개요

앞서 해보기란?

Steam 앞서 해보기 서비스를 이용하면 개발 단계의 게임을 Steam에서 판매할 수 있으며, 아직 완성되지 않은 제품이라는 사실을 고객에게 알릴 수 있습니다. 앞서 해보기로 판매되는 제품은 알파 또는 베타 단계의 플레이 가능한 게임이어야 하며, 플레이 가능한 빌드의 현재 가격에 상응하는 가치가 있고, 계속 개발하여 출시할 계획이 있는 게임이어야 합니다.

앞서 해보기로 게임을 출시하면 잠재 고객에게 게임을 소개할 수 있으며 최종 출시 전에 귀사의 계획과 목표에 대해 알릴 수 있습니다.

앞서 해보기의 목적이 아닌 것

앞서 해보기는 제품 개발 자금을 조달하는 수단이 아닙니다.
오로지 개발 자금 조달을 목적으로 앞서 해보기 서비스를 사용해서는 안 됩니다. 제품을 일정 개수 이상 판매해야 게임을 완성할 수 있다면, 그만큼 판매하지 못했을 때 귀사와 개발팀이 어떻게 될지 깊이 생각해 보아야 합니다. 매출이 전혀 없어도 게임을 계속 개발할 의향이 있나요? 다른 투자 형태를 검토할 예정인가요?

앞서 해보기는 예약 구매가 아닙니다.
앞서 해보기는 예약 구매가 아니라 Steam 사용자에게 게임을 소개하고 게임을 완성하는 동안 피드백을 받기 위한 도구입니다.

예약 구매는 구매한 날짜가 아니라 나중에 제품을 전달하는 방식이며, 앞서 해보기는 고객이 제품을 구매했을 때 플레이 가능한 게임 또는 사용 가능한 소프트웨어를 고객에게 바로 전달할 수 있어야 합니다. 더 자세한 사항은 Steam 예약 구매 문서를 참고해 주세요.

앞서 해보기 서비스를 이용하는 게 올바른 선택일까요?

앞서 해보기는 정식 출시되기 전인 게임을 커뮤니티에 먼저 공개해 함께 게임을 개발할 수 있게 하는 도구입니다. 개발 중인 게임에 이 도구를 사용하는 게 적합한지 신중히 고려해야 합니다. Steam에서 앞서 해보기로 출시된 다른 게임과 개발자 포럼을 확인해 보세요. 그리고 아래의 연구 사례를 통해 다른 개발자가 경험한 앞서 해보기에 대해서도 알아보세요.

2014년 1월에 개최된 Steam Dev Days에서 4명의 개발자가, 앞서 해보기가 제품 개발과 매출에 어떤 영향을 미쳤는지, 그리고 어떤 경우에 이용하는 게 적합한지에 대한 정보를 자신들의 경험과 함께 공유한 영상을 아래 링크를 통해 확인하실 수 있습니다.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRDwA3cQmlc 패널: 저스틴 베일리(Double Fine), 밥 베리(Uber Entertainment), 제이미 청(Klei Entertainment), 마크 모리스(Introversion)

https://youtu.be/xXeoByO-OFE

규칙

1. You must include Steam Early Access branding and information about the current state of your game on any third-party sites where you are distributing Steam keys for your Early Access game. We work very hard to make sure that customers understand what they are buying when they get an Early Access title on Steam, and this expectation continues wherever Steam keys are distributed. You must include the Steam Early Access branding as well as current information on the state of your game, and a link to the Steam Early Access FAQ on any site where you are selling Steam keys for your Early Access title. Additionally, you should also include a copy of the Early Access questionnaire. You can read more in the Steam Branding Guidelines.

2. Do not make specific promises about future events. For example, there is no way you can know exactly when the game will be finished, that the game will be finished, or that planned future additions will definitely happen. Do not ask your customers to bet on the future of your game. Customers should be buying your game based on its current state, not on promises of a future that may or may not be realized.

3. Steam Early Access titles need to be available to customers through Steam. If Steam enables your Early Access game, we expect you to have the Early Access game available for sale on the Steam store. Do not offer it for sale on Steam any later than you offer it anywhere else.

4. Don't overcharge Steam customers. The Early Access price of your game should be no higher than that offered on any other service or website. Please take care of your customers on Steam.

5. Make sure you set expectations properly everywhere you talk about your game. Be transparent with your community. For example, if you know your updates during Early Access will break save files, make sure you tell players up front. And say this everywhere you sell your Steam keys.

