The announcement was made last March 25, through their dev blog after weeks of silence regarding the release date of the completed RollerCoaster Tycoon World (RCTW).
The setback is due to unfinished developments in the game and user-generated feedback, which calls for more improvements and stabilizations of RCTW. They aren't ready, and smart developers know better than to release an incomplete game full of bugs and underdeveloped concepts to an audience who had high expectations for the game, a part of which was a fan base built from earlier versions of the game.
This move gives the developers a wider range of feedbacks and creative input from fans and interested gamers, which in turn should shape the game into what RCTW is supposed to be. Previous trends in the gaming industry have us seeing success in games that had a dedicated community of players and a dedicated team of developers. RCTW is seemingly receiving the attention it needs to become a fully realized game.
In their blog, RCTW developers reiterate, "We will be in Early Access until we all feel the game is ready to be shared with the world as a finished product. Yes, there really is much more work we want to do. This isn't about just improving and polishing but also adding new functionalities that the game needs. As Early Access progresses our timeline for final release will become clearer."
Players who had bought earlier copies of the game are allowed a complete refund of their purchase because of the sudden change. They have also been given a free day pass to try out the early access of the game and have a choice to decide if they want to continue supporting the game's development or back out. The developers also included that players who wanted a physical version of the game could buy them from the local stores, but currently only a few have been shipped out. The same process of game activation and signing in applies for physical copies of the game.
The announcement also detailed what the early access version of the game would have, including freeform object placement, sandbox mode, an initial set of scenarios, 10 different types of coasters, over 30 different flat rides and much more. The blog also listed features of what to expect in the coming free updates of the game like a scenario editor and fence builder.
The game is available for pre-purchase on Steam.
Video and Photos: RollerCoaster Tycoon World
