Exclusive Demo Open Letter

MonsieurEvil · December 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">Robin Hood or Hippy Crite?</div> Yesterday, a bunch of gaming sites released this open letter to game publishers regarding how they did not want to see any more exclusive demos given to websites. Here's the text:

<a href='http://www.3dgamers.com/news/more/1071580531/' target='_blank'>http://www.3dgamers.com/news/more/1071580531/</a>

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>In the gaming industry, the free playable demo is one of the most popular and powerful tools to interest gamers in the final product. Production and testing of a demo can also take significant resources out of a development team. It therefore seems logical to expect publishers will maximise the game's exposure by giving the demo the widest possible release.

Unfortunately this is not always the case, and sometimes a demo is given the most restricted release: to one site for several days or even a week. The marketing perception that this creates good exposure for the pertaining demo is actually a misconception, as enthusiast gamers resent having only one, crowded, choice for download. And all file hosting sites, including the ones listed below, will simply not mention the demo at all, thus limiting its exposure to general news sites only.

Promotions like this only help one website, but at the expense of alienating the enthusiast community which makes up a large chunk of the overall audience and download traffic. It absolutely hurts the industry at large much more than it can help a single relationship.

We have already presented this situation to several major publishers who have had plans to do exclusive demos in the past and who have agreed to stop this practice, but it's still happening. Therefore, in an effort to end this once and for all, the following gaming websites (together representing over 20 million unique visitors per month) have agreed not to host any exclusive demos anymore, even after they eventually become public:

3D Downloads,3D Gamers,3D-Shooter.net,ActionTrip,Adrenaline Vault,AusGamers,Boomtown,ComputerGames.ro,Daily Rush,Fappin,FileCity.gr,FileFront,FileShack,FileRush,Fragland.net,Fragzone.se,GameCenter.cz,GameNavigator.ru,Gamer's Hell,GameSurf.de,GameTab,LoadedInc,NoFrag,NordicGamers,PC Gameworld,Tiscali Games,WorthPlaying

While these websites are normally competitors, this competition provides the freedom of choice that enthusiasts want by offering the widest possible distribution of any demo rather than the most restricted one. Therefore, something this disrespectful of the industry as a whole has inspired all of these websites to stand together in this open letter.

We value your readership and ask for your support in sending out this message by not downloading exclusive demos, emailing game companies who release exclusive demos, and letting your opinion be known on public message boards.

Sites wishing to join this alliance are welcome to contact us.

</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>

Do you agree with this concept? I personally do not - it smacks of extortion, and the phony baloney Robin Hood insinuation (when the real reasoning is that these websites lose advertising dollars everytime an exclusive runs elsewhere) really irks me. And the best part is, some of these sites currently or recently hosted exclusives (Fileshack is the worst for that)!

What's the next step? If a developer does not <i>make</i> a free demo, will all their news be boycotted by re-reporters like Shacknews? Gamers are greedy enough little brats, and this boycott simply panders to them IMO. What are your thoughts?

Spooge · December 2003

ACK! I'm too busy at work to sort out the roles of each of the players. If somebody has a second could they please post them?

My first (and quick) impression is "why wouldn't the developers/publisher want as many people as possible to download their demo?".

grrr! too busy!

esuna · December 2003

I'm noticing a lack of FilePlanet in the list of companies. Something tells me that if the sites mentioned do hold true to their word, we'll begin to see more exclusives on even more restricted sites (IGN, FilePlanet, etc). I feel this is completely the opposite direction that they wish to take it in. By giving the publisher's less options, it means more download sites are forming total control and tightening their grip over exclusives.

Personally, i'm with the whole idea. I'm sick of exclusive demos. Just because i'm not paying for gamingsiteX or buying magazineY, i miss out on trying demos, which, as previously stated, play a VERY big part in promoting the game and gaining sales.

As you mention, MonsE, that some of these sites are guilty of hosting exclusive demos or files, time will tell, i suppose, whether those sites will stick to their guns on this issue. I have a little faith that they will stay true to their word, but whether or not this will make much difference to the monopoly on game demos that some sites seem to have is an entirely different matter. I feel we'll have to wait and see what the publishers have to say.