6. Don't launch in Early Access without a playable game. If you have a tech demo, but not much gameplay yet, then it’s probably too early to launch in Early Access. If you are trying to test out a concept and haven't yet figured out what players are going to do in your game that makes it fun, then it's probably too early. You might want to start by giving out keys to select fans and getting input from a smaller and focused group before you release in Early Access. 최소한, 게임 플레이를 보여주는 예고편 영상은 준비되어야 합니다. Even if you are asking for feedback that will impact gameplay, customers need something to start with in order to give informed feedback and suggestions.

7. Don't launch in Early Access if you are finished with development. If you have all your gameplay defined already and are just looking for final bug testing, then Early Access isn’t right for you. You’ll probably want to send out some keys to fans or do more internal playtesting instead. Early Access is intended as a place where customers can impact the final game.

앞서 해보기 질문 및 답변

Below are some suggested guidelines for completing the Early Access questionnaire. You know your product best, so treat the answers below as guidelines. More than anything, you should try to be detailed and transparent with customers. This is your opportunity to talk about your plans, set overall expectations, and start the conversation with your community as you work towards a final release. You may also find it helpful to find inspiration from the products or developers you admire.

왜 앞서 해보기로 출시하나요?
What are your goals? Hopefully you will have the answer to this question before creating your store page. Early Access is a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you are ready for the commitment of continuing to work on your product, receive feedback, and see your project through to completion.

대략 얼마 동안 앞서 해보기로 제공할 예정인가요?
Be as specific as you can. If you don't have a target date range, explain why.

정식 버전은 앞서 해보기 버전와 어떻게 다를까요?
Again, think about your goals. "Full version" means different things for every product, and this is something only you can decide. Be specific about what you plan on adding, or the data you hope to collect. Don't worry if you end up changing your mind later - that's the point! If you are transparent and listen to your community, you'll be in good shape.

현재 앞서 해보기 버전은 어떤 상태인가요?
What can a customer buy and use today? Be specific in terms of modes, features, levels, etc. You might need to update this section every few weeks or months, to make sure it reflects your progress.

앞서 해보기 기간, 또는 그 이후에 게임 가격이 바뀔 예정인가요?
There is no rule on how you price your final product, or official best practice. Many successful developers have raised the price, and many have ultimately lowered the price. In general, try to think of things from an Early Access customer's point of view. How would they feel about this decision. You should aim to reward your early supporters and make them feel like their time and effort was worth it. That doesn't necessarily mean your Early Access price is lower than your final release, but try to provide some kind of value to your Early Access community.

개발 과정에 커뮤니티가 어떤 식으로 참여하게 할 계획인가요?
The Community plays a crucial role in Early Access development. How will you communicate with your users? On a forum? Your website? How often? This is your chance to tell your users how they can shape your product's development.

앞서 해보기 활성화

These steps need to be taken prior to the release of your game.

To enable Early Access on your product, complete the following steps:

1. 제품 상점 페이지 구성 섹션의 '앞서 해보기' 탭에서 '앞서 해보기' 확인란을 선택합니다.
   
2. 앞서 해보기 질문지를 작성합니다. 질문지에 대한 자세한 사항은 여기에서 확인하실 수 있습니다.

Once your product page and Q&A have been completed and reviewed by Valve, you may release your title in Early Access. For more information on releasing your title, see Release Process.

모범 사례

앞서 해보기 가격 책정

Pricing decisions depend on the nature of your game and what behavior you'd like to encourage. Most developers have chosen to start out with lower price than their target launch price. This establishes a price that is fair for the content being provided at that time, with the intention that the price will rise over time as more content is added and the game becomes more polished.

Conversely, some developers have chosen to set their Early Access price higher than the target launch price so that they can reach a smaller group of more dedicated fans.

Note that you will not be able to run a discount within 30 days following a price increase. This includes a launch discount when your title transitions from Early Access to fully released. If you have raised your base price within 30 days of this transition you will not be able to run a launch discount.

Please see Early Access Pricing FAQ for more information.

앞서 해보기에서 '출시'로 전환

When you consider your product "feature complete" and no longer in a significant state of change, you may transition from Early Access to 'Released.' It is worth noting this does not mean you should stop adding features or updating your product--you should keep adding content or fixing bugs as is appropriate for your title.
When you are ready to remove the Early Access context from around your product, complete the following steps:

1. 게임 또는 소프트웨어의 빌드 업데이트를 업로드하고 게시하세요.
   
2. 제품 랜딩 페이지 상단에서 '출시 옵션 보기'를 클릭하여 게임을 준비하고 출시합니다. '출시' 버튼을 누르면 게임의 출시일이 업데이트되면서 Steam 앞서 해보기 표시가 제품 상점 페이지에서 사라지고, 귀사에서 미리 정해 놓은 대로 출시 할인이 적용됩니다.
   
