way.
I think all the games should be on the store, all the time, any time. And it should be up to each developer to make their case, on their own, as to why the customer should be willing to spend money on their product.
Then companies could just say that it's not finished, add micro transactions and have the same thing as before except without the little early access box.
That's why I do have some complex feelings about how Early Access should be. I think it's highly necessary for it to exist, in order to fund truly independent developers, so games that fall outside the mainstream marketable sludge can be created. On the other hand, yeah, there are real pitfalls and attractive nuisance situations, associated with it.
As I said in another comment, I think one option would be to just completely remove all labels and categories from the store. If a game is Early Access, let the game's own developers say so, in the description. Make the case directly, that this is a game that is still in development. No special, "official" box that says "you should judge this game more favorably, because it's not finished." Make the developer tell everyone that situation themselves, in their own words.
Then, if people play the game and realize it's shitty, they can use the refund system. And if they play for longer than the refund system will allow, then they can tell everyone that the game sucks, and it should be avoided.
That way, the access to early funding remains, but nobody is propped up by an artificial notion of Early Access-ness.