Spotted by Siliconera, a system has apparently been patented by Sony that offers a demo in the form of a full game that loses features over time, prompting you to buy the full title in order to get them back.
The site claims that customisable triggers are built in to the software that will disable features after a set number of plays or a certain amount of play time.
You might, for example, see your weapons weakened over time, or have them (and/or characters) removed entirely. Alternatively, you might see levels or race tracks disappear from your version of the game. More subtle changes are also mentioned, such as changes to lighting or sound effects to encourage you to buy a full copy of the game.
There's a potentially nasty crunch for retailers, however. These degradable demos can be distributed on physical media and potentially restored to the game's full glory with an unlock key. At no point in that system is there a point at which bricks and mortar retailers would necessarily be involved. A retailer can't charge you (at least not much) for a product flagged as a demo and the unlock key would most likely be in Sony's hands. The degradable demos could, of course, still be distributed digitally, but there's still no scope for retail to make money in that scenario.
All that said - a word to the wise. SPOnG's had a good old hunt for the original patent (which Siliconera doesn't link to) and has thus far not turned anything up. Just sayin'.
The site claims that customisable triggers are built in to the software that will disable features after a set number of plays or a certain amount of play time.
You might, for example, see your weapons weakened over time, or have them (and/or characters) removed entirely. Alternatively, you might see levels or race tracks disappear from your version of the game. More subtle changes are also mentioned, such as changes to lighting or sound effects to encourage you to buy a full copy of the game.
There's a potentially nasty crunch for retailers, however. These degradable demos can be distributed on physical media and potentially restored to the game's full glory with an unlock key. At no point in that system is there a point at which bricks and mortar retailers would necessarily be involved. A retailer can't charge you (at least not much) for a product flagged as a demo and the unlock key would most likely be in Sony's hands. The degradable demos could, of course, still be distributed digitally, but there's still no scope for retail to make money in that scenario.
All that said - a word to the wise. SPOnG's had a good old hunt for the original patent (which Siliconera doesn't link to) and has thus far not turned anything up. Just sayin'.
Companies:
Sony
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