Sony Files Patent for "Eroding" Game Demo Technology
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
- Start date
And how is that different from any other demo ever?Hopeless Bastard said:
Eroding demos won't turn anyone into a pirate that wasn't already. It doesn't promote piracy at all, since it's used exclusively in demos. All this does is make for more effective demos, which oftentimes leads to more people buying the software (and yes, more pirates, but they were never going to buy the thing in the first place).
Doesn't this already exist with Operation: Flash Point and ARMA II? FADE I believe is what its called.
Meh? I don't like my virtual equipment to break. Sony hasn't sold me on this idea.
Is it going to be a true alternative to plain cutting off the end of the game for the demo?
It's well... I don't know why I'm complaining, I usually don't play demos anyway.
Is it going to be a true alternative to plain cutting off the end of the game for the demo?
It's well... I don't know why I'm complaining, I usually don't play demos anyway.
I remeber once upon a time in the 1990s a demonstration of a game consisted of either the first level(s) of a game, a specially selected level which showed everything the game could do or a specially designed level for demo purposes anyway. All with no time limit. Whats wrong with the old format?
I like the idea and really wish it could work but as others have said pirates could go to town on this.
Here's how you pirate a full game:Hopeless Bastard said:
Go to torrent site
Search for game
Download cracked version
Here's how you extend the playtime on the new Sony demos:
Go to torrent site
Search for demo crack
Download demo crack
There is no meaningful difference between the two. If previous demos did not encourage piracy, this new form of it will not. If anything, this new version provides a "better" demo, which might encourage sales (though, granted, it will also increase piracy in the same manner). Eroding demos don't encourage piracy any more than a standard demo does, nor does it make it any easier to pirate. In point of fact, I would argue that it is likely harder to crack the demo and remove the limitations than to get around most DRM services. It is likely significantly more aggravating/time-consuming to go through the game code and remove all the limiters there than to create a keygen or the like (though I have no direct experience with either so I can't say for certain).
Except that you already did download the 8-16 GBs when you download the demo. Either way, you still have to wait for the massive download to finish, either before or after hunting down a way to pirate the game. That doesn't mean it's more likely to encourage piracy.Hopeless Bastard said:
And something tells me if/when they actually release this kind of stuff, it won't be the full game. For most implementations I can think of, there's fairly easy ways to measure the possible content with their restrictions and remove all the impossible content. That remains to be seen however.
The obvius pirate-debate and extra time it requires to download aside, am I the only one who thinks its a bad idear to give people something then slowly take it away?
Wouldn't you feel cheated somehow? Doesn't this method of demonstration deliver a negative experience?
I just feel it is less of a letdown (or more of a lure/appetiser) to have a final limit, than slowly inforcing a limit.
Not to mention the gradual limitation may give some players the thrill of slowly raising the difficulty curve and then dissapointing them when they buy the product. The fights you thought were badass actually is childsplay because you now have a BFG and not a butterknife.
Wouldn't you feel cheated somehow? Doesn't this method of demonstration deliver a negative experience?
I just feel it is less of a letdown (or more of a lure/appetiser) to have a final limit, than slowly inforcing a limit.
Not to mention the gradual limitation may give some players the thrill of slowly raising the difficulty curve and then dissapointing them when they buy the product. The fights you thought were badass actually is childsplay because you now have a BFG and not a butterknife.
Sounds interesting, but if the demo is good enough, we could just stick to the original system. Condemned had a good demo by featuring almost the entire first level, with a few bits cut out to make it last about 20 to 30 minutes. God of War 3's demo absolutely leaves me to want more, and I also even consider buying that new Siren game, though I'm afraid the game will leave you with too many weapons for the enemies to be a real threat.
Who was the fool who granted this patent? It's a counter, that is it! Everyone who learns even the basics of a programming language could come up with this. How does it not fail under the non-obvious requirement?
I like the fact they're thinking in new directions, but I don't think it is the best idea.
Demos are meant to send you out on a high so you will be talking about the game to your buddies or hassling the local video game store clerk for the release date. I don't think having my last memories a game being that of crawling around a race track in a gimped car or administering papercut-like blows to 20ft behemoths with my spork would encourage me to buy it.
Demos are meant to send you out on a high so you will be talking about the game to your buddies or hassling the local video game store clerk for the release date. I don't think having my last memories a game being that of crawling around a race track in a gimped car or administering papercut-like blows to 20ft behemoths with my spork would encourage me to buy it.