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Sony Patents Game Demos With Feature Erosion

Posted by timothy on from the annoyance-codified dept.

MojoKid writes "When a game developer releases a demo, it's typically intended to entice players into first trying and then purchasing the full version. This is the stuff of Game Design 101 for most of us, but a crack team of cutting-edge gaming researchers at Sony have applied for a patent based on a novel concept: game demos that become progressively less fun the more you play. Sony refers to this as 'feature erosion.' The idea behind this dubious concept is that gamers will become hooked on a game while it's still in demo, then squawk unhappily as features and abilities they've unlocked begin to disappear. In order to prevent this, the player ponies up for the full version. A demo or program that provides limited functionality or play time is one thing; a game that's purposefully designed to take your progress away, in an admitted attempt to get you to buy once you've been hooked, is something altogether different."

11 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. What's the problem? by dtmos · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Lots of demo software is designed to stop working entirely after the demo period expires. The concept of doing this gradually over time seems, if anything, more humane.

    I suggest we roll over and go back to sleep -- or at least save our angst for worthy matters.

    1. Re:What's the problem? by blai · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If someone gave me the car for free...

      --
      In soviet Russia, God creates you!
    2. Re:What's the problem? by Pharmboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If someone gave me the car for free...

      No one is "giving" you anything, they are allowing you to test drive it, that is all. So, for the car analogy, you go to the Ford dealership to test drive a car. After the first mile, it won't go over 30. After 3 miles, it won't go over 20. After 5 miles, it will only idle, forcing you to pull over. Then a salesman drives up in his demo model and offers you a ride back if you promise to buy the car. Yea, thats a good idea. Does that make you want to buy it? I didn't think so.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    3. Re:What's the problem? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Why does this have to work on a demo? This could be a good model for subscription based games (if you don't keep paying money in your MMORPG, you lose a level per day and a magic item per week).

    4. Re:What's the problem? by TuaAmin13 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I may be in the minority here, but I think the above analogy is flawed and this might actually be a decent idea.

      Try: You go to a Ford dealer and test a car. It goes like it should. You say "Eh, let me sleep on it" and come back the next day. Then you test drive it again, but this time the salesman thinks you're just trying to drive the car around town, so he gives you a shorter test drive, perhaps not on the interstate (thus limiting you to 35-45mph). You say "eh, I'll sleep on it" and come back 2 days later. This time he limits you to going around the block.

      I don't know about you, but I play demos once, maybe twice. This is to prevent people playing demos repeatedly and not buying the game. See Zero Punctuation and mirror's edge (?). He says something to the effect of "Just play the demo repeatedly and you'll have the game." It's to stop stuff like that.

      Besides, couldn't you just reinstall the demo? Delete the demo and delete your game save and redownload it (sorry for people with sucky internet connections). Thus your demo will be renewed. If you're willing to go through that hassle, fine keep playing the demo without buying the full game. I think a lot of consumers will be buying the game.

      For Gamestop and other kiosks I suspect Sony will give them special demos that don't degrade if Sony ends up implementing this (regardless of whether or not they get the patent).

    5. Re:What's the problem? by gumbi+west · · Score: 4, Funny
      This post made me think that one really should be able to mod +1 quality car analogy.

      But then we'd need -1 bad car analogy, and -1 stupid nit pick on car analogy.

    6. Re:What's the problem? by couchslug · · Score: 3, Funny

      "The concept of doing this gradually over time seems, if anything, more humane."

      Feature erosion is common in marriage. One gets used to it over time...

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  2. The 'Hood by bsDaemon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't crack dealers have prior art on this business model?

  3. This was tested recently by David+Gerard · · Score: 4, Funny

    Didn't Sony recently try just this with the PS3?

    Microsoft, of course, has done this with the Xbox 360 for a while. "Feature erosion" produces fans so dedicated, some are onto their second or third 360!

    --
    http://rocknerd.co.uk
  4. Lucky Sony patented it by Ma8thew · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm glad Sony have patented this. I don't buy Sony products, and no one else will be allowed to implement this.

  5. Missing the point? by WhatDoIKnow · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think the larger issue is not whether this is a good idea for a game demo, but why is an idea at this level of abstraction even patentable?