There is no doubt that Minecraft really changed the way we consume indie games. While "early access" was an option before the game came onto the scene, it was the first one to really popularize it. Steam has been hosting its own early access service with things like Steam Greenlight. It has seen mixed reviews over its lifespan due to the ability to push out unfinished junk and charge unwitting players for it. Good Old Games (GOG) wishes to change the image of early access gaming with their Games in Development program. Rather than a dumping ground for any homebrew game that a developer can crank out, Games in Development will be a curated and carefully monitored collection of some of the best games early access has to offer.
The team over at GOG will be offering a no-questions-asked 14 day full refund on all early access titles. If the game is glitchy? Get your money back. If the developer over-promised on the experience and what you got is a broken shell of what was expected? Get your money back. If you picked up the game only to find out you actually don't like it very much? Guess what, you still get your money back! This helps to really alleviate many of the dangers of buying into early access gaming. Not to mention, all the games curated in the GOG Games in Development program will feature a full release on the site. So if you'd rather wait to get the finished product, you can always just do that too. And in classic GOG fashion, all of the games will be completely DRM free. I've always been a supporter of the folks over at Good Old Games, and this just further inspires me to sing their praises. Keep it up guys. Keep it up.
