Steam has begun a new program within its store - Early Access. Essentially opening up QA testing to anyone who is interested, Early Access allows players to buy from a select set of games, and immediately be able to play the current build/prototype available. From the press release, it is clear that the new program is designed to "allow the community to get involved early and play select titles during their development. The goal of Early Access is to provide gamers with the chance to 'go behind the scenes' and experience the development cycle firsthand and, more importantly, have a chance to interact with the developers by providing them feedback while the title is still being created."

The list of titles currently available include Arma 3, Prison Architect, and a host of games picked by Greenlight - and I assume (and hope) that more will be coming. You can get more information at Steam's FAQ, or check out what's already there here, and let us know what you think in the comments below...