Path of Exile 2 Release Date & Pricing

For a little while now certain games have been released a couple days early or several months early, with the caveat that if you 'pre-purchase' or pay extra, you can get EXCLUSIVE access to the 'early access' build of the game.

But what this really means is - that's just the actual release date for the game. Anything else is basically just a marketing strategy.

Even for a game like this where, GGG does take ongoing feedback from players and act on it and such, it's something that they would have been doing anyway regardless of the status of the game's release - i.e. beta, open beta, early access, early release, whatever. POE1 gets feedback actioned on all the time.

So just going off the Steam store's snippet, it says, 'at least six months' they're planning on selling POE2 keys for $46 AUD.

I dunno if it rubs anyone else the wrong way, but let me describe how it seems to me. It's double-dipping.

In essence, a hefty up-front fee prevents anyone from seeing the early release of the game who isn't already willing to invest in the game. Basically, it's going to keep all the free-players out for a while, which is good if you're releasing something lacking polish and unfinished - which is not to insult the good work of GGG since I am sure POE2 will be released to early access in what seems like a pretty polished state.

Then, later on opening it up as a 'free to play' title once it's nice and ready and you get positive impressions from your dedicated players, is a way to grow the customer base of the game after you already made some money off the early sales of the game from your dedicated established customers, who as proven by the FAQ ($480 USD gets you a game key to a game with a store with microtransactions in it that you have already spent a lot of money on) are probably willing to put even more money into the game.

Hence, double-dipping.

Now, this is not a condemnation, it's just an observation. It might seem obvious to some but it's something I've been thinking about recently, particularly the motives and the strategy behind it.

If you don't want to pay, then simply wait for the game to release in its free to play model. If you want access early - pay up.

it will enter full release on or before November 30th 2099.

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Valfader#9438 wrote:

If you don't want to pay, then simply wait for the game to release in its free to play model. If you want access early - pay up.

It's not that, I fully support GGG and supporting them during ongoing development of POE2, I just find their strategy here interesting.

it's not like you only get EA you get the same shop currency you normally would to spend how you see fit. Telling people you can't beta test unless you actually support us aside, it makes sense you'd want someone with skin the the game in that position from a company standpoint. It will stagger the amount of returning users and trickle in new users which again from a technical standpoint is preferable. Less likelihood of a users first experience with the game being bad. It's not even like this is unfounded within POE as they did the same thing with fall of oriath, you got beta access with a supporter pack; arguably the biggest change/content release in the games history. Even GGG would agree with that as we're still on version 3.x.x which started with oriath.

You're 100% correct in your analysis, the game is being sold for $30. In a year it'll be free to try until spending $60 is necessary out of the inconveniences they've tied into the game.

Ignore the whales here who'll defend anything and everything GGG does because they've invested way too much into the game.

Nothing wrong with making some money for your work.

I think it's great marketing. I'm glad for it and happy to spend some money on this great game.

Edit - to the above poster - $30 makes a whale now?

I have a feeling players who have to wait 6-12 months for full release and can finally play without paying for EA will more than likely review bomb on steam because they had to wait longer to play for free. Big ball move from GGG but I guess if they're happy to watch their next product end up being in negative review state on steam long term then all the best.