November 6, 2024

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Steam closes refund policy loophole, finally comes up with a name for the thing where you can play a game early if you pre-order

Steam closes refund policy loophole, finally comes up with a name for the thing where you can play a game early if you pre-order

There are few video game marketing terms more obscure than “early access.” What's even more painful is that it can refer to two very different scenarios: Sometimes it means putting a game in development on sale before it's finished, and other times it means providing access to a finished game early, usually as a bonus for pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition. Starfield offered several days of “early access” with the Premium Edition, for example.

Steam, the platform responsible for popularizing the first meaning of Early Access, has had enough. The final scenario, when a developer offers pre-launch access to a completed game, is now designated “Advanced Access.”