The easy answer is to not buy unfinished games. I have a bigger issue with games that are Early access, hit some arbitrary progress mark, and "release," only to still be unfinished and a work in progress. I bought a few games where they were still working on content after they had exited EA.

I don't undserstand why realease EA anyways. JUST FINISH YOUR GAMES.

No, because GOG never had a different refund policy for early access games to begin with. That's hardly unique to EA games. Plenty of "released" games in worse and more unfinished shape than some EA games.

I clicked on the thread to post just that.

It had. Early acces games were the first ones to have a 30-day refund policy. The refund was extended later to the rest of games, so now early access games have the same refund period as other games (30 days) Some people are starting to consider early access games as a more honest form of promoting a game than traditional marketing or even game demos.. Users have the chance to have a look at the actual product while it's being developed.

I actually enjoy watching the changes and evolution process of a game in development, so I buy these games for that reason, although I usually don't start truly playing them until release day.

We make it a policy with EA products to wait at least 6 months after release to see what the reviews are and how well it is being supported by the devs before even considering a purchase, since the "discount" upon release is usually all of 10%. Puh-leaze!

Probably not. GOG may sometimes sell hot garbage, but it isn't live service hot garbage that is trying to make several corporations/sophomoric stakeholders very happy.

As others have stated: Wait for a game to go gold, so you can complain the beta was better than the actual game you got, like Starbound; or died on the vine like Windforge.

it is a form for some people that are aware of the risks invlovled to support a game in development or a developer they like, not that far removed from being a patron of an artist (as in tthe original meaning, not the website).

for those (like me) who like this model, it is a way of seeing how a game they are interested in being shaped and evolve trhoughout the development process, which is interesting and fasinating. for some EA evelopment, the people buying into the game can also be part of this process, by giving feedback and engaging with the developer.

It is not for everyone, if you just want a game to play, then do not buy EA games. Since it is a game in development, you needd to know that a game as it is today, may not be the game as it will be when finished, and off course it may never be finished. But if you cannot live with these risks, then don't buy EA games.

The point being, though, that even if a game never get "officialy" finished, it does not mean that it is not enjoable to play in early stages. Most of the EA games I have bought (getting quite a fe now), have been completed, but there are a couple that have not. For example, I bought Cube World back in the day, but then I have over 50 hours in it, and I enjoyed those hours, so even if it is now abandoned it was well worth the money I spent on it.

And there are games today that I have in EA if they do get abandoned, like Shadows of Doubt, Enshrouded or Mars first logistc, that if they stopped develoment today and left in this "incomplete" stage, is very enjoable to play, I have already played quite a lot and I am glad I got them

But for each to their own

Should think of Early Access closer to KickStarter. I'd think it's more helping them fund making and finishing the game, and you happen to have access to the game before it's out.

Yeah a lot of people can get burned too if they get lazy. But again you're taking a risk on that. Demanding a refund on a project that's already having issues with funding to get it finished is like kicking them while they are down. On the other hand if you think you'd want a refund you should probably not do it in the first place.

I think GOG is under more pro-consumer EU regulations (or something like that), so I wouldn't expect any changes to the current (very nice imo) refund policies.

As with all games I purchase, I don't go in with a refund mindset.
That is also why I see price as critical. And as I buy so many, it is generally months if not years before I play most of them.

You need to go in with your mind open and understand the risks.

I see a game as a consumable product, and very few consumables have a refund policy ... unless the product is damaged or not as advertised etc. But with a game of course, much is down to interpretation on a personal level. So unlike with a burger, where you cannot get a refund because you were less than satisfied with it, game refunds have evolved where you can do that for a game ... depending on amount of hours played ... but only if they can tell (i.e. through Galaxy).

Interesting; I don't remember that. Still, it was a limited time and not "play game as much as you want in early access and still get a refund" that Steam apparently had until now, which honestly I had no idea was a thing. Same, though I've only bought a handful of early access games. In any case they're clearly labeled as early access, so anyone getting outraged by them just wants an excuse to act outraged and stuff.