The Early Access Launch of Friday the 13th: The Game Released Only to Industry Personnel and Kickstarter Backers Give Devs Hell over It
Gun Media released early access content of their upcoming indie title, Friday the 13th: The Game, to press and media personnel, and Kickstarter backers give devs hell over not being the first people to get their hands on it. The multiplayer horror game going straight to the hands of multimedia gurus like press and streamers to review and play wouldn’t normally be an issue under normal circumstances, except Kickstarter backers were promised that they’d be the first to get their hands on the codes upon release.
Investing in the game since it’s ideological fabrication, backers of Friday the 13th now have to sit back and watch as other people, who didn’t even necessarily fund the project in any way, shape, or form, get to dive into the game early. The fan base has been extremely vocal about their stance in this situation, and Gun Media is well aware of their frustrations and the growing backlash from the PR move.
As Gun Media’s Wes Keltner attempts to explain the circumstances to upset Kickstarter backers (you can read his lengthy forum post about the subject here), they don’t seem to be buying it. Although handing out the codes to the media early helps generate buzz and encourage sales of the project, with streaming sites like Twitch creating a popular platform for small-time and up-and-coming publishers due to the circulation and streaming of early access game codes, backers aren’t calmed by this fact one bit.
Friday the 13th: The Game officially releases on May 26th for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Are you a Kickstarter backer of Friday the 13th? What are your thoughts on Gun Media’s PR move, and are you upset you didn’t get an early access code before the wave of press releases? Let us know in the comments below!