14 DAY TRIAL // GOG, the digital distribution service initially dedicated to classic titles, might soon get an initiative that mirrors that core ideas of Early Access from Steam, allowing game creators to launch alpha or beta versions of their titles for a limited number of gamers.
Marcin Iwinski, one of the co-founders, tells Eurogamer that, “We would definitely consider it, but again it would be the GOG way. It would have to be curated and, we believe – we are always saying this very openly – we are responsible in front of the gamer for what they’re buying on GOG.”
Since Early Access was introduced to Steam, a number of game developers have complained that too many titles are being launched and that it has become impossible for potential customers to differentiate between them and separate the quality ones from those that are not worth paying for.
Iwinski says that his company would need to find a way of making sure that the game delivered to a player via something like Early Access would come with a layer of protection.
He explains, “If you’re unhappy and they’re constantly updating it, that’s fine, but if you’re unhappy and they just took your money and ran away like typical hit and run… There is somebody who has to be on the hook for it, and I really think this should be the case.”
The leadership of Valve, including Gabe Newell, has said that it wants to increase the number of titles it is launching during one year and that it is envisioning a future where each player is able to set up his own store front and sell the titles that he loves to his friends.
The company is also working on its own SteamOS and on associated hardware from a number of partners, including a new controller that includes haptic feedback, in an effort to create meaningful living room competition for the Xbox One from Microsoft and the PlayStation 4 from Sony.
GOG is more focused on the core elements of digital distribution and if Steam becomes too bloated for some users, they might migrate to competing services that are more streamlined and take more care when they are selecting the games that they launch.
The PC gaming market continues to grow at the moment and it is offering more varied content than on next-gen devices, which means that there are more opportunities for low-quality experiences to slip through the system.