*EDIT:
</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Spooge @ Dec 17 2003, 03:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>My first (and quick) impression is "why wouldn't the developers/publisher want as many people as possible to download their demo?".</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
I can only presume that there's money involved in exclusive demo releases while there isn't in public releases. But i agree, the whole point of releasing a demo is for as many people as possible to try it out.

MonsieurEvil · December 2003

I am boycotting all of these websites for forcing me to endure bandwidth-shrinking pop-ups, prestetials, interstitials, and banner advertising. I should not have to pay with my precious pipe for free game reporting!!!

taboofires · December 2003

As long as I can get a file without too much trouble (lack of mirrors, having to subscribe to spam-mail, etc.) I don't really care where it comes from. If one site can provide enough quality content for everyone, let them.

Now, video game exclusivity in another manner really irks me: when games intentionally run better on a certain manufacturer's vid cards than another, despite the other card being better designed or more powerful. Nvidea's whole "the way it's meant to be played" campaign has resolved me to never buy from them again. What a horrible way to go about anti-competetive practices...

EternalMonkey · December 2003

By limiting these demos to a few sites where it takes hours just to get a chance to download, the developers are serioulsy limiting their games marketability. It is an insane move, and one that probably won't last very long because mose sensable people won't put up with it.

MonsieurEvil · December 2003

So why worry about it and create a bunch of BS 'open letters to the game developers'? If it's not feasible, it will fix itself. This was just dumb pandering to the intarweb kiddies.

criticaI · December 2003

eh, well...

What does it matter, all those sites are pretty much trash.. Fileshack, computergames.ro and ausgamers are the only ones I've used of the list. And even then it was just for one specific file. Looks like they are trying to stop Gamespy + IGN's dominance on the market.

There is one thing that strikes me as most intriguing.... ausgamers.com being included on that list. They are *heavily* associated with fileplanet. When you download one of the more popular files at fileplanet you'll find that ausgamers.com provides one of the FP servers....

Very odd <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'>

MonsieurEvil · December 2003

I almost didn't believe it, then I looked at the CS download:

<a href='http://www.fileplanet.com/download.aspx?f=62470' target='_blank'>http://www.fileplanet.com/download.aspx?f=62470</a>

You're a genius Cri.tical! WTH is going on?!?!?

That_Annoying_Kid · December 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (MonsieurEvil @ Dec 17 2003, 09:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I almost didn't believe it, then I looked at the CS download:

<a href='http://www.fileplanet.com/download.aspx?f=62470' target='_blank'>http://www.fileplanet.com/download.aspx?f=62470</a>

You're a genius Cri.tical! WTH is going on?!?!?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
If Monse is slipping into parnoid mode as well as cri.tical about the letters, it's very interesting.

what if it really is a way to try and smash a monopoly?

O_O

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/marine.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='marine.gif'>

Handman · December 2003

The gaming companies are free to due as they like with their product, as long as it does not interfere with my rights. If the game company wants to make a buck or get free advertisement by making a demo exclusive, then so be it. I believe communism, rather than robin hood, would better describe the idea. While an exclusive demo does not spread across the community well, it can benefit the game developer in other ways. They can track the number of downloads to see if more advertisement is needed. If the site has you sign up first, it would allow them to see what demographic is interested in their products and tailor them to that demographic. Who are we to dictate what they do with their property? You dont see me telling you how to spend your money, do you?

Scythe · December 2003

Monse is just against this on principals because it's a co-operative effort from a bunch of websites working together. Too much like communism for his tastes.

If you look at it from an end-user perspective it doesn't really make that much of a difference if they're hosted exclusively for a few days. Pretty soon unofficial links will sprout up and there won't be a problem. As for hurting exposure of new games, it's the marketing department of the game company that decides weather or not to make their demo site-exclusive. If it hurts them so badly they wouldn't keep doing it.

--Scythe--

Exclusive Demo Open Letter

Comments