Sony hopes to patent game demos that 'erode' over time

(Credit: Sony, via USPTO)

Game demos have become de rigueur for publishers. To help entice gamers to plunk down their hard-earned $50 or $60, companies will often put a sample level from their games on their Web sites, Xbox Live, or the PlayStation Network. Until now, those demos have remained static, meaning publishers effectively give away a chunk of their games in the hopes that it will lead to consumers scooping up the whole thing.

Sony, apparently, wants to change the demo paradigm. Its application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office became public on March 4 and was uncovered by Siliconera. In the application, the company describes a technology to make demos that lose functionality over time. The more a player plays the demo, the more features of the demo will cease working--and the more it will ask the player to buy the full version.

Read more of "Sony patents demos that 'erode'" on GameSpot.

Correction at 7:10 a.m. PST March 9: This article and the original version of it on GameSpot incorrectly described the status of the patent application. The application has been filed and was officially made public on March 4.

[SpaceDude2001]

Could any shareware program from the last 20 or so years be considered prior art?

[Llantha]

Brilliant! LOL!

[notovny]

Offhand, though, I can't think of a shareware program from the last twenty years that eroded.For every one I can think of, there were two stages: 1) Full Shareware Version Functionality, and 2) Limited or No Functionality. I can't think of any shareware I used that had even three stages.


Oh wait, yes I can. The Windows 7 RC.

[aMUSICsite]

I have shareware programs that...

a) Make you wait longer each time you use them leaving the buy now button up for longer, so the more you use it the more you wait.
b) There are plenty of demos that expire after a month, week or whenever.

I seem to remember some allowing you to save for a while then breaking this function after a time.

So it seems to be to be around already and not patentable.

[cybersleuth58]

I am getting too darned old, I suppose. I recall the good old days when games, although not cheap, were much more affordable. Companies offered incentives to customers so we would buy their products. That might even mean you get a decent plastic case and manual. (I don't mean the junk they pass off now as a manual). The first hint book I heard about was for Marathon: Durandal, I think. At the time I was offended that you had to plunk down the twenty-five or so bucks for the game and then be expected to pay more for a tutorial/hint book. I know - you are thinking - well, no one forced you to pay for a hint book. But what were your options? You paid for the game and then got stuck... So, you either went out and wasted more money on the hint book, or you gave up on the game which then became a very pricey coaster under your coffee cup. That is called a Hobson's choice. Look how far we have come! There are so-called Collector's Editions that cost an arm and a leg, the difference being crap that most people will never even look at. The most amazing rip-off is paying extra for "virtual" objects. That involves forking out REAL CASH for imaginary items. Call me crazy, but when I pay real money I want real items. Remember when you could pre-order a game and get a decent tee shirt for free from EB Games? (I still have my cherished Freelancer tee as well as my X FIles shirts) There were some occasions when you might even get a free CD containing an expansion for your game. Virtual items I refuse to pay extra for. If they want my hard earned money at least they can afford me the dignity of deleting their demos from my hard drive. Copyright protection being used as an excuse to make me pay through the nose for a game I can install no more than 3 or 4 times. PT Barnum was visionary when he said there is a sucker born every day. Consider the folks who break up games and sell the components on Ebay.Are there really people crazy enough to buy a game CASE on ebay? That's right, game not included. At what point does our money cease to mean anything? I am at a crossroads. They can take their virtual items and stuff them up their virtual derriers... When they stuff it where the sun don't shine my money's not included. Sheesh!!! But you know what, folks? They all worship the almighty dollar. They only do this because we let them. So whose fault is this really?

[monkeyfun14]

I see this as a solution looking for a problem. How long can you go on playing a demo before you say screw this. I mean after doing the same thing repetitively I start to get bored. Now if its a free roam game where there is a lot to do in the demo I see this as maybe a useful idea for a company. But as far as maybe playing the same level in a war game 5 - 10 times the demo player gets sick of the game on his/her own.

[PixP]

Yeah Monkey. I've checked out demos for minutes only. It took long to install them. They are meant to look at like a commercial. Nothing more.

[golephish]

anyone remember the days of shareware? or when programmers simply asked for a postcard if you liked their app?

[NewsReader_]

General Motors should license this idea...

They already let you bring the car back if you do not like it. To help you decide to keep it, they could come take the headlights after a week. Then the turn signals. Wait long enough, and they take the rear view mirror back. Eventually you are left with a shell of a car thay you have to tow back to the dealer.

End result, you will never buy GM again.

Brilliant!

[Cruton]

Another brilliant move by Sony

[G-Systems]

I had hoped that Sony would leave this hyper-vigilance behind--especially after the 2005 debacle. However, it seems that they're continuing their paranoia campaign.

They are one of the strongest companies in the world, but so is Microsoft--atleast they've scaled back their paranoia by just making superior products (superior to their last offerings)...

I don't see how this bodes well for Sony...but, in time, they'll learn, I'm sure...

[SteveW928]

Sounds like a good idea. That way a demo doesn't really need to be a demo, but could be the full experience and let people really get a feel for the game. Kudos! I hate demos that are just advertisements or 'broken' demos that don't let me experience the game.

I think one of the best other methods recently have been the 'beta' releases such as MAG. It allowed me to fully play the game, but stopped working at beta end... I was hooked, as it was awesome, and I bought it. That ended up being a win-win, as I helped test the game, they provided me with entertainment. The only downside there were the morons who didn't seem to understand the concept of beta, and wrote bad reviews based on beta bugs.

[perjonsson]

This is truly idiotic. Who was the moron at the patent office that decided that such a trivial thing as a program that changes behavior after a pre-set amount of time was something someone could patent?

[MrBoomshadow]

How is this: a) not an obvious and non-patentable derivative of the original Divx disposable DVDs? b) not a really stupid idea. Using bad tech for a demo will hurt sales, and tech that expires and degrades is bad tech.

[qpzmal1029]

MrBoomshadow, G-Systems, et al:
Sony filed for a patent. They haven't implemented it, and don't necessarily have plans to implement it, and they have time to make sure that it's used wisely if ever used at all. Whether or not it's patentable is an issue to take up with the patent office.
Maybe one of the game vendors requested a method for a demo like this, because they have a specific instance where an eroding demo would be best? Maybe Sony has some good ideas for using this type of system for some first-party games? Just wait and see what actually happens, and complain if you don't like the result.

[gsmiller88]

If Sony wasn't so focused on greed then maybe they could actually put out products people would want to buy.

[MrBoomshadow]

@qpzmal1029:

I don't have to actually jump off a building to know I won't like the sudden stop at the end. By the same token, I don't have to see a bad idea by Sony implemented to know it's a bad idea. And decaying software is a really bad idea.

[Shinobi2099]

I love how the sony hating trolls come out for a patent that isn't even being implemented but I bet they are the same ones who will degend the fact that they sent their 360 in 4 times to get fixed and that the love paying EXTRA to get their MACs fixed bc it's sooooo user friendly. I swear if it isn't Sony doing it it's never an issue but as soon as they make a move people start whining from the get go.