The Early Access Game (EAG) Program is being abused; enforceable Guidelines are needed to curb this practice. We aim to serve as a curator and hub to discuss EAG practices and ways in which to improve the program for honest consumers and developers.

Do not forget to "Follow us as a Curator" in order to benefit from our curation blurbs on the Steam store:

http://steamproxy.net/groups/EarlyAccessGuidelines#curation

We suggest and propose "Guidelines" to regulate the following aspects of Early Access:

1. Timeline: Provide a general idea of the length of time in which the game will remain on Early Access, the minimum update frequency and expected date for Full Release.

2. Define Abandoned Projects: Define limits to establish which titles may be removed, recategorized or flagged from the Early Access Game platform in order to foster and market products that actually remain in development. Exemptions in length of Early Access period can be provided for particular genres or games that have fulfilled the guidelines for a determined period of time.

3. Build Rollback and Changelog: Each official version of the game released is available to the customer, to make use of it as he/she wishes. The version that you enjoyed and based your purchase on will always be available. Additionally, a "Build Changelog" will be available on the Steam store page, in order to provide transparency in update frequency and content.

4. Monetization: No additional paid content to be offered during the Early Access period, unless the game is Free To Play. If additional paid content not included in the base game price will be offered at some point, plans are to be disclosed at Early Access launch.

5. Developer commitment is to be incentivized by not allowing additional products to be launched in the Steam Store by the same developer until the Early Access project has been completed.

6. Refunds: Players will have the option for "No questions asked" refunds if the project does not fulfill the Early Access Guidelines.

Suggested Guidelines for Early Access platform

Steam Early Access

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POPULAR DISCUSSIONS

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STEAM CURATOR

Early Access Guidelines reviews

"We curate titles that may misuse and/or abuse the Early Access platform. Additional circumstances which may place a project at higher risk for failure/abandonment will be considered. Caveat emptor, caveat lector."

Here are a few recent reviews by Early Access Guidelines

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273 Comments

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Pappagiorgio 24 Oct, 2019 @ 4:14pm

Abandoned Early Access title being sold like complete software

https://steamproxy.net/app/588210/eventcomments/2733047810449451550?ctp=11

Valve/Steam should be investigated by authorities, they continue to allow this shams because they profit from it. PARTNERS IN CRIME!

BORG 8 Mar, 2019 @ 2:53pm

Early Access needs to go away - forever. Valve has no intention of making this platform substantially better. I'm ready to leave Steam and Valve at any time if needed. Early Access is just a cash grab from both sides of the fence for Valve and bad businesses. Developers lose, customers lose and consumer standards hardly mean anything to Valve anymore. Even their board moderators are bias favouring of their own feelings in discussions over logic and common sense, disregarding the customer care and customer quality standards. Early Access needs to disappear forever. It's not helping developers, is profit gouging developers and cash grabbing from consumers with sub-par content.