New Steam feature for testing out games

[Bradley Prior]

New Steam feature for testing out games

Valve has launched a new Playtest feature, which allows developers to work with players to test out their games.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

Nice idea, but the bottom line will inevitably leave the feature worthless.
Steam is claiming that it is not and will not replace the early access model.

With early access, customers are paying the developer to playtest their game and as we have seen, customers are more than happy to do so.

Why would they offer this feature for free, when they can get paid for the same thing?

I predict that developers will provide so little content in the playtest feature that it will basically be pointless.

 

[Rickster]

Here is a better idea, all final versions of a game on steam should be free to test for the first 5 hours, like it? Then buy it.


Of course games with shorter play times should have shorter test times.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Steam already provides a refund a mechanism for games that haven't been played for more than X hours after Y number of days from the purchase date.

The new feature is probably useful in scenarios where play testing is required (alpha/beta) before the monetisation is ready and version control with beta keys are in place

 

[Rickster]

Steam already provides a refund a mechanism for games that haven't been played for more than X hours after Y number of days from the purchase date.

The new feature is probably useful in scenarios where play testing is required (alpha/beta) before the monetisation is ready and version control with beta keys are in place

2 Hours just doesnt cut it, this also includes loading times and main menu screens.

 

[Mystic Twilight]

2 Hours just doesnt cut it, this also includes loading times and main menu screens.

Depends on the game. Two hours is more or less what the game demos used to give you, understandably games have become more complex but outside of playing civ, two hours is reasonably enough for a trial even if its on the short side. If you managed to play a game that made two hours seems to fly in two minutes, the game is probably worth keeping.