EA: We Won't Charge For Traditionally Free Game Demos

84
Dan Webb

The internet was set alight yesterday with reports that EA were looking to charge for "very long game demos."

EA's VP of Corporate Corporations, Jeff Brown, was quick to clarify and go on the record with Kotaku and state that they are not planning to charge for traditionally free game demos.

"EA SPORTS, EA Games and EA Play are each experimenting with download strategies that deliver fresh game content in formats players want to experience," said Brown.

"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," he continued.

"None of the proposals call for charging consumers for traditionally free game demos."

The idea according to Brown is to deliver "premium content to consumers before, during, and after the launch of a packaged-goods version of the game." Whatever that may mean.

Comments
84
  • any idea what they mean by traditionally "demos"?
  • If they do charge, they should prepare for quite a bit of negative feedback. The fools!
  • So the demos will remain free? And @1..get lost.
  • Let's see what happens then, still unsure about this
  • Thank god for that.
  • they are just trying to milk us for more money in as many ways as possible. We will have to pay for a majority of the game at release, and everything else before and after it comes out in DLC. EA Blows
  • I think most of us understood normal demos would remain free but i for one wont pay for a "extended" demo then again for the actuall game.
  • EA = FAIL Enough said.
  • atill not sure about this...
  • @#8 - Yeah, this was really more to answer those concerns that people were raising about the traditional game demos.
  • Alright guys, before you start spamming that EA is the devil and blah blah blah, take a second to change you tampon and actually read this. They never say that they are going to charge for demos. They say they are passing around an IDEA to make extended demo-like pieces that actually fit into the "packaged" game. And as always if you don't like it, DON'T BUY IT. I respect everyone who has an opinion, but please read something fully before you post on it. And when you do post, at least try to make your opions intelligent. We will run the world someday, but right now people look at gamers like they are unintelligent punks. Just a liitle food for thought.
  • It sounds like they're trying to get players to pay for an extended demo in return for in-game unlocks when the full retail version releases and maybe access to some extra DLC before anyone else. While it's still not my cup of tea; the deal doesn't sound as bad as it initially did.
  • Of course they won't charge for demos. They'll just stop making them. >I respect everyone who has an opinion Right after calling everyone a pussy ("change you[r] tampon")? Once again, I call for the X360A mods to actually put a splinch into the insane amount of douchebaggery in this forum.
  • @12 yep, you basically state what I'm thinking, although I don't care what people think of gamers. Either way, I agree that it does seem like an extremelly economically poor choice by EA, because the point of a demo is to spoon feed some of the better parts of a game to get you interested in spending money on it, whereas to charge for an extended demo is basically paying for a shorter game.
  • @12 I was going to say something similar to that myself. Besides, EA isn't the only company that "milks you for your money" when in all reality that is far from the case in the first place. After all, isn't that what ALL DLC does? If you look at it that way I mean. I look at it as offering a way to extend the life of the game(even if I think some of the DLC is overpriced as hell, I mean 800 points for a few new maps on Multiplayer? o_O) Surely you've heard of something called "shovelware," right? You know, the same basic b/s developers throw onto a console for sheer profit, which actually makes them lose money? Yeah, this article was saying that EA is going to attempt to PREVENT that from happening by creating "constructs" for us to purchase and test, which would give them insight on wh
  • *what WE want in a game, which allows them to save money by not producing crap no one will buy. And @14, I sincerely doubt that. They wouldn't avoid making demos completely. Way I see it, demos will exist for games EA is 100% sure will sell, but the ones that are kind of iffy(you know, original ideas that not everyone would like) they'll do the PDLC for to see if it's worth fully developing the game. Sorry for the double post, it got cut off.
  • This sounds similar to a news article from a week or two ago. I cant remember the specifics, but it was an XBLA "prequal demo" for an upcoming game. I think their idea is to hook progress from the prequel and convert it to items/stats in the retail game. I'm undecided if it will generate more retail sales, but they will reap money from the XBLA title...imagine the cost saving on production, packaging and dispatching
  • Why is everyone up in arms over something you don't have to buy? Even if it was content that was suppose to be on the disc, you can't make them include it that way or you wanting to get more bang for your buck. If this idea doesn't work out for EA it'll just die out. Case closed.
  • I personally like this...if you think about BF1943 being a step to show where BC2 was going after BC1 due to them both using the Frostbite 1.5...I dont mind paying for a demo that great :D
  • lol @ the VP Corporate Corporations
  • @12 LOL.. coming from a guy who's motto = *(T)bag thy fallen!* and location = *Anywhere that ur sry @ss isnt.* Seriously, try again, punk. xD
