Paid demos? We’re pretty much heading there

Extra Guy writes: If releases like Case Zero continue to happen publishers are effectively hiking the price of games another five spot. Sure, you can argue that it’s optional. You still get the full version of Dead Rising 2 in stores. But the horse armor was optional. So was the “ending” of Prince of Persia. This is just taking us one step closer to high priced, episodic games. A future where publishers chop up full games and offer them at inflated costs.

[Stealth Disagreer]

Its gonna happen eventually.... didnt ea say a few months ago they were planning on offering "premium" demos for games.... Case zero was a ton of fun but it only takes 1 bobby kotick to turn it into something evil and when that happens its up to us gamers to tell them to go to hell

[meetajhu]

Looks like publishers are going to create more pirates.

[nickjkl]

do want you want the life of a pirate is free you are a pirate YAR HAR FIDDLE DEE DEE

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[mastiffchild]

@meethajhu-well, they certainly seem hell bent on allowing the same ones we already have to run round pretending they're modern day Robin Hoods taking from the evil, uncaring industry for poor gamers.

I just don't understand why the industry ALWAYS takes a heavy handed approach and appears not to grasp how piracy stays alive or even why some people do it as a way of seeing if they want to buy a game even today. Giving longer free trials to gamers would take away any NEED to pirate games to "check them out" and remove an excuse for those determined to be greedy gamers.

If they showed us legit gamers, and todays' youth who NEED cheap used sales to keep in with gaming and grow into tomorrows big game supporters more respect/value wouldn't there be a more unified hatred towards piracy and the like? I think it can only be killed when gamers won't tolerate other gamers who do it and for that to happen the industry has to take some responsibility and show a little appreciation for those gamers who actually
pay for the whole shebang.

Sadly, we just get more abrasive and divisive moves like this one-because too many high up in the industry these days don't play or care about games today, let alone tomorrow.No, just this week's balance sheet and it seems easier to rape our wallets again and again rather than make better games or actually work with us to stop the blight of piracy. Someone who really cared about the future of games would surely not take such a short sighted stance, would they? Am I just being romantic about this?

Whatever, I'm sorry for going on but this really winds me up-and why does it always have to be us , the people who support gaming as much as time and cash allow, that end up being told to pay more because of the greed of both the industry AND the pirates?

~End of badly written and over long rant. Sorry to anyone who bothered sitting there reading my addled bollox!

[mastiffchild]

It's a classic case of gaming thinking it's a special case and, as an industry, not doing things to include their consumer base enough. Most gamers hate piracy but tolerate others doing it and that's partially because the attitudes like the one behind greedy ideas like paid for demos makes the pirates seem almost fair enough as they can point to the industry being just as big tools as they are.

The same shortsighted nonsense drives the campaign against used game sales with little thought given to who actually buys their games used in the first place; kids with not enough cash for new ones or those temporarily too skint for whatever reason. Should used sales be curbed or made pointless I see a lot of future, possible gamers going to other, more inclusive hobbies. Personally, I found used games the only way to keep myu passion going as a kid with no money and certainly no way of finding more for new games should they have banned used sales back then. Without staying in touch/getting hooked when I could barely afford games new outside of birthdays etc and the same's true now-and wouldn't the best way to stop used sales be to, you know, make games good enough for us to want to keep for good.

Sadly, the gaming industry only looks as far as the pennies lost today and rather than deal with actual crimes like piracy(cos that would be difficult, expensive and really involve them treating gamers better so EVERYONE found piracy intolerable and we couldn't have that could we?). They could share with us some of the savings from digitally distributed games instead of keeping any value for themselves or stop crying about second hand sales that every other sodding entertainments industry sees as part of life and an indication that not everyone wants their film, recordings or books forever. It's not even as if, with today's emphasis on online play and modes that there isn't an inbuilt need for people to "get the new Madden" anyway and once they decide it's time for the servers to go down on a title where's your bonus for loyally buying their games brand new?

Sadly, all we hear is how gamers are pirates, how we're cheapskates stealing from the mouths of developers kids if we trade a game that we didn't find that good or how kids who would otherwise not be able to take part in the industry/hobby of gaming without used sales allowing them to turn into tomorrow's big game buyers are in fact killing games themselves. Not once have I seen an industry figure say they should up their own quality and make games good enough to make us want to keep them.

I'm not saying gamers are perfect, I know they aren't yet we won't all trust the industry enough to root out things like piracy while us legit gamers seem to be the ones paying for EVERYTHING. I just think this whole paid for demos issue is further evidence of the divisive methods loved by the likes of Kotick(and not nearly only him and Acti)where the money men rule over the creatives allowing marketing budgets to dwarf development budgets and desire cutting every corner and service they can for a little extra profit TODAY and sod who's gonna make up the market tomorrow. Gaming's being run by people who genuinely couldn't care less if there's games at all when they leave their current positions.

I could be wrong, of course, but am I the only one who thinks the industry would do better with a little respect shown towards those who pay all their wages ?.

[Urrakia34]

Little too much time on your hands if you're writing comments this long.......

[Amplitude]

but bubbles anyway, for being far more intelligent than i. xD

[CombatEvolving]

Case Zero was a great deal, but someone is going to twist the idea into something terrible.

[Nate-Dog]

If that's the case then it looks like footage and developer info is gonna be the sole decider for me buying or not buying a game. Probably is just a matter of time until it happens. Maybe even the same with things like betas.

[whydoyouask]

I think a lot of people will be confused.

The demo's the we think it will be are the one we are used to. The short ones that just give a sample of the entire game.

But i heard that the paid demos will actually be a fairly sizable part of the game. Just like how you can try the first third of Fable 2 and purchase the next 2/3's...of course that is free...but whatever.

