You may have read about it on a few sites, but I thought I'd post something about this rather extraordinary incident.
Basically, Activision and Fileplanet have made a deal where Fileplanet have the exclusive rights to host the The Call of Duty demo, available only to their paying members for a week before it is released publicly. There's little chance of playing the demo unless you're a FP paying member, because the demo requires a key for activation.
I say this incident is extraordinary because of the backlash this deal has made. A fair few well known game websites have joined a *blacklist* of the demo once it does get a public release. The growing list of websites include 3D Downloads, 3D Gamers, AusGamers, Blue's News, Edge Files / Callofduty.org, FileFront, FileShack, Gamer's Hell, GameGossip, Loaded Inc Network, Tiscali Games, WorthPlaying. That's quite a list if you ask me - I only download demos from three places, and they're listed there.
There was a similar incident some time ago with the Raven Shield demo oon Fileplanet (legal threats were made to other websites that hosted it), and because of the public outcry then, the publisher released it the next day. I wonder what Activision will be doing in this case.
I do wonder what Activision does get out of an exclusivity deal like this though (apart from a quick buck). Getting gamers to pay (pony up the costs for membership at Fileplanet) to see your advertisement (demo)? Seems strange to me.
To read on why exclusivity deals hurt the gaming community, there's a good set of reasons listed on [url="http://www.shacknews.com/ja.zz?comments=28103"]shacknews[/url]..
Well i don't see much of a problem by this from a business perspective, since if you're a game developer and you've got an arrangement where gamespy gives you its multiplayer tech in exchange for one week's exclusivity of your games demo, then that's a pretty damn good deal. And if you pay for the gamespy's fileplanet service, wouldn't you want some special content, so that you can have bragging rights and all that - "I've played it first!"?
Ahh well, I guess we're all a bunch of wingers in the end :-P
It looks like Activision have [url="http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/board.pl?action=viewthread&threadid=43…"]bowed under the pressure[/url].. demo is being released freely tonight/tomorrow..
Yeah, think of all the free advertising they're losing not getting the demo hosted on those sites. Even if they get their multiplayer tech or whatever free, i think they'd be losing a s/load more in potential sales. And thats not even mentioning the bad reputation activision will get. Shunned!
CYer, Blitz
I've *finally* finished downloading the demo. Completed the demo within 10 minutes on medium level, though. Quite a nice game, there's plenty of atmosphere and intense action to be had (parachutes, planes, weapons fire into the air etc).. the art quality is pretty average, but I do love the player models and their animation. They climb over fences, duck, crawl, look around walls, sit down, check things out etc. It's cool to just watch your squad move out and make their way through.. And there's some hand gestures, mouth movements etc when that captain speaks. So yes, very well done character animation..
Mmm, it'll be interesting to see the outcome of this. I'm kind of thinking that Activision will have no choice but to give things up, as with the large list of sites blacklisting them, it won't favour on their publicity too well (apart from the whole "bad publicity is good publicity").
Always interesting to watch our industry form.