Introversion's slammer-sim Prison Architect has offered a playable alpha for purchasers through its official website for some time now, even racking up a cool million from buyers eager to yell at and bludgeon teeny convicts as a power-mad warden. The various purchase tiers are now on Steam , and it makes up a part of the first set of games offering immediate access to pre-release versions through Steam's new Early Access system.
The goal of Early Access is to bring gamers further into the development process itself, a trend that could help developers polish and broaden the appeal of their games while also providing some real-world compatibility testing and performance feedback.
Take a look at the Early Access page for more info and a list of the 12 games in the program so far including Arma 3, Prison Architect, and Kerbal Space Program.
