Forge Offers early access to its Alpha for Kickstarter Backers

Forge

Indie developer Dark Vale Games announced today that they have opened access to their private "Friends & Family" Alpha demo for the upcoming game Forge to all of their Kickstarter supporters, and in doing so have created a rather unique try-before-you-buy scenario.

"We've always said that we want to run our business a little differently, to do what is right for those people playing our games," said Tim Alvis, COO/CTO of Dark Vale Games. "We're doing just that -- we're giving PC gamers the opportunity to try FORGE's unique multiplayer by pledging money on Kickstarter but never having to pay a dime if they're not satisfied. As an added incentive, those who pre-purchase FORGE via Kickstarter now will receive a significant discount compared to the retail price."

Gamers will need to pledge to earn access to the Alpha, but won't be charged until the close of the campaign on September 8th. By pledging to support the development of FORGE and pre-ordering the game now on Kickstarter, players will gain several advantages:

ALPHA ACCESS AND TRY-BEFORE-YOU-BUY: Backers of the game will now be able to play FORGE immediately via an Alpha demo available only to Kickstarter supporters. Alpha play will run from now through the end of the Kickstarter campaign on September 8th. If players are not satisfied with the title's direction and experience, they can remove their pledge anytime (per Kickstarter rules) before the end of the Kickstarter campaign on September 8th.

DISCOUNTED PRICE: Forge is being offered for an exclusive price only for Kickstarter backers. The game is available for the minimum pledge of $15, a $10 savings off the $25 final purchase price.

BETA ACCESS: Backers of the game will also receive access into the already-full Closed Beta, scheduled for September. Forge's 10,000-player beta filled incredibly fast with PC gamers hungry for something fresh. Pledging on Kickstarter will be the only way for PC gamers to join in on one of the hottest new games of the Fall before release.

The Kickstarter program has been dubbed the "Kick-Finish" because the game is well on its way to release and will come out no matter the result of the crowd-sourcing efforts. Rather than powering an unfounded concept for an entirely undeveloped game, pledgers will instead help Dark Vale Games finish a nearly complete title by providing funds for additional polish, the addition of future features now, as well as other enhancements. The game's Kickstarter page – and more information -- can be found at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/166522941/forge.

Fans should head to www.PlayForgeWar.com to join the growing Foege community and help direct the future of this indie title. In addition, the game's Facebook page will be the best place the latest news, artwork and behind-the-scenes stories and can be found at www.Facebook.com/PlayForgeWar.

Dark Vale Games was formed by developers formerly of the studios THQ, Midway, SOE, Lucas Arts, and Eidos who have had a hand in developing games like Mortal Kombat, Unreal Tournament 2003/2004, Unreal Championship 2, and others.

To take advantage of this offer interested gamers should head to the Forge Kickstarter page to pledge and obtain immediate access to play Forge online against their friends and the development team themselves. For more information head over to the Official Forge Kickstarter Campaign.

All it takes is a $15 pledge (which buys the full release of the game as well). Dark Vale will also be handing out Alpha codes via their website every hour. New users will need to create an account to see the keys appear.