What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access? “The foundational layer of our game systems are in at this point in time. However, there is a significant amount of polishing and testing that remains outstanding. We also have the game developed in a way that it can organically evolve based on the feedback of our fans and community. We have taken a very calculated approach over the past few years to release a " finished " product, but realize (as this is our first project) that the development process does not always progress according to schedule. There will be setbacks and adjustments that need to be made potentially at any point in time.



As a result, we have made a conscious decision to release early access. This will allow us to continue to craft and polish the systems of the game according to community feedback. This will also allow us time to polish the title to a final release candidate.



As we have pushed back the release date for some time initially intending to go directly to release, we realize that it will be best and most efficient for us and the fans to go the Early Access route.” Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access? “We have moved to a specific feature release schedule that allows us much more forecasting capabilities. We fully intend to have a release candidate anywhere between June 2019 to September 2019. However, at this time, we want to give ourselves another calendar year to meet our highest expectations for the final release candidate.” How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version? “At the games current state, some systems are playable and many more are still to be enabled. For the systems that are currently playable and in the game, there is significant polish left to be done and integrated with others. To correctly set the expectation, we want to stress that the game is currently unfinished , but playable. However, we intend to release features and systems once polished over time leading up to release according to our internal development schedule.



To be more specific, as we polish systems and gameplay functionality, we are going to release that into the latest build of Early Access.



For all of the planned game systems and features, most are 100% realized, just not yet tested and playable. To explain further, there is a significant amount of internal testing required before it can become readily playable to the end user. As testing completes, these systems and features will be released to the latest Early Access builds.” What is the current state of the Early Access version? “The central game cycle is currently playable. This includes, starting a company, hiring most employee types, creating and managing a single product. Additionally, marketing, shipping and selling products to customers is also within the game.



We will provide a comprehensive list of features to be enabled and added over time in Early Access.” Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access? “Yes. The Early Access price will be signifantly lower than the current planned release price as a result of the current playable scope. The pricing will change (i.e. increase) as new features are added, game systems enabled and the game becomes more polished.” How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process? “We are working on updating our website to include methods by which the community can easily and efficiently provide feedback and suggestions. We will also continue to use the Steam forums and social media as additional outlets. We will also be open to other avenues as we discover them or end-users suggest them.”