Traditionally, game publishers do not release unfinished versions of their products to the public, instead relying on in-house testing non-disclosure agreements. Many crowdfunding projects promise to offer access to alpha and/or beta versions of the game as development progresses however, unlike some of these projects which solicit funds but do not yet have a playable game, all early access games offer an immediately playable version of the unfinished game to players. The early-access approach is a common way to obtain funding for indie games, and may also be used along with other funding mechanisms, including crowdfunding.
Those that pay to participate typically help to debug the game, provide feedback and suggestions, and may have access to special materials in the game. For the clinical drug testing term, see expanded access.Įarly access, also known as early funding, alpha access, alpha founding, or paid alpha, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alpha, alpha, and/or beta, while the developer is able to use those funds to continue further development on the game. This article is about the video game industry term.
