Here's your "serious counter argument":
TFP are artificially delaying release to the people who have actually plunked down money to buy the game in "early access". Since there are no in-game purchases or upgrades available, why would they disrespect their customers by not releasing to everyone at the same time? We paid for "early access" and, unfortunately we're getting "delayed access" once some ass-hat streamers -- who some/most don't even know how to play the game -- get to demo it for mainly people who bought the game years ago and would like nothing more than to play it themselves. In my mind, it's a mockery of early access and a total disrespect to their paying customers.
You and I got early access. I been playing since Alpha 16, not sure when you purchased the game. However, when you and I purchased the game, it was at that stage of the game. There were no guarantees as to what the final product was going to be or when it was going to be released. It was the same with development patches throughout the Early Access phase of this game.
I don't know about all of the streamers, but your a-h streamers comment was way out of line. I can name several that seriously play the game - Capp00, Glock, Max Fox, KhaineGB, Kage848, GameEdged, and Skippy0330 are the ones I follow and they are passionate about the game. A lot of people on that list that Roland posted have been playing this game for awhile. But I don't think you made your argument based on facts or even research on your part, it was just a way to take a cheapshot on those that are streamers who will be getting the game 2 - 3 days ahead of everyone else. Does it matter that someone plays the game differently than you? I see the developers play the game differently than I do, but I never think that they "don't know how to play the game." I just chuck it up as people playing the game differently than I do which is their prerogative.
You and I will get the game 2-3 days after the streamers weekend, it is not a total disrespect of paying customers. Again, you already paid for the game when it was at Stage X. Anything else after that is a bonus (which you are not paying for anything after your initial payment for the game).
As if that isn't enough, I find the fatal flaw actually in the so-called marketing. If they are actually trying to attract customers, what better way than to offer "buy today, play today" while watching a streamer?
Nothing prevents them from buying the game today and playing it today. Even if they buy it while the streamers are streaming the game, they get Alpha 19 with Alpha 20 just around the corner. I don't see any fatal flaw there.
But even more egregious is TFP logic of releasing to streamers on a Friday to showcase all their bugs in the wild. That seems pretty risky, to give it to streamers to show it off, warts and all, with no one actively working over the weekend to fix them as they come up. What happens if a showstopper is uncovered on a live-stream that breaks the game and ruins the stream?
By the time we get the game, there are typically not any bugs that will break the game. And typically, the streamer would mention that bug as an early access issue - which when they buy it, there are notices on the store page about that very issue.
Besides which, I can think of recent final release games that came out with serious bugs.......
But you say, "That won't happen as all of the MF bugs have been fixed and QA is under control." Then why the hell aren't you releasing to the people who have already paid?
Bottom line, the "serious counter argument" is that TFP are disrespecting their paying customers in a misguided attempt to attract new ones. It's especially ironic that in selling a game with "early access", they are actually delaying access to the ones who have been supporting them for so long.
I'd love to hear a serious rebuttal of these uncontroversial points.
Again, it is a marketing decision that TFP have made for their game. They are not disrespecting their paying customers as none of us are technically paying customers. We paid for the product that they already delievered to us when we made that purchase, now TFP are adding more elements and improving what we already paid for.