Hidden And Dangerous Released For Free

Thanks to Blue's News for the information that the PC tactical shooter Hidden And Dangerous has been released for free download by publisher Gathering, to help trail the sequel, out next month. According to Blue, this 'Deluxe' version of the original "...not only includes the full version of the WW2 squad-based combat game, but also the Devil's Bridge expansion, all the required patches and updates, as well as the mission editor." There's BitTorrent linkage to this generous 264mb giveaway courtesy Filerush and via GameTab, and it's noted that you "...can also get H&D Deluxe on a CD as a bonus for preordering H&D2 at EB, GameStop, or Best Buy."

Comments

Stuff like this could negate fears of filesharing

[Trillian_1138]

I think that more companies doing stuff like this (that is, releasing a large amount of free content with no or very little strings attached) could do more to counteract fears of piracy than any DRM could.

By releasing free content or making a big deal about free stuff when you pre-order you're going to be building customer loyalty. I realize console game piracy isn't as big of a problem as PC game piracy (at least in America) so this isn't the perfect example, but Nintendo probably ended up selling more Wind Waker copies because of the pre-order deal than they would have otherwise. Likewise with the new Rogue Squadron and Mario Kart games.

PC game companies should follow this lead. Releasing a previous game, in the case of a sequel, or a large number of exclusive demo levels, if it's a new game, can only be a good thing. Homeworld 2 might have sold more copies had you gotten a copy of Homeworld free with your pre-order. Or just free, period.

I remember the demo to Starcaft being three or four 'prequel' missions that took place within the storyline of the game, but were exclusively playable in the demo. I downloaded it even though I'd already bought and enjoyed the retail game. Customers like getting extra cool stuff for free, and will remember you for it.

The extension of that, and the subject of this post, relates to filesharing and piracy fears. If I feel company loyalty to the Hidden and Dangerous guys (because, hey, they gave me this really cool free thing!) I'm going to be less likely to pirate their software, and more likely to frown on those who do so.

I know there are people who will crack and distribute games ilegally just 'because they can' and those who aren't going to pay for a game no matter what. That's not who I'm talking about. There are people, like myself, who do actually buy games, but may occasionally also download illegal versions off Kazaa or the like. And getting our loyalty could do wonders to prevent a company's game from being downloaded without paying for it.

I know I'll be less likely to ever download Hidden and Dangerous 2 because of this. I'll remember that the company is obviously interested in customer loyalty and willing to make an effort to provide a quality product. Even if they're doing it for financial reasons rather than to get a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside (they may have followed the same line of reasoning I did) the end result is the same.

Just my two cents.
-Trillian

An alternative take...

[Thedalek]

First, let me say this: I love getting stuff for free, even some stuff I "shouldn't" (It's not technically legal to download data you own from a source other than the original medium, so even though I have Duran Duran's Decade album, I'm not allowed to download the tracks unless I rip them myself. That's not going to stop me from grabbing "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Wild Boys" off of Kazaa).

The eventual point is, while I am in favor of companies giving away things for free, and especially things that used to be not free, I don't think it's a good idea, commercially speaking. Sure, it builds market base, but it also guarantees a market decay: I hardly ever buy any software new, because I'm patient enough to wait 5-6 months and get it for half the price or less. If companies make a habit of giving away full products for free, I might not buy them at all, save for an occasional token purchase to keep the system alive.

I'm not alone in that sentiment, either. In several areas, movie ticket sales are down, while rentals are up. Reason: Rentals are cheaper. If the public became aware that, within the forseeable future, the product would become completely free, the system collapses. It then becomes a delicate balance of patience versus price.

That's not going to stop me from getting my free copy, though.