2. CONTENTS OF THIS PRESENTATION
• Preorders
• Positives
• Negatives
• Early Access Games (EAG)
• Are they good for the industry?
• Embargoes
• Positives
• Negatives
• The Law surrounding EAG and Preorders
• Misleading Actions
• Examples
• Banned Practices
4. WHAT ARE PRE-ORDERS?
• Pre-Orders are defined as: Buying a game before release to guarantee a copy of the
product on release day.
5. Some of the good for customers:
• They know for sure when the game is coming out,
• They know that they have a copy of that game on release day,
• And they can have the game delivered to their door on release
day.
This system is good for publishers as…
• It allows them to make profit before a title is released,
• Shows interest in the game,
• Publishers can estimate how many people will buy the game so
they know how many copies they should produce
THE GOOD SIDE OF PRE-ORDERS
6. Some of the bad things included with pre-orders include…
• Locking off content from users unless they pre-ordered
the game,
• The final game not being up to the standard it was
advertised to be at (Alien Colonial Marines) (Misleading
Adverting),
THE BAD SIDE OF PRE-ORDERS
7. WHAT IS EARLY
ACCESS?
• Early Access is an initiative for games
developers popularised by the
distribution platform Steam.
• Players put money into a game, that is
no yet complete, and is still under
development.
• The people who have supported the
game are called “Backers”.
• The Backers get the complete version of
the game, for free when it comes out,
and the games are generally cheaper
than they are after release!
13. FINANCIAL ADVANTAGES!
• Small studios have a chance!
• New development can get the
continual funding it needs!
• Developers can also avoid the expense
that comes with professional and paid
testers!
• No Producers!!!
• Early access games can be cheaper than
their release version.
• Less costs for production = Cheaper
game for players.
For the Developer For the Player
14. RESEARCH DURING DEVELOPMENT
• Games in early access have constant R&D through development.
• The people who want to play the game, give the feedback!
• The game gets features that work for its player base!
• Overall leads to a better game! Better than many AAA titles because they miss what
their player base wants!
15. MORE GAMES = BETTER FOR GAMERS
• Many games, including the previous examples would not exist without early access.
• Despite a few failures, many succeed!
Do you mind having to look through the few failures, to have all the more games
available to you?
17. GAMER’S VIEW
- Ideally players become testers for the unfinished game
they bought
- Possible lack of excitement that exists when playing
polished game for the first time
- An individual is supposed to buy a game based on
videos and/or screenshots (possibility for scams?)
• services like Steam should do proper validation of the games
available through early access scheme
• refund for unsatisfied costumers?
- Early access games are not always sold at reduced prices
- 75% of early access games are not released
18. DEVELOPER’S VIEW
- Game is not tested by professional testers (game tester’s
jobs at stake)
- Missing deadlines due to frequent requests from players,
not originally planned
- Potential loss of future players because of unhappy early
access gamers
- Coping with frequent new requirements (indie vs. AAA)
- Financially
- Mentally
19. EARLY ACCESS GAMES
POSSIBLE BAD POINTS
These downsides might seem less significant, but should they be considered? Especially from
developer’s and manager’s side.
Is it ethical:
- to sell unfinished product?
- to take money from a person so that person is ‘privileged’ in testing a game?
21. • The game was due for release on Tuesday and the embargos was to be
broken at noon on that day.
• The game was in a poor state on release causing the mixture of crashes and
bugs deemed it almost unplayable for many that purchased the game.
• The subsequent reviews showed the issues with the game.
• Conversely, if Ubisoft expected heaps of praise, it might have set the
embargo early so as to shout the game’s praises from the rooftop ahead of
its launch.
ASSASSINS CREED UNITY
22. NEGATIVE REASONS
• One particularly common issue is media outlets are offered
incentives in exchange for positive reviews.
• A number of people look to reviews to help them determine
whether they should invest.
• Restricting the release of reviews through embargos, stops titles
losing sales.
23. POSITIVE REASONS
• Some games such as Arkham City people were thankful
for the later embargo as it stopped the games ending
being leaked and left it more a surprise for most
• Also the consumers can obtain the better reviews from
critics about the true state of the title.
• Some games are much larger in size meaning for a full
review the extra time would be needed if the writer
was to experience everything the game has to offer.
25. MISLEADING ACTIONS(LEGAL)
• The 2008 Regulations make misleading actions unlawful. An action by a trader is
misleading if it contains false information or is likely to mislead the average
consumer in its overall presentation.
• Misleading information about the main characteristics of the product or deliberately
misleading information about the contents of a product.
• Examples of this type of practice include:
• Misleading broadband speed advertisements.
26. MISLEADING OMISSIONS
• Misleading omissions are a criminal offence. There is no remedy for consumers who
have been duped by traders that omit information about a product.
• Omissions are more uncertain in the scope of actions.
• (E.g Publishing companies such as EA have deliberately omitted crucial information
about a game.)
• This is a legal “grey area” and therefore traders engaging in this type of action suffer
no repercussions.
27. EXAMPLES OF MISLEADING ACTIONS
• Publishing companies such as EA have deliberately omitted crucial information
about a game (E.g Micro transactions) until after item goes on sale or pre-orders are
confirmed in a sufficient amount to guarantee profit.
28. BANNED PRACTICES
• Misleading product descriptions
• Descriptions that are designed to mislead the average consumer.
• False claims about a product
• Deliberately claiming features of product that are non-existent (E.g Game modes)
• Hidden charges for goods and services.
• Misleading information that deliberately masks hidden charges for goods or a service.
29. SUMMARY
• Preorders and embargoes are to the detriment to the gamers. Conversely this helps
publishers control the flow of information.
• Early access can only be good for both gamers and developers who know how to
use it properly.
• Players need to understand the risks involved with EAG.
• The law surroundings these issues is shady at best, this is a legal grey area.
