What to Expect When Paying to Play Games in Alpha- Nerd Age

It seems like a lot of people get into the alpha or beta of a game and have no idea what to expect. They seem to think that it is like a pre-order of a game or that it means that they now have control over the game. The thing is though, it isn’t either of those. It is simply paying to get access before the game is completed and helping to make the game a reality. If you do not sincerely want to help the game grow and develop then wait until it fully comes to the market please.

First, the person creating the game doesn’t owe you. They don’t owe you frequent updates or updates in the order you want. If things do not progress as you see fit, you are not really entitled to a refund. Are you going to somehow give them back the download on your computer? Are they getting back the hours you played the game? What exactly are you getting a refund for? It isn’t something you can return. When you get a game in alpha you take your chances that you will not like the way things go.

Second, some people think of it as a pre-order and it isn’t that either. Pre-ordering with a big business is usually putting down a little money and paying more later. In order to get the full game from an alpha they don’t generally make you pay any more that you originally did. So you are getting a discount for a game that you were interested in. What more could you ask than that?

Third, people seem to expect even more from indie developers than the big companies. If you had bought a game on steam or a store and played it a while you couldn’t just say you didn’t like it and get all your money back. A lot of big companies don’t take all the input that the fans have and make it happen, so why should the indie developers? They have a vision for the game and you would not have supported it if you weren’t interested, so let them complete their vision.

Remember that the reason most of these companies need to sell in alpha is that they don’t have money. They don’t have tons of money to just give everyone their refund when they move on. The “company” is probably just a few guys that got together to make a game. They enjoy making games and want other people to enjoy them too. Also when you deal with indie developers you are dealing with people, not computers, and your words can and will hurt them as we have seen in recent days.

So, in conclusion, if you like supporting indie gaming, watching a game grow over time, being some of the first to get content and helping to find bugs then getting in during alpha might be for you. That is as long as you know that this is a gamble. The game can go in ways that you don’t like or expect since it is not complete.

The game may take a long time, since the developer wants to put out the best quality possible. There are a few bad eggs, but don’t let that spoil the bunch since there is lots to explore by getting in early with alpha. Unless you are wanting a complete game, in which case look elsewhere.