[omi25p]

as i have said before, A demo is a tiny section of a finished game.

Games like dead rising case zero are entirely different its shows off some of the stuff that is going into the full games and tells the story of how you get to the full game as well as giving you a few hours of gameplay for a small price. Think of it as more of a DLC that doesnt require a the full game rather than calling it a demo

[theonlylolking]

Gaming is going down hill.

[Hiruma Youchi]

grand turisome 5 Prologue was a paid demo. We're there.

[T9X69]

$40 is a bit steep for a "demo", especially since people are for some reason considering DR:CZ a "demo" that is $5.

[TLG1991]

it was a demo it was a prologue theres a difference!

[rekof]

Never going to happen,.. for me at least,..

If you are willing to pay for something that should be free ,.. be my guest,.

It gives them an outlet to show the consumers their shit ,.. and if they have confidence in their product,..

And Case zero is not a demo,..

[tiamat5]

I would rather not pay for something I may not buy. Dead is Rising Zero may be more then a demo but if I happened to hate it that is $5.00 gone that I could of used to help buy a whole game. At least with a free demo I can test it for free and use it and reviews of the real game to make my decision. In my opinion just another greedy way to squeeze more money out of you because you not only brought the demo but if you like the game you have to pay them $60.00 more. Can do without demos. I didn't have them before and brought good games just fine.

[radphil]

I think most of these articles are confusing "demos" for demos.

In the situation of Case 0, yes it's a "demo", as in a demonstration of what is to be in the actual game, but it's not a "demo" in the sense that it's part of the game. It's a prequel DLC of the game basically. Not part of the game itself.

[Jazz4108]

I thought a demo was to get you excited about buying the game as there have been many games that would not have gotten the sales they recieved if there was not a demo showcasing it. Paying for these demos defeat the purpose and will hurt sales in my opinion.

[Rybakov]

even tho case zero was amazingly fun and an awesome prequel it did give a taste of the new features of dr2

but 5 bucks was not wasted......i would have paid 5 more for an unlimited section where you aren't timed...or put that in 2 once you beat the game....either way loved it and gonna buy 2 day one

the dead rising movie was an awesome bad movie good thing that was free

[Pootangpie]

this article is null,void and unneccesarly wiitarted

[Leonesaurus]

STOP CALLING IT A FUCKING DEMO.... Holy SHIT DUDE... *facepalm* I'm sick of these articles whining about Capcom on every 'move' they make. It's getting really old, and annoying... =___= Especially on games I love...

- It is an ---> ARCADE GAME DOWNLOAD <--- And yes, it is optional, meaning you lose out on nothing. End of story.

* If it was called 'Zombie Apocalypse' instead of Dead Rising 2: Case 0 there would be NO ISSUE!

[neonlight45]

I'm sorry, but the hell I'm going to pay for a demo.

[Chnswdchldrn]

i already get free demos of every game released on PC

Yarggg

[Garnett]

Thanks Sony! (GT5P)

Now M$ Greedy self will start charging for demos, maybe Sony will give free demos to PSN+ Users LOL!

[tiamat5]

So why not give us a free taste of Dead is Rising 2? I mean correct me if I am wrong but if Dead is Rising Zero isn't connected to the actual game in anyway how does that make it DLC for the game? When I actually buy the game why would I want a piece of a game completely disconnected from the rest of the real game taking up space? Why offer prequels that basically just to show off game mechanics? Isn't that what free demos are for? So in other words developers are making DLC before the game comes out to get more cash from you? So they get your money before and after the game comes out plus more maps, skins and other kinds of DLC? Developers are really getting greedier.

[Nintenuendo]

You do realize that you can play Case Zero for free... don't you?

But to address your other points: It's slightly connected from a story standpoint, and for those of us who were big fans of the first game, the combination of that, and the chance to get a sneak-peak at the game that includes a headstart (your levels, money, and combo cards from C0 transfer to the full game) and achievements... that's enough.

And really, that's not what demos are. In my opinion, a traditional "demo" is a sample portion of the final game, and I do agree that those should never be charged for. However, Case Zero has enough original content, and other incentives, that it's definitely worth the money.

Hell, I've spent $5 on worse in this industry.

[Rybakov]

its not a demo its a prequel to the game its 5 bucks and besides showing the relationship between him and his daughter you can bring your save from case zero to 2

and devs wouldn't be getting greedy if people would stop pirating there games or buying used so they don't get royalties....they only work years on A game to support there families

[General Shrooms]

Case 0 is not a demo, it has original content that is not in dead rising 1 or 2. And by the logic this guy is using, all DLC addons for games are paid demos.

wtf

[Rashonality]

it will be piracy for me
yes it's bad
but paying for stuff that i should get for free is just as bad
if you "say you chose to play games so you should pay the price"
i'll say i'm not gonna make them destroy gaming by squeezing every penny we have till we just get enough of this madness and leave gaming all together

[tiamat5]

OK well I didn't know that all that you earned could be transfered to the actual game. That is a different story. But where can I play it for free?

[omegaortega]

Think this is bad? Well it is indeed but what I find it funny is that I and millions of others bought GT5: Prologue which basically felt like a $40 beta.

I should have just rented it :(

[TLG1991]

OMG i wish people would shut the ffff up about gt5:prologue it was not a demo it was not a beta it was a prologue, if you expanded your vocabulary you would know what that was and you would know what you was buying so its all your faults far being thick

[omegaortega]

As a gamer I've played a lot of betas and GT5: Prologue felt like a very fleshed out beta, thats essentially what it is. I wouldn't call it a demo though thats going way too far.

Edit: And I know what a Prologue is child. The GT fan in me simply just couldn't wait until Fall of 2010. Oh well.