Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli recently defended EA’s idea of charging $10 to $15 for premium demos.
“A free demo is a luxury we have in the game industry that we don’t have in other industries such as film. Because we’ve had this free luxury for so long, now there are plans to change this people are complaining about it. The reality is that we might not see any free game demos in the future.”
I completely understand that I wouldn’t have to buy these “rip-off premium demos”. However, it would be sad for someone like myself who relies on demos to make a decision on getting games I am not 100% certain about buying. In the past I’ve purchased a number of games that I otherwise would never have considered playing based on a free demo I was offered.
Something I don’t really understand is why it’s such a budget burden. Of course I’ve never made a video game myself, but I don’t see what’s so difficult about offering the first level of your game and when the player beats the level, switch in a “Coming Soon” graphic for level 2. Okay, so that’s an over simplification. But honestly, where’s the great burden?
Also, choosing the film industry as a place that doesn’t have free demos (as Ron Burgendy would say) was probably a bad choice. Films are not interactive, so the demos are the trailers – and I’ve seen plenty of film trailers for free. The completion of a trailer is considered a part of a film’s marketing budget. So is it that the other areas of making games are becoming so overgrown and expensive that budgeting in a demo as part of marketing is becoming unsustainable? Though I admittedly have no expertise on this topic, is it possible that this is just poor planning on the gaming industries part?
Yerli’s argument continues to flounder as he tries to defend the move as anti money grubbing.
“I think EA’s strategy is interesting, overall. The thing is, every time we see a publisher doing something to improve the industry, making things more commercially viable and actually increasing the market, people instantly think this is only some money-hungry ploy.
(I suppose in Yerli’s defense he did use “only” here – he never completely disregards that this is at least partly a money-hungry ploy)
“Yes it is quite unpopular, but this is a messaging issue. The problem with any new strategy like this is it initially may appear as a blood-hungry, money-grabbing strategy. But I think there is a genuine interest here to give gamers something more than a small demo released for free.
“Really, what this is, is an attempt to salvage a problem. The industry is still losing a lot of money to piracy as the market becomes more online-based. So it’s encouraging to see strategies outlined to combat this.”
“I think the whole issue needs to be explained in a better way, because there is good thinking behind EA’s plan. I understand why people are thinking that all EA wants to do is maximise profits out of the audience, but really, what it’s really trying to do is get investment back but while being as fair to the gamer as much as it can. Ultimately, it will be a better deal for the gamer.
I’m a little confused. Is he saying that we just don’t understand what we’ll be getting with this “bamboozlement” “premium demo” plan and that’s why our negative reactions are unfounded, or that EA’s marketing people need to sell it to us differently? I’m sorry, no matter how you tell me to put the lotion on, when you throw me in 10 foot hole with the intention of making a dress out of my skin, I’m going to cry foul – even if I get the hose again.
The only point I can agree with Yerli on is that, “given the time pressures in making a demo – in fact given the time pressure of making a quality demo – I think it all becomes really difficult to work with, and I think we’ll see less and less of them in the future.” Okay, I can completely understand that. Just don’t expect me to buy your stupid $10 demo, now knowing that you spent precious “pressured time” making it, instead of making your full game better.
Perhaps this truly is a case of misunderstanding, and there is no greater way of maintaining a relationship than with proper communication. You know what, I want to understand this idea better. I’ll think about buying your demo – just let me just test it out for a few minutes so I can decide whether or not I want to spend money on it. That sounds like a fair deal, doesn’t it?
