EA Planning to charge for "extended demos," regular demos will still be free - Polidicks

[quote="kotaku"]Electronic Arts plans to grow its digital game business to become one-third of their total revenue over the next few years and that includes starting to charge for what one analyst described as very long game demos.[/quote] Oh boy, EA just keeps getting better. Source: [url]http://kotaku.com/5498985/electronic-arts-plans-to-make-you-pay-for-glorified-game-demos[/url] EDIT: [b]EA: We Will Not Charge For "Traditionally Free Game Demos"[/b] [url]http://kotaku.com/5499421/ea-we-will-not-charge-for-traditionally-free-game-demos[/url] [quote="kotaku"]Electronic Arts tells Kotaku that while they're exploring different downloadable game strategies, they do not plan to charge gamers for "traditionally free game demos." The clarification comes after word hit via analyst Michael Pachter's visit to Electronic Arts, that the company planned to grow their digital game business in part by release what EA called "premium downloadable content" on the Playstation Network and Xbox Live for $10 to $15. Pachter described that content as "essentially be a very long game demo, along the lines of 2009's Battlefield 1943." The "full-blown packaged game" would later be released at a full retail price. EA Group General Manager Nick Earl told Pachter during the recent meeting that the strategy would allow the company to limit the risk of marketing the full game and would "serve as a low-cost marketing tool." Responding to request for comment, EA's Jeff Brown said that the publisher and developer is working on a "number of projects for delivering premium content to consumers before, during, and after the launch of a packaged-goods version of the game." "EA SPORTS, EA Games and EA Play are each experimenting with download strategies that deliver fresh game content in formats players want to experience," he writes. "To date, there is no set pricing strategy for the entire EA portfolio. And many of the proposals include free-to-play content on models similar to Madden Ultimate Team, Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield 1943." "None of the proposals" Brown wrote, "call for charging consumers for traditionally free game demos." Speaking at the Game Developer's Conference earlier this month Ben Cousins, general manager of free to play Battlefield Heroes, told a gathering of designers that EA is becoming increasingly interested in free-to-play or "freemium" games.[/quote]

:frogdowns: [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Snipe/why reply" - verynicelady))[/highlight]

Wait what the hell?

lol like anyone is gonna buy them

Why can't they go back to the classic style? Release a demo before release, then release the game (at normal price), then after a year or so release an expansion (not 2MB DLC crap) for half the price of the full game. Instead these fuckers release the game without demos at higher than normal price, the bombard you with shitty DLC and charge you 10€ for it. DLC is a [B]horrible[/B] idea.

It's like they're saying 'go pirates'

Well, if the demos are long enough, I don't see why they can't charge for it. Or should they just give away huge chunks of the game for free?

the only demo worth paying for is the just cause 2 demo and thats only because of the modding

[QUOTE=BrQ;20896870]It's like they're saying 'go pirates'[/QUOTE] Yeah I can't believe they're still doing this shit. You'd think they would've stopped being greedy after Spore's DRM failed so badly.

>:| ea

HAHAHAHA OH GOD. FIRST DRM, NOW THIS? WHATS NEXT EA! [IMG]http://www.fitandhealthyonline.com/newsletter/images/people_laughing.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=77boy84;20896881]Well, if the demos are long enough, I don't see why they can't charge for it. Or should they just give away huge chunks of the game for free?[/QUOTE] A demo is what you use to see if you really like a game or if you can run it before you buy it. [b][u]demo[/u][/b]nstration

EA came close to being the best of the Big Three but then they were like "Uh oh the public is starting to like us! Quick Pete, put out some stupid bullcrap! ... I don't know, anything! Paying for demos or something"

Who the fuck would even pay for a demo in the first place?

what the fuck are they doing.

Game developers/publishers have gone from "how can we make a good game?" to "how can we make the most money?" It saddens me.

lol[U][B]NO[/B][/U]

Being greedy.

Worst idea yet. I'm actually a bit suprised over this, i mean...like Wheeze said, it's supposed to be a "preview" of what the game is like, and make you decide if you should buy it or not. I'd never pay for a preview, when i could spend that money on the real game instead

[QUOTE=The Left Wing;20896929]Who the fuck would even pay for a demo in the first place?[/QUOTE] You're Palestinian? Holy shit, I am too. :hfive:

Like hell am I paying for demos.

Way to go EA, you were on your way to be a normal publisher/developer and now look what you did.

This is like paying for an advert.

Take Just Cause 2 for example. I really wasn't interested in that game, but I decided to get the demo out of boredom. I thought it was excellent so now I've pre-ordered the game. If EA was publishing JC2, I would never have got the demo and therefore never have bought the game. Their system is flawed.

EA is riding the brand loyalty train very well with EA Sports games (especially Madden NFL), but charging people to play basically unfinished games? That's plain retarded.

Oh and :cawg:

This can't be true. I refuse to believe anyone would be that stupid.

what is this shit, i don't even

EA need to get their heads and out their asses.

I think I'm completely done with EA now. Not buying any more games from them or any company associated with them. I was already done after the crap with spore... but i thought they could redeem themselves... wow was I wrong.