  • #19 Everyone's up in arms because EA & Activision (and others) spend more time figuring out how to fleece us even more with DLC, Special codes, limited editions etc rather than concentrating on bringing a solid FULL GAME that is good value for money and doesn't require constant updates/patches. If people just accept it, it will get more and more costly - MW2 map pack is a prime example, its 1200msp NOT because you get more or the content is better, they are charging it because 1:THEY CAN and 2:THEY KNOW SPOLT BRATS and people who DONT VALUE MONEY will just buy it You have to understand that as much as i would love 2 have loads of cash and not worry about these extras its unfair that the poorer people are not going to afford all these extras, the gaming community was never split back
  • ...in the day = there was only one version of SONIC/MARIO
  • OMG WOW WE STILL GET TO PLAY GAME DEMOS FOR FREE OMG AMAZING.
  • They say tradition demos but that sounds like what they said originally that the bigger demo will be at a price! EA were getting a bit better in recent years but this pdlc rubbish has just made me hate them like I used to again!
  • If I can start earning achieves towards the retail game thru these "extended" demos, then that wouldn't be too bad I guess. If not, then there is no point.
  • they are trying to charge you for dlc before the game comes out EPIC FAIL!!
  • Money for Nothing and Chicks for free.... ROFL My God.... DEMO is DEMO and stay free... EA is experimenting for the Future... dont take it tooo serious.... ARGHL.. =o)
  • i wouldnt be surprised if EA did charge the money grabbing bastards
  • is it just me that finds this a bit confusing? wtf is goin on? lol
  • Alright this is not hard to figure out. EA is going to try a new format of demos that will extend past traditional trial period. Traditional meaning regular. You don't have to pay for anything you don't want to. Like all dlc everyone bitches about, it's not mandantory.
  • #12 is a toolbox who gets his EA games up the butt
  • EA is gay, I wouldn't be surprised by anything they do.
  • People who didn't read the first news article aren't understanding this one. EA is experimenting with possibly releasing somewhat of an extended demo for games to allow consumers to get a better feel for it. Of course we would have to buy these for $10-15 a pop, then decide if we want the full game. Honestly, people should just do simple research on a game to figure out if they want to buy it. Read a game's Review here on Xbox360a.org, or IGN, watch some YouTube videos of it, then try the traditional demo if it has one. Buying games and finding out if they're worth it isn't that difficult.
  • Also, let's just hope they don't do away with free demos because of this...
  • Maybe this will be like Fable's Pub Games, In which you utilize one or more of the game's mechanics in order to unlock premium (or otherwise useful, maybe) content or money before the full retail game comes out?
  • The only way I'd pay is if it's like an expansion pack that can be accessed in the full game. Like in Fable 2 where you could go to entire new areas. If it were a pre-release expanded area of the game, then I could definitely see charging for it. I believe he's using the term "demo" in that it's not the full release, but will definitely give you real play. I assume that if they're charging for it, it would have APs too. Sounds like this is a win for everyone... I'd personally love to try a game via DLC before I buy the full version. How many games would I not have bought if I had the opportunity to see the real game in action? Lots.
  • Oh I get it now, what a sh*t idea, load of bs if u ask me, they want us to pay for demos? twats
  • hey if they have cheevos I might consider them but then again EA can suck my balls
  • I bet EA only said this because they were afraid of the backlash they were getting.
  • I think it will be like a map pack that you can play on without the game and when the game comes out these maps wont be included but if u bought the pre-release mappack u get that maps in the game as well. For example: U get the Battlefield1943 maps in Bad Company2 if u have both games then. If these pre-release DLC would be in the actual game I think most of the people would rather wait. Only die hard fans would get that so it wouldn't mean enough money. Anyway I won't support this.
  • Just throwing this out there, demos didn't always use to be free so don't forget where we came from. Back in the day you could only try out a few seconds on a playstation game if you bought a magazine that had a disc in it, now its just a simple click. Also, people complain when there is DLC and complain when there isn't. Just let them do there thing and you can easily find out if the DLC is worth it online.
  • @22....Kinda creepy that you took the time to look at my GAMING PERSONA, but whatever floats your boat. If you wnated my number you should have asked. Main point I am trying to get across is this: just because you do not have a brain/mouth filter(and yes, I accept the fact that you have a brain, no matter how malnourished it may be) don't make everyone else out there look stupid. You comment on something before you even have all the facts and the you say shit like EA sucks!! When you have a vast majority of gamerscore that you can contribute to them. If you don't like it don't buy it. They are not in the business to make games, they are in business to make money. Every comapny is like that. If you think otherwise you are niave.
