Will the program be held in high es-steam?

It seems that Steam's famous Summer Sales may not be the only thing Sony's thinking about borrowing from the digital download service. In a recent interview, SCEA big-wig Adam Boyes suggested that the firm may be adopting an early access program. If implemented, it would allow studios to release unfinished games for purchase as a means of receiving player feedback that could potentially alter development down the line.

One of the main criticisms of the online retailer's program is that the vast majority of its titles are barely functional, let alone playable. Presumably the Japanese giant's equivalent would be more stringently curated, meaning this mightn't be as much of an issue. Indeed, Boyes mentioned that he and his team are thinking long and hard about where to draw the line in this regard.

"We're figuring out what's okay," he said. "We obviously have our tech requirement checklist that people have to adhere to. So we're internally discussing, what does that list look like this? What are the caveats?"

What's more, the executive mentioned that such a service would obviously not be suitable for everyone. "There are different types of people. There [are] people who always back games, enjoy Kickstarters, try things that they know aren't finished but are willing to help make better," Boyes continued. "I remember playing Rust and laughing hysterically. And there were some things that weren't finished, but I had a ton of fun."

Would you be interested in an early access program, or do you prefer games to be complete before you lay down your cash? Does helping a studio develop and iterate its title appeal to you? Give us access to your thoughts in the comments section below.

[source gamasutra.com, via eurogamer.net]