GOG launches Early Access-style venture

GOG, the digital retailer owned by The Witcher dev CD Projekt Red, is the latest firm to follow Steam’s example by offering developers the chance to sell games that they are still working on.

Like Valve’s Early Access, GOG’s “games in development” gives consumers access to games that are still being developed or significantly updated, Eurogamer reports. The initial line-up includes Chucklefish’s Starbound and Payload’s TerraTech.

GOG claims it will choose the in-development games it sells very carefully, and that all titles in this programme will remain DRM-free, in keeping with the rest of the store’s catalogue.

Consumers who use GOG Galaxy will also be able to rollback their in-development games to previous versions if they don’t like the changes introduced, while all users will be able to claim refunds if they are not satisfied.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re having technical issues, if you don’t think the game is fleshed out enough yet or if it simply doesn’t click with you – all games in development can be returned for any reason,” the company has said. 

Microsoft also introduced its own Early Access-style system last year with Xbox Game Preview.