  • This is such a retarded move they're trying to make. People bought BF43 because it was a full game that didn't cost that much money. Although BF43 wasn't my thing, just because it wasn't a dense game doesn't automatically classify it as an 'extended demo.' This can lead to such horrible things. Either people will pay for their demos and be disappointed, or people will be UNABLE to afford the extended demos. I'm usually broke, but when a game I look forward to is on its way, I FIND the money. Unfortunately, there may be thousands of others in the same boat as me, and what this will lead to is an underfunded game that isn't as good as it COULD be, just because not a lot of people downloaded it. BULL-SHIT.
  • @44 I agree with your statement that pretty much everyone who yells out "EA SUCKS!" has many of their games in their gamer score.
  • Yeah lets all hate on EA for doing something different. Im skeptical but intrigued, EA have done nothing but please me in the past few years so im willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, if only all gamers werent such fickle little bitches. Make a few mistakes and you officially suck for life... where is the sense in that logic?
  • Rereading this, I just want to say. It seems that what they mean to say is, if you get a free demo and you enjoy it, you buy the 'premium' demo. This article, if it's worded correctly, suggests that this premium demo would include content for the full game. Such as, just an example here, but if there were a Bad Company 2 demo, then a Bad Company 2 PREMIUM demo, which included a map pack, playable in the full game. Just a way of wiggling their dicks out there to see how many people will put their mouths on it.
  • i would always avoid ea games until BC2 has changed my opinion of them slightly, but i will always remember the drivel i bought with their name attached years ago that put me off buying their products until now. they are one of the biggest companies in the industry, greed is a powerful thing and this is proof of that
  • One other thing that does interest me with this, its almost like they could drip feed us bits of the game as it is in development, like that fable episodes thing they tried on XBL. Could this be the beginning of an era where we can but games in installments instead of waiting 3 years for a sequel?
  • Aaaaannnnddd... relaxxx.. few.
  • loud noises!
  • Yerah this is pretty dumb, it worked for GT5 though so who knows? Then again GranTurismo is a proven good game so I guess people were ok spending 40 bucks on what is essentially a demo. I doubt you could get away with that for any new IPs though and i think that's what this is targeting. I'd still rather play a free demo on a game I'm not sure about rather than spend a single msp.
  • The only way i'd pay for a game demo would be if the demo was out very early and a free version would not be available until just a month before the game releases.
  • Did you not see the example they gave? They said it would be like 1943, a game used as a test for Bad Company 2. I feel that this is actually good for gamers as well as the developers.
  • Wow, thanks for not being a**holes, I guess.
  • @14 of course they wont stop making demos. demos allow people to test the product and gauge whether or not they want to buy it. it brings in more money. stop commenting with ignorance if you don't know what you are talking about
  • Pff... nice work if they can get it. Who's going to pay money for a demo? Unless it somehow gives the gamer access to some DLC or some other benefit once the full game is purchased.
  • This seems to mean that when a game comes out.(one that e want) We have to buy 1 DLC before, then the actual game, then at least 1 dlc after. This means that a minimum of €/£90 will be required to own a complete game!
  • I dont know what everyone has their panties in a bunch for, think of it like thise would you have paid 5 or 10 dollars to keep your bad company stats from the demo. That is probably what the idea behind this is or something like you play out a prequel stage in an rpg just to start the actual game with some bonus gear and experience its not a bad idea and as always if it doesnt suit your fancy dont buy it companys are always going to come up with new ways to make money they have to especially when most consumers would rather rent a game then buy it.
  • christ there's some immature people on this site
  • Hey EA, maybe work on some patches for your buggy, freezing prone online sports games(FIFA 10, NHL 10) before coming up with a new idea to milk money out of us.
  • I think this could be turned into a rather positive thing. Everyone just think of an upgraded fable 2: Pub Games type of scenario. I think that if they give a decent amount of content for the money then i'll be happy. What I will be concerned about is how these "extended demos" will fit into the full games. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to play three hours of some RPG that has no relevence at all to the regular game, or is EXACTLY the same. Not to mention this could yield a lot of bugs and glitches along with a possible later release date for the full product. But If the minds at EA can put a creative enough spin on this to sell it than i'm impressed! Not to mention the first few "extended demos" will be cheap(er) because you a new fad needs to have a easy avenue
  • see like heres how I think about it. . . Dragon Age Origins: Awakening. Something like this only like a prequel for a game would be a great idea then when you get the main game you get to keep all the spoils you made inside this prequel demo thingy.
