The Mystery of "Early Access" and Why It Has Become the Norm

Let’s talk about something that’s slowly becoming a trend in gaming: early access. To me, before it meant playing something before everyone else, sure, it was still being fixed up, but you got to play something more solid in the past. Now it’s like you are given clay, and it is up to you how to play with it as the developers gradually finalize the project. 

It used to be a way for indie developers to fund their projects, but now it is the go-to strategy for both small and, surprisingly, even some big studios. But has it become the new norm for the wrong reasons? 

From Screen Rant Official Website

Recently, Steam rolled out this new function that tells you how long it’s been since a developer last updated a game. If it has that “early access” label, it will come with little text that serves as a warning. Honestly, it’s a solid feature. It saves gamers from sinking money into a game that might be abandoned. Scary. 

This fear and the rising titles that come with the label early access have made me wonder—where did all the complete games go? Nowadays, it feels like every other game comes with the disclaimer: “We’re still working on it.” Don’t get me wrong; I get why early access is appealing to developers—it funds development and allows for community feedback. And I am not saying it applies to all games. But it can feel like a gamble for the casual gamer who just wants to buy a game, download it, and dive right in.

From PUBG Battlegrounds Official GIPHY

It works for the developers. Early access is done because it builds a community around a game during its development phase. Supporters love being part of the process, offering feedback, and just watching the game grow. But what about the average gamer? Not everyone wants to deal with buggy builds, missing features, or waiting months for promised updates. Sometimes, you just want a polished game that works right out of the box.

So why has it become the norm? If you do a quick YouTube search, tons of videos point out one thing: money. Money is needed to pay artists, developers, and UI/UX professionals. However, too much money can also be distributed improperly. Early access helps fund game development, especially for indie devs who don’t have deep pockets like major establishments. That’s fair, but there’s a fine line between involving the community and releasing a half-baked product under the promise of “future updates.” 

From Spongebob Squarepants Official GIPHY

This has become especially common with bigger titles. We have big companies developing big titles with huge budgets, that cost big chunks of change, just for gamers to have incomplete games. It gets frustrating. 

Early access is a mixed bag. It’s helped amazing games like Hades and Baldur’s Gate 3 become what they are today, but it’s also left players burned by unfinished titles that never reach their potential. I don’t want to name specific titles out there, but I am sure whoever is reading this will have some examples in mind. 

From What We Do in the Shadows Official GIPHY

Well, at least smart products typically come as complete as possible. They usually just need a few updates or two to make things better. That is something you can count on. If you want to check out the latest and greatest smart living has to offer, feel free to check out our Next Upgrade Shop.