Steam Early Access initiative launches

Valve has rolled out a new Early Access category on Steam, allowing players to purchase and provide feedback for in-development games.

The company announces that Steam users can now buy beta versions of selected titles on Steam and get involved early,” as they put it.

The move makes strategic sense on Valve’s end, as it helps to avoid a repeat of The War Z disaster that left all parties involved scrapping a healthy amount of egg off their face.

Developer’s will have the ability to adjust the cost of the game as well, based on development goals and level of commitment and feedback” desired.

"A lot of games are already operating as ongoing services that grow and evolve with the involvement of customers and the community," said Sean Pollman of indie studio Badland. "Greenlight helped us raise awareness for Kinetic Void, and now Steam Early Access will let us continue the development of our game while gathering crucial feedback, input and support from the steam Community."

Here are Steam’s Early Access launch titles:

• 1… 2… 3… KICK IT! (Drop That Beat Like an Ugly Baby)
• Arma 3
• Drunken Robot Pornography
• Gear Up
• Gnomoria
• Kenshi
• Kerbal Space Program
• Kinetic Void
• Patterns
• Prison Architect
• StarForge
• Under the Ocean