3. 앞서 해보기에서 정식 출시로 전환된 사실을 커뮤니티 허브에서 공지하는 것이 좋습니다.

앞서 해보기 마케팅 및 노출

In many ways, Early Access titles are treated the same as "fully released" titles. You will still be able to run discounts, featured in promotions, and be organically recommended to other customers. However, you will not receive your full launch visibility until you are fully released. See Visibility on Steam for more information.

자주 묻는 질문

• Q: Can my Early Access Game be listed as Coming Soon?

  A: Yes, as long as your product isn't already available for purchase. Once you have an Early Access title up for purchase, there is no notion of a product as being available to purchase in Early Access and coming soon at the same time. If you want to communicate that you will be leaving Early Access soon, use the Early Access Q&A.
  
  

• Q: Is it okay to raise my price after leaving Early Access?

  A: Yes, though if you raise your price, you must wait at least 30 days before changing your price again or running a discount. If you increase your price within 30 days of your transition from Early Access to fully released, your launch discount will not apply.
  
  If you're planning on raising your price at or around the time of releasing out of Early Access and want to run a discount to celebrate your V1.0 release, you may want to consider these scenarios:
  
  • You could leave your price as is, run a discount as you release V1.0 out of Early Access and then raise your price after that.
    
  • You could raise your price as you transition out of Early Access and not run a discount.
    
  • You could raise your price more than 30 days before you release out of Early Access, and then run a discount to go with your V1.0 release.
  
  

• Q: What happens if I don't complete my game?

  A: Sometimes things don't work out as you planned, and you may need to discontinue development of your game. If this happens, you should contact Valve to figure out the next steps. Before reaching out, take a moment to carefully consider whether or not pulling your game down is actually the right choice. Are you acting based on an emotional response to negative feedback, or is retiring your game the appropriate next step? We take our relationship with customers seriously, so if you choose to cancel development of a game and retire it from the store, we will not republish it again later and we may offer refunds to any users who purchased it. Treating customers fairly is the most important thing to us. You can learn more by reading Removing a Product From Steam.
  
  

• Q: How will my early access launch be marketed? Do early access games get visibility on the store?

  A: Early Access titles are still able to run discounts, be featured in promotions, and be organically recommended to other users. Early Access titles do not receive the same launch visibility as a v1.0 release. Check the Visibility on Steam documentation for more details.
  
  

• Q: Do Early Access titles get "launch visibility"?

  A: Early Access titles will appear in the "All New Releases" tab in the Early Access section and if users have your title on their wishlist, they will receive an e-mail notification of its Early Access release. Also, Early Access titles may be recommended to specific users in various sections of the home page based on those users' preferences and tastes, it may appear on the "New and Trending" section on the Early Access page if the title is doing well and it can appear on 'top sellers' list on store home page and on relevant genre and tag pages if it has achieved sales rank.
  
  Once you're ready to fully release your titles, additional visibility areas apply. More can be found in the "Full Release Launch Visibility" section here: Visibility on Steam
  
  

• Q: How can I make my transition out of Early Access successful?

  A: Whether this is successful depends very heavily on your game and details about your game, so it’s very hard to give any sort of generalized advice. Think about factors like your game's performance while in Early Access, how satisfied players have been, and how much pent up demand there is. If your Early Access experience was already very polished & satisfying, there may not be a lot of pent up demand and therefore you may not see a big spike on launch without doing a larger launch campaign or huge difference in quality of the game on launch, it would simply be reflected in steady sales over time. You’ll probably be able to estimate your Early Access to 1.0 exit better than anyone else, because you know how you’ve been using Early Access best.
  
  

• Q: I forgot to enable Early Access, what do I do?

  A: If you already have a Coming Soon page for your product, you can enable Early Access yourself. Your store page will need to be reviewed again prior to release. If your game is already released, then it's not possible for a game to move backwards from "Released" to "Early Access". Steam has different launch visibility, displays, and reviews for when a game starts in Early Access. If you wish to communicate details about your development plans, please use the Community Hub (a pinned post can be very helpful) or consider adding the relevant information to the About The Game display section.
  
  

• Q: Once my game is released in Early Access, can I set my V1.0 launch date?

  A: Unfortunately there is not a field for you to enter your intended full release date (V1.0 release date). What we would suggest is once you know what that date is, create an Announcement with that information, including the date and any upcoming updates that will ship with V1.0.