Recently, several developers have confirmed that Valve sent out some new guidelines for placing games on Steam's Early Access program. The updated documentation includes some new rules and guidelines as Valve further attempts to define what "Early Access" really means.

The rules seem to be quite straightforward. Developers must specifically say that their games are "Early Access" when sending out keys on their site or at through services like the Humble Bundle. Developers are also no longer allowed to make "specific promises about future events" such as a game's launch or when a new feature will be added. They also note that Early Access game launches must take place at the same time as releases on other digital distribution sites or services. They also note that developers cannot charge more for Early Access releases on Steam when compared to other locations.

The guidelines suggest that developers don't launch into Early Access if they cannot afford to continue to develop the game with few to no sales. That is to say, studios should also "set expectations properly" when discussing their projects with the community. Valve also suggest that developers do not dive into Early Access if all that they have is a tech demo and no actual playable gameplay yet.

(via Giant Bomb)