So, Hytale, the game that's been on everyone's radar, is getting an early access release on January 13th. But hold on, don't rush to Steam just yet. The folks behind it are playing it cool, and honestly, I think they might be onto something.

Patrick 'Lyall' Derbic, the executive director, said they're not planning a Steam release right away. Their main reason? They want to focus on working with the community and polishing the game during early access. They're worried about getting swamped with negative reviews from people who don't fully understand what they're trying to do. I get that.

I mean, Steam can be a marketing juggernaut, but it can also be a bit of a minefield. Sometimes, people jump in without really knowing what early access is all about and leave harsh reviews that can hurt a game's reputation. However, could this strategy cause some issues down the line?

On one hand, working closely with a dedicated group of players to get detailed feedback early on sounds brilliant, especially since the team has been upfront about the fact that the initial release will be a bit rough around the edges and have plenty of space for improvements. On the other hand, it could be argued that avoiding criticism from people outside of those who are already enthusiastic about Hytale could potentially create blind spots in terms of helping it appeal to a wider audience in the future.

Anyway, this is a tough job. Nowadays, any game faces a difficult task in building a reputation that can attract attention and avoid being buried among the massive avalanche of games that are constantly competing for players' time.

Also, the team is working on region-specific pricing for some countries and the base price will be $20 worldwide for now. They're planning to add extra cosmetics, but they're promising no pay-to-win stuff, which is a relief. And yes, pets, animal taming, and fishing are in the works, but they won't be there right away. Patience is key!