Dyack: AAA publishers abuse early access, hurting indies
Apocalypse Studios founder Denis Dyack says early access has become a marketing tool for polished AAA games, skewing player expectations.
Denis Dyack, founder of Apocalypse Studios, said AAA publishers are abusing early access by using it as a marketing tool for polished, nearly finished games. He made the comments in an interview with GamesIndustry, and said the practice skews player expectations and puts smaller independent developers at a disadvantage.
Dyack pointed to Subnautica 2 and Path of Exile as games that have drastically changed the landscape and what players expect from an early access release. Anthony Gallegos, creative director of Subnautica 2, said early access is no longer a handful of edge-case games taking part. According to Gallegos, it can now mean long-term open development or a paid beta soft launch three months before a 1.0 release.
Dyack's own project, Deadhaus Sonata, is now in early access on Steam. He admitted that Apocalypse Studios failed to prioritise the basics with that release and did not handle Unreal Engine properly. Ethan McKinnon, creative director of Deadhaus Sonata, said developers need to treat early access like a real launch.
Earlier launch troubles
Earlier this year, Deadhaus Sonata had a rough early access launch, after which Ethan McKinnon joined Apocalypse Studios as creative director. Dyack previously worked on Blood Omen: Legacy of Cain and Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem.
Quick answers
Is Deadhaus Sonata in early access?
Yes, Deadhaus Sonata is in early access on Steam, according to Denis Dyack.
What did Denis Dyack say about AAA publishers and early access?
He said AAA publishers abuse early access by using it as a marketing tool for polished, nearly finished games, which skews player expectations and disadvantages smaller independent developers.