  • @12 "if you don't like it, DON'T BUY IT." Cool lost sales bro, I won't pay for a demo, which will lead me to not purchasing the full game. Why would I stupidly buy something I know nothing about besides from (most of the time) paid-off reviewers and websites? Anyway, back in the day we called this "Shareware", and it wasn't an "extended demo", it was an entire god damned episode.
  • Look at all the babies crying. Get off the fucking bandwagon.
  • I laughed at how everyone instantly thought PRE-DLC meant game demo. +1 for the fail of the internet!
  • I'm sure that whatever EA is gonna do will be some kind of crap to farm more money from us!
  • yeah guys come on, how dare we pick on EA like that. They love us gamers and care deeply about us, and they would never do anything like that to us. HAHAHA.
  • Just another reason to hate EA games.
  • As has been mentioned EA should spend more time on fixing the damn games they already have out. Ever since Activision decided to try and one up EA's fleece tactics by bumping up the prices of "AAA titles" it's been like a p*ssing contest over which company can be the biggest douchebags.Whatever way you dress this "extended demo" garbage it's still stupid.When was the last time you saw a AAA title actually GET a demo? Demos now are done by companies that might have a decent game but know they can't compete with the big names when it comes to marketing.Big companies don't give us demos anymore and instead try to sugar coat more charges to "try before we buy." Here's a suggestion Mr Brown how about you call John Riccitiello and tell him to reach a wider audience by not charging anything and a
  • meh can't be bothered typing out the rest a second time.Nutshell thank God for Bethesda and Rockstar.Might not see many demos but at least they do decent dev cycles and delay titles till they are FULLY ready and not riddled with bugs and more importantly give their customers value for money.
  • Well there releasing something that i DONT have to buy and i NEVER will, time to go moan on forums then.
  • Most of EAs games r good but if they were to start charging for long demos etc i bet other companys will start using the same idea and itll get out of hand, unneeded.
  • "If they do charge, they should prepare for quite a bit of negative feedback. The fools!" They don't care about negative feedback. EA's business model is to spend a literal fortune on promotion (commercials, magazine ads, etc.) so that the sheer number of sales counteracts negative feedback, poor reviews, etc. Likely they plan on just selling the base package of a game. Then have a large microtransaction for the ever-annoying "unlock key." It's probably their way of migrating towards complete digital distribution so they can charge $60 for a download game and not have to spend anything on manufacturing, also to finally kill the used market once and for all because every other publisher would follow suit.
  • The only thing I like about this is that he has the same name as me!
  • Soon the full game itself will be just an add-on to the DLC... And we will have to pay 200$ to enjoy the whole experience... Damn you EA.
  • Wow u people are so stupid... OK they will be releasing game demos like the Bad Company 2 demo FOR FREE. They will charge for EXTENDED DEMOS. FOR EXAMPLE: Bad Company 2 Demo with 3 maps and more unlockable guns. Its not that hard to understand.
  • EA is garbage.
  • Well that's good. I'll be sticking to my free demos, thanks.
  • I think their plan is to release stand alone content. So for instance if you wanted to buy mass effect 2 you would maybe get a short little game detailing the events between the first and second. Remember it's easy to jump on the EA hate bandwagon but they publish a lot of really great games. As a business it would be in their best interest not to piss us off.
  • Why oh why are people so agaisn't EA all the time. All i ever here is "they always rip me off" yet compared to most companys they don't. For example, preorder BC2 and get the limit edition for the same price, buy ME2 for new and get free DLC, FIFA10 ultimate team just 400 points. Don't seem such bad deals to me. Also don't mind the sound of paying for DLC before the game if it means i get to play part of the game early. I mean i don't here you all bitching about valve and there episodic content or even sonic 4 which is going to be episodic. If you don't want it don't buy it but for gods sake stop bitching about it. If you don't want it don't bloody buy it! Rant over.
  • I paid for the new Army of Two dlc and they can't even get that right. For many ppl the achievments don't work. And they have yet to figure out how to get the ProStreet race day2 achievment to work. They have gotten enough of my money to still keep messing things up.
  • You know, I was never concerned about the regular demos, because I don't think even EA are THAT stupid. However, this still doesn't help anything. The question remains - why should I buy half or 3/4 of a game when I could go out and buy a second hand one for a decent price and with all acheivements available? Why don't they try to competitively price these things? That would be a major selling point instead of this crap.
  • Really? You guys still blindly hate EA? EA has done nothing but awesome stuff in the past few years imo. Meanwhile, Activision has three separate developers working on the COD franchise in the hopes of releasing two a year; and you guys are getting mad at EA for doing something new. And hey, if it fails, it fails.
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