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Publishers are trying more and more to give folks early access to single-player and online games that people are looking forward to. In some cases, we’ve even paid extra for the chance to do so. Square Enix, which is always ahead of the curve, has taken this idea the farthest we’ve seen it go by letting people play Life is Strange: Double Exposure early with a $30 digital update.
Eurogamer says that the base game costs $50 (or the equivalent amount in your country). If you buy the $80 Ultimate Edition, on the other hand, you will get “advanced access to Chapters 1 and 2” two weeks before the game comes out on October 29. If you’re still not sure, the Ultimate Edition comes with a bunch of different skins for the main character, Max Caulfield, and an extra side quest that has to do with cats.
Our first thought is that this, even though it’s dirty, would always be the right way for corps to handle paid early access. If enough gamers were ready to pay extra to play early, companies like Square Enix would not make moves like these, which would hurt their reputation and lead to articles like this one.
Still, for an episode-based show with a lot of story and spoilers like Life is Strange, it seems especially bad and a big change from the two to three days we’re used to. The amount of time for paid early entry may be the longest we’ve ever heard of. Fans are very angry that spoilers might be out there, even if it’s just for the first two shows. I will never forget what video game localizer Steven Korkowsky said on Twitter: “Hello, f*** off!”
I LOVE #LifeisStrange, but the 30€ upgrade to play 2 weeks(!) early is an absolute disgrace. So if you don't want to be spoiled, you have to pay 30€ extra. Hella fu** off!! 👎
You guys at @LifeIsStrange @SquareEnix @DeckNineGames are out of your minds … https://t.co/Elk7tnuZ3J
— Steven Korkowsky 🏳️🌈 (@SkorkWB) June 9, 2024
Will you pay an extra $30 to find out how Max is doing before everyone else? Next, paid demos? Early access for a month that costs more than the game? In the comments, tell us how far you’re